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X:1
T:Sheehan’s Reel
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
B:Jerry O'Brien's Accordion Instructor (Boston, 1949)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:G
D|G2 BG DGBG|AB (3cBA BGGB|A^GAB cBcD|EAAG FDEF|
G2 BG DGBd|cBAB cdef|gedB c2 (3Bc^c|dB (3cBA BGG:|
|:d|g2 bg dgbg|gbag fdde|fdaf dfaf|gbag fdef|
g2 bg dgbg|gbag fdef|gedB c2 (3Bc^c|dB (3cBA BGG:|]
SHEEHAN'S REEL ("Seisd Uí Seadacain" or "Cor Uí Seadacain"). AKA – “Sheahan's Reel.” AKA and see "Black-Eyed Sailor," “Broom Reel,” “Joe O'Connell's,” "Lord Wellington (2)," "Paddy Finley's Fancy Reel," “Wellington's Reel (1).” Irish, Canadian, American; Reel. USA, New England. Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Neill/1850, 1001 & 1915, Silberberg): AAB (Taylor): AABB (most versions). The great Sligo/New York fiddler Michael Coleman called the tune “Wellington's,” although that title also refers to other tunes. Philippe Varlet says the tune was popular in the 78 RPM era and recorded often. Fiddler Hugh Gillespie recorded it on a 78 under the title “Joe O'Connell's,” while Sligo born James Morrison recorded it as “Lord Wellington's.” Pipers Leo Rowsome and Liam Walsh recorded the tune separately in the same year, under the title “Broom Reel.”
Perlman (1996) notes this is one of the most widely played tunes on Prince Edward Island[1], but it is popular throughout the Maritime provinces and has been recorded numerous times by Cape Breton fiddlers.
Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Frank Ferrel (Seattle/Mass.) [Brody]; Peter Chaisson, Jr. (b. 1942, Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]; set dance music recorded live at Na Píobairí Uilleann, in the 1980’s [Taylor]; Ruthie Dornfeld [Silberberg].
Printed sources : - Breathnach (Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. II), 1976; No. 161 (appears as “Gan anim/Untilted Reel”). Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1986; No. 110. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; p. 254. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1983; No. 131. O’Brien (Jerry O’Brien’s Accordion Instructor), Boston, 1949. O'Neill (O’Neill’s Irish Music), 1915; No. 242, p. 127 (appears as “Sheahan’s Reel”). O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 98. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1213, p. 229. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 490, p. 94. Peoples (Fifty Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1986; 19. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 53. Sannella, Balance and Swing. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 142. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; p. 181. Taylor (Crossroads Dance), 1992; No. 19, p. 15. Taylor (Music for the Sets: Yellow Book), 1995; p. 16. Tolman (The Nelson Music Collection), 1969; p. 12.
Recorded sources : - Atlantica Music 02 77657 50222 26, Natalie MacMaster - “Atlantic Fiddles” (1994). Canadian Broadcasting Corp. NMAS 1972, Natalie MacMaster - "Fit as a Fiddle" (1993). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation LM470, Peter & Kenny Chaisson - "Atlantic Fiddling" (1979). Front Hall 08, Alister Anderson "Traditional Tunes" (1976. Learned from piccolo player John Doonan). Kicking Mule 706, Tom Gilfellon "Kicking Mule's Flat Picking Guitar Festival." Rounder 7004, Joe Cormier "The Dances Down Home" (1977). Rounder 82161-7032-2, Bill Lamey – “From Cape Breton to Boston and Back: Classic House Sessions of Traditional Cape Breton Music 1956-1977” (2000). Shanachie - "The Pure Genius of James Morrison." Shaskeen - "Atlantic Breeze" & "Shaskeen Live." Voyager 320 S, Frank Ferrel & Graham Townsend "Fiddle Tunes" (1977). De Dannan – “Star Spangled Molly.” “Temple House Ceili Band” (1st album). Dubliners – “Dubliners’s Dublin.” Jerry Holland – “The Fiddlesticks Collection.”
See also listing at :
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]
Back to Sheehan's Reel
- ↑ Kate Bevan Baker's 2018 thesis "Archipelago Soundscape: Irish Music History and Vernacular Fiddle Cultures on Prince Edward Island" includes a a comparative analysis of fourteen versions of "Sheehan's Reel" from P.E.I. [4].
