Annotation:Dispute at the Crossroads (The)
X: 1 T: Dispute At The Crossroads M: 4/4 L: 1/8 Z:http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/129 N:(Dr. Dow) D: Altan - Another Sky (Dermot Byrne) R: reel K: Edor gf|eBBA FABc|~d2AF AFDf|eB~B2 Begb|afdf efgf| eBBA FABc|~d2AF AFDd|Be~e2 Begb|afdf e2:| |:gf|eB~B2 gBeB|defa afdf|g2bg fbaf|egfg edBb| afdf edBe|dBAF AFDd|Be~e2 Begb|afdf e2:|
DISPUTE AT THE CROSSROADS, THE (An tAighneas ag an gCrosbhóthar). AKA and see "Dr. Gilbert's." Irish, Reel. E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Breathnach): AA'BB' (Feldman & O'Doherty). According to Feldman (1979) the title comes from Donegal fiddler John Doherty, derived from his uncle, Mickey McConnell, who was playing the melody while walking home after a dance. McConnell was inebriated and had been stopped by the local constables, which led to an argument. McConnell was the brother of Doherty's mother, singer Mary McConnell, and was, along with another brother named Alec, a locally renowned fiddler and fiddle-maker. According to Caoimhin Mac Aoidh, Doherty also called it "Loughros Point Reel," a name that had associations with Anthony Helferty who was from that area. The tune is a version of the tune that is perhaps better known as "Doctor/Dr. Gilbert," a signature tune of Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman's (recorded in 1929). However, while clearly related, the reels are not interchangeable in session playing, and Doherety's version differs from "Dr. Gilbert" in the first ('A') strain. Coleman's "Dr. Gilbert" was known in Co. Sligo at the turn of the 20th century, according to the testimony of his brother, and it is not known how the tune came to County Donegal. As Caldwell says, "There are no other similar A part settings to Doherty's, leaving us to conclude that the arrangement is either his, or that it was passed down from inside the family"Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content.