The reel's popularity was not confined to Scotland for we find it named 'Duke of Clarence Reel (The)' in Lavenu's New Country Dances for the Year 1798, published at London. "Colonel Mac Bean's Reel" is also contained in vol. 2 (p. 156)[1] of the large c. mid-19th century music manuscript collection of County Cork cleric and uilleann piper wikipedia:James_Goodman_(musicologist), who had obtained it from a manuscript provided him by Dublin bookseller John O'Daly, according to Hugh & Lisa Shields[2]. It also was entered in to Goodman's contemporary, fiddler and piper biography:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894) x, 1883 music manuscript collection as "Captain McBain." A setting of this noted reel as played by the experts of the Irish Music Club of Chicago may be found on page 116 of O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland. In composition and fluency of rhythm the variant above presented compares very favorably with the original especially when given expression on the fiddle in the inimitable style of the genial Paddy Stack from whom the manuscript was obtained." The tune was first recorded by Galway melodeon player Peter Conlon in 1921, under the title "McBan's Reel" (thought the different spelling may be due to an error by the record company). Irish versions are in E Minor, Scottish in G Minor. Paul Cranford (1997) remarks that he has heard a strathspey setting (in G) of "Colonel McBain's" played by Cape Breton fiddler Johnny Wilmot who learned it from his uncle Joe Confiant. "Johnny's Wedding", "Mother's Delight," and "Seán Frank" are related tunes. See also O'Neill's "Smoky House (1) (The)," a variant.
Additional notes
Printed sources : - Anderson (Anderson's Budget of Strathspeys, Reels & Country Dances for the German Flute or Violin), Edinburgh, 1820; p. 30. Anonymous (A Companion to the reticule), 1833; p. 8. Robert Bremner (For the year 1769 a collection of scots reels, or country dances), p. 101. Joshua Campbell (A Collection of New Reels & Highland Strathspeys), Glasgow, 1789; pp. 32-33. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 31. Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 162, p. 64. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 1), 1799; p. 8. Honeyman (Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor), 1898; p. 29. Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 131. Elias Howe (Musician’s Omnibus Nos. 6 & 7), Boston, 1880-1882; p. 620. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 265. Laybourn (Köhlers’ Violin Repository, Book 1), 1881-1885; p. 99. Joseph Lowe (Lowe's Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, book 4), 1844–1845; p. 20. James Manson (Hamilton's Universal Tune Book vol. 1), 1944; p. 61. McGlashan (A Collection of Reels), c. 1786; p. 18 (appears as "Colonel Macbean's Reel"). O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1403, p. 261. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 645, p. 116. O'Neill (Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody), 1922; No. 262. Robert Petrie (Second Collection of Strathspey Reels & Country Dances), 1796; p. 14. Robert Ross (Choice Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances & Strathspeys), Edinburgh, 1780; p. 19. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 57. Susan Songer with Clyde Curley (Portland Collection vol. 3), 2015; p. 52. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 185 (appears as "Colonel MacBean"). Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; p. 6 (appears as "Colonel M'Bain").
Recorded sources : - Celtic LP CSX5 34, Winston Fitzgerald.
Gael-Linn Records CEF 165, Máire O'Keeffe – "An Coisir."
MKM 7590, Mike McHale – "The Schoolmaster's House" (2000. Learned from his father and grandfather, County Roscommon).
See also listing at : Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [3]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index [4]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings [5]
Hear Cape Breton fiddler Winston Fitzgerald play the tune at the Internet Archive [6] (last tune in a medley, preceded by "George I. Taylor Strathspey" and "Marquis of Huntly's Strathspey (1) (The)").
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