Scotch Mary reel

This has always been one of my favorites, but I play it with
the G sharped in the last measure of the A section and
with the C# and G# thoughout the whole B section. (I first
saw it written in O’Neill’s). I like the feel of the key change
in the middle. Anyone else play this version?

Altan, on their runaway sunday album, adds a third part.

cded cded|BEEF G2AB|cded cded|cABG A2AB|cded cded|BEEF G2AB|cdeg f2ed|cABG A2AB||

They say it comes from the playing of John Doherty.

the Johnny Docherty version can also be found in that great book ‘The Northern Fiddler’, although listed under the repertoire of Francie and Mickey Byrne; indeed the last 2 parts of this version have now become a separate tune entirely, with the parts reversed.

That latter tune is one of two tunes called the Abbey Reel, and has been recorded by Dervish, track one of ‘At the end of the day’

I’m pretty sure that the 2nd highland in the Rosses set on Altan’s Harvest Storm is a highland fling setting of Scotch Mary:

X: 1
T: Scotch Mary
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland fling
K: Emin
G>A|B<EE>D E>FG>A|B<EE>D G3A|B<EB>A (3B^cd e>d|c>AB>G A2:|
f>g|a>ba>g e>fe>d|^c>de>f g2~g2|a>ba>g e>ge>d|c>AB>G A2f>g|
a>ba>g e>fe>d|^c>de>f g2f>g|a>fg>e f>de>d|c>AB>G A>F||

This is the version prouse refers to. Dervish’s version is in Dmix, but it also gets played in Amix:

X: 1
T: The Abbey Reel
T: Scotch Mary
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
FGAG FGAG|FDDB, C2AG|FGAG FGAG|FDEF D2DE|
FGAG FGAG|FDDB, C2AG|FGAB cBAG|FDEF DEFA||
d2dc ~A3G|FGAB c2Bc|Addc ~A3G|FDEF DEFA|
d2dc ~A3G|FGAB c2Bc|dBcA (3Bcd AG|FDEF D2DE||

Transposed into Amix, that becomes:

X: 2
T: The Abbey Reel
T: Scotch Mary
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amix
cded cded|cAAF G2ed|cded cded|cABc A2AB|
cded cded|cAAF G2ed|cdef gfed|cABc ABce||
a2ag ~e3d|cdef g2fg|eaag ~e3d|cABc ABce|
a2ag ~e3d|cdef g2fg|afge (3fga ed|cABc A2AB||

Isn’t the Amix, highland bagpipe version of this tune called "MacFadden’s"?

John Doherty’s 3-part version was recorded by Altan with Matt Molloy on "Runaway Sunday" CD.

Any chance you can transcribe it for us then, Slainte?

No, I’m too busy with work at the moment. Have a look at Fiddle Music of Donegal: http://misaok.hp.infoseek.co.jp/fmod/d_sakuin/do_saku.html It’s in Gmin.

That’s ok, I jdave’s one will do fine. I wouldn’t want you to bust a gut on my account 🙂

Key signature: A Dorian
Submitted on February 21st 2007 by Othello.
https://thesession.org/tunes/6848

R: reel
K: A Dorian
|: ed | cAAB cded | cAAF G2 ed | cAAB cded | cABG A2 :|
|: ag | eaag e2 ed | cdef g2 fg | eaag e2 ed | cABG A2 :|

"It is the first ABC i’ve ever made ~ … I learned the tune a couple of years ago from a danish band. I have no idea what they have done to it."

# Posted on February 22 2007 by Othello

"I think the 1st part might be a bit of a mix up with the Monaghan Twig, though. I’d want to know what the source was, i.e. if it’s transcribed from a session tape, or whether it’s half-remembered from a friend’s playing or whatever."

# Posted on February 22nd 2007 by Dow

I don’t think you should have changed Othello’s original key signature there, ‘c’. The intended key sig was 2 sharps (Amix, not dor), making it similar to the Dervish version I posted back in 2006. I feel sure that’s where Othello’s setting would have come from. It maybe just got a bit confused with the Monaghan Twig in the A-part, Chinese Whispers style. You need to be a bit careful when "correcting" other people’s work, I think… 😏

Submitted on February 21st 2007 by Othello.

Right you are Dow, as usual ~

X: 5
T: Scotch Mary
T: The Abbey Reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: A Mixolydian
|: ed | cAAB cded | cAAF G2 ed | cAAB cded | cABG A2 :|
|: ag | eaag e2 ed | cdef g2 fg | eaag e2 ed | cABG A2 :|

Sorry I missed that in whatever confusion had taken me at the time. 😏

Key signature: G Mixolydian
Submitted on January 14th 2008 by mellow_bellows.
~ /tunes/8146

X: 6
T: Tom Keane’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: G Mixolydian
|: GA |\
BGGG (3BAG dc | BGGE F3 c |\
BGGG BGdc | BGAF G2 :|
(3ABc |\
dgge dedc | Bcde f3 e |\
dgge dedc | BGAF G2 (3ABc |
dgge dedc | Bcde f2 ef |\
ge (3fed ecdc | BGAF G2 |]

Tom Keane’s Reel ~ Another tune from Paddy O’Brien Tune Collection.

# Posted on January 14th 2008 by mellow_bellows

The only reel difference between this and "Scotch Mary" is the A-part, bars 1, 2 & 3 the drop from B to G, a third, instead of to D, a sixth (Scotch Mary)… That and the key signature as G Mixolydian. Try it also in G Dorian, with a Bb…

Here are those changes for comparision ~

X: 7
T: Scotch Mary
T: Tom Keane’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: G Dorian
|: GA |\
BDDD (3BAG dc | BDDE F3 c |\
BDDD BGdc | BGAF G2 :|
(3ABc |\
dgge dedc | Bcde f3 e |\
dgge dedc | BGAF G2 (3ABc |
dgge dedc | Bcde f2 ef |\
ge (3fed ecdc | BGAF G2 |]

https://thesession.org/tunes/6848

Hey Dow, Othello’s original key was MAJOR!!! And we both know it isn’t that… It is either as I first gave it, corrected, or it can also be interpreted as Mixolydian…

Yes, I suppose I could have mentioned that but didn’t see the sense in it unless I wanted to make Othello look daft. Besides, you’d already given Mixolydian takes on the tune previously… 😏

But ~ I do realize that D Major and A Mixolydian share the same sharps… So you are still right, I should have picked up on that…

Sorry for the duplication. If it is going to be on permanent though, it should show which F’s are natural, and which ones not, although this may be obvious to most. The tune seemed to be altered a bit when cut and pasted. This was my original submission:

|:GA|BGGG (3BAGdc | BGGE =F3c | BGGG BGdc | BGAF G2 :|
(3ABc|dgge dedc | Bcde =f3e | dgge dedc | BGAF G2(3ABc |
|dgge dedc | Bcde =f2e=f | ge(3=fed ecdc | BGAF G4 |

Thanks
Rob

~ the Fs are all natural in both keys… So, you don’t add accidentals that aren’t required. The key signature covers that.

Do you mean then to suggest that those not marked with the natural sign ( = ) are supposed to be the contrary, or sharp ( ^ )? In which case, those should be the only notes with an accidental showing ~ or ~ B-part, bars 4 & 8 ~ | BGA^F ~

http://www.rogermillington.com/
http://www.rogermillington.com/tunetoc/scotchmary.html

12. Flood in the Holm / Scots Mary / The Dancer’s Denial
http://www.altan.ie/runaway-sunday.html

Here it is played by Paddy, Seamus and Kevin Glackin. It’s the second tune at 1.25
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlpIhMwQU-w&feature=rec-fresh+div

play video

X: 1
T: Scotch Mary
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
D: Shores of Lough Graney, P. Joe and Martin Hayes
K: Ador
B|c~E3 cded|c~E3 G2 AB|c~E3 cded|cABc A3B|
c~E3 cded|c~E3 G2 AB|cBcd eged|cABc A3e||
eaag e=fed|cdef g2 fg|eaag efed| cABc A2 cd|
eaag e=fed|cdef g2 fg|afge fded|cABc A3B||

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J511-iDn9j4

play video

From Four Winds

One of the many variations from Jolie by Nightingale

The fiddle edition from Jolie by Nightingale

Flute player John Griffin recorded a setting much like X:6 back in the 1920s, so it isn’t the product of faulty memory.

This is the version by Jordi Savall and Andrew Lawrence-King from their album The Celtic Viol. I did the transcription.

In A Minor.

Sorry, A Dorian.

Sorry again, I changed the key to A Minor.

In E Minor.

On an album called From Galway to Dublin: Early Recordings of Traditional Irish Music, the Ballinakill Ceili Band play this tune under the title of Knocknagow…it’s a great rendition, very uneasy.

From the playing of Jim MacArdle on "Madam, I’d Like to be Tossin your Way".
Track #15.2. The two tunes in this set are played as flings. Here’s some info from the sleeve notes:

"These two tunes are better known as reels and come from the playing of Tommy McArdle. Tommy
was a fiddler and stone mason…"

https://jimmacardle.bandcamp.com/track/the-girls-of-our-town-scotch-mary-flings-2From the playing of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyCS5-TqSKk

play video

Mighty stuff