The Lady On The Island reel

A great tune I learned off the album “Wooden Flute Obsession,” or something like that…
It’s the second tune in a set that Gary Shannon does. The other tunes, I believe, are 1.) The Fox on the Town, and 3.) The London Lasses (?). In my opinion, it goes great with Rolling In the Ryegrass.

I can’t remember where - but I’ve heard the title of this tune was dedicated to the statue of liberty.

number to in Garry Shannon’s set Windwood

Grey Larsen and Paddy League have a great rendition of this tune on their CD “The Green House” Grey’s flute mastery really shines through. I prefer his version over Garry Shannon’s jazzier style, though GS has some great variations.

I find all the versions of the tune available on the net a little bit awkward, so I made up my own based on Mick O’Brien and Kevin O’Reilly’s lovely whistle and fiddle duet playing of it.

K: Dmaj
dB|:BAFB AFEF|D2FA BAdB|BAFB ~A3B|1 d2fd efdB:|2 d2fd e2(3ABc||
d2fd efge|afdf edBc|d2fd efge|afdf e2(3ABc|
d2fd efge|afdf edBc|defg afbf|afdf efdB||

I think it’s much neater and very close to the versions we come across in the real sessions. It’s one of the great pieces for flute and fiddle duet, but also sounds lovely on the button box.

Saltcast sent me an mp3 of Denis Murphy playing this tune, and the first time through, this is how Denis plays it.

X:1
T:Lady on the Island
S:Denis Murphy
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
d3A|{d}BAFB AFEF|D2 (3FED {d}BAdB|{d}BAFB AFAB|defd efdB|
|{d}BAFB AFEF|D2 (3FED {d}BAdB|{d}BAFB AFAB|defd ed (3ABc|| defd
|efge|afdf e~B3|defd efge|afdf e2 (3ABc| d2 fd e~f3|afdf e~B3|defg a2
|ba|{b}afdf e2 dB||

There are two fiddles (Julia Clifford, no doubt), mostly playing in unison, but on some phrases they differ from one another, and it’s not always clear which fiddle is playing which notes.

Planxty’s version of this tune is quite lovely.

Second tune here by Martin McCormack, Collette Begin and Seán McElwain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUO_d0f1UXM

play video

This is a great tune, no wonder it is listed as one of the 100 most recorded tune in Alan Ng’s database http://www.irishtune.info/top-tunes/ (in 86th position, as by today’s date, out of over 5,000 different tunes in his index)

Anyone else think the starts of it sounds like “Ceathrú Cabhan”?

Members of Danu Play this tune in C Major.

Here’s a fairly standard setting.

Harry Bradley from his album As I Carelessly Did Stray

BAFB AFEF|D2FA BAdB|BAFB AFAB|defd efdB|
BAFB AFEF|D2FA BAdB|BAFB AFAB|defd edBc|
d2fd efgb|afdf edBc|d2fd efga|bdaf ~e3f|
d2fd efgb|afdf efdb|defg adfb|afdf e2dB|

The second part of this tune is much nicer melodically than the other settings. The efgb instead of the efge (which is in all the other settings) in the first bar gives it more lift.

Harry Bradley: Lady on the Island. https://youtu.be/Yq-VJe8iZ30

play video