Annotation:Charlie Mulvihill's Reel (1)

Back to
 CHARLIE MULVIHILL'S (REEL) [1]. AKA and see "Monasteraden (The)," "Muckross Abbey," "Murphy's Reel (1)," "O'Brien's Reel," "Paddy Murphy's Wife (2)." Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Named for New York accordion and concertina player Charlie Mulvihill (1917-1975), and a frequently heard session tune. According to his son Tommy, Charlie Mulvihill did not read or write music, and his compositions were played into a tape recorder, from which Tommy would play them back and notate. Charlie learned some of his tunes in the reverse way: Tommy would record on tape versions that Charlie had found in books he bought and Charlie would play them back, thus being able to tell other musicians he learned them in the 'traditional' way, by ear (Miller & Perron, 2006). Despite the claim of composition in the liner notes of Sweet and Traditional Music of Ireland, this reel, as Tommy Mulvihill told Don Meade, was not really composed by Charlie. Sliabh Luachra accordion player Johnny O'Leary was 'surprised' that Kerry fiddler Denis Murphy recorded the tune under the title "Muckross Abbey" and maintained that Murphy learned the tune from a recording of Charlie Mulvihill. Among the collection of records, tapes and manuscripts donated by the Mulvihill family to the Irish Traditional Music Archive is a home-made acetate disc most likely recorded in the late 1940s. The tune is the one now known as "Charlie Mulvihill's" but the label identifies the player as Ed Reavy and the tune as "Ed Reavy's by Ed Reavy." It is not included, however, in the Reavy collection published by his son Joe. Sources for notated versions: iddler Denis Murphy (Sliabh Luachra region) via accordion player Johnny O'Leary, recorded in recital at Na Piobairi Uilleann, February, 1981 [Moylan]; Brendan Mulvihill (Baltimore, Md.) [Mulvihill]; fiddler Paddy Reynolds (1920-2005, originally from County Longford) and Charlie Mulvihill [Miller & Perron]. Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ II), 1976; No. 203 (as "Murphy's" after Denis Murphy). Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), vol. 1, 1974; 9 (appears as "O'Brien's). Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 130, p. 49. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 1, No. 44 (appears as "Mulvihill's Reel"). Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 92. Moylan (Johnny O'Leary), 1994; No. 66, p. 37. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 46, p. 12. Recorded sources: Rego Irish Records 1000, 1971, Charlie Mulvihill and Paddy Reynolds with Felix Dolan - "Sweet and Traditional Music of Ireland." Kells Music 9513, Charlie Mulvihill - "Atlantic Wave" (a CD reissue of "Sweet and Traditional"). Topic 12T309, Padraig O'Keeffe, Denis Murphy & Julia Clifford - "Kerry Fiddles" (as "Muckross Abbey"). Topic 12T312, "Billy Clifford." Shanachie 79033, Paddy Moloney and Sean Potts - "Tin Whistles" (appears as "Murphy's"). See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources Alan Ng's Irishtune.info