Controversial Reel (The)

CONTROVERSIAL REEL, THE (Ríl na Conspóide). Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Black, Cranford/Holland, Miller): AA'BB' (Breathnach). Composed by Washington, D.C., B/C accordion player Billy McComiskey, originally from Brooklyn, who wrote it for Irish music teacher Maureen Glynn in New York as a student vehicle. The story goes that the tune was named "Controversial" by Chicago fiddler Liz Carroll and accordion player Tommy Maguire because Carroll learned it from McComiskey himself, while Maguire maintained he had heard it years before in County Offaly (McComiskey had played the tune in Ireland, so Maguire may indeed have heard it there).

Source for notated version: Tommy Maguire & Liz Carroll [Breathnach].

Printed sources: Black (Music's the Very Best Thing), 1996; No. 64, p. 33. Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 162, p. 75. Cotter (Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor), 1989; 74. Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 189, p. 71. Miller (Fiddler's Throne), 2004; No. 139, p. 92.

Recorded sources: Green Linnet SIF 1034, Billy McComiskey - "Makin' the Rounds" (1981). Shanachie 29010, Liz Carroll & Tommy Maguire - "Kiss Me Kate" (1976).

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]

X:1
T: Controversial
C: B. McComiskey
Z: transcribed by B.Black
Q: 350
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: G
GA | B3 e dBAG | gfgb a2 ge | d2 Bd gedB | A2 BG AGEG |
B3 e dBAG | gfgb a2 ge | d2 Bd gedB | GBAF G2 :|
GA | B3 d A2 BA | GEDE GABd | gaba gedB | A2 BG AGEG |
B3 d A2 BA | GEDE GABd | gaba gedB | GBAF G2 :|

X:2
T:The Controversial Reel
R:Reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
Z:Billy McComisky, from Cotter's with 'corrections'
K:G
G2 A|BABe dB~B2|gfgb abge|d2 (3Bcd gedB|AdBG AGEG|
~B3 e dB~B2|~g2 bg abge|d2 (3Bcd gedB|GBAF G3 A:||
~B3 G ~A2 BA|GEDE GA (3Bcd|g2 ba gedB|AdBG AGEG|
~B2 dB ABBA|GEDE GABd|g2 ba gedb|GBAF G3 A:||