Annotation:Ferrie Reel

Back to 

 FERRIE REEL (Fairy Reel). AKA - "Faery Reel," "Ferry Reel." Shetland, Reel. Shetland, Island of Yell. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A traditional Shetland reel, part of the Yell Reels set. According to Tom Anderson (1978) the tune was one of the Yell tunes that were revived and played by Bobbie Jamieson and Willie Barclay Henderson. He identifies it as a trowie (troll) tune which tradition has it as heard emanating from a hole in the ground by a fiddler returning from performing at a wedding. The second strain has similarities to Gow's "Largo's Fairy Dance" (also sometimes called "Fairy Reel (1) (The)" or "Fairy Dance"), which may account for the "Faery" title.  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Anderson & Swing (Haand Me Doon da Fiddle), 1979. Bain (50 Fiddle Solos), 1989; p. 26 (appears as "Faery Reel"). Carlin (Master Collection), 1984; No. 112, p. 73.  Recorded sources: Topic 12TS379, Aly Bain & Tom Anderson - "Shetland Folk Fiddling, vol. 2" (1978).

Back to