Annotation:Providence Reel
Back to Providence Reel
PROVIDENCE REEL. AKA – “The Providence.” AKA and see "Rossport Reel(The)," "Cooney's Reel." Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Cranitch, Mallinson, Miller & Perron): AA'BB' (Alewine). The title “Providence Reel” honors Providence, Rhode Island. “Providence Reel” is said to be a composition of fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955), who named it "The Rossport Reel" after his birthplace, Rossport in County Mayo (Taylor, 1992, whose information seems to come from McGrath’s nephew Vincent McGrath of Drogheda). McGrath, who spent most of his life in New York, was originally an accordion player until he lost some fingers on his right hand, and only then turned to the fiddle. That McGrath was the composer is in some dispute, and there are some who maintain he only wrote one composition, a reel in Paddy O’Brien’s tune book called “John McGrath’s Composition.” There is also a persistent rumor that the great fiddler Michael Coleman, originally from County Sligo, composed it on a train from New York to Providence, where he, Lad Beirne and Martin Wynne were booked to play a wedding for the Lyons family. They are supposed to have played it that same day. The late Danny O’Donnell of Donegal maintained that Coleman and Long Island fiddler Louis Quinn simply renamed the tune on a trip to Providence, Rhode Island. The tune does not appear in older collections and apparently was first published in 1950 by Boston button-accordion player Jerry O’Brien in his Irish Folk Dance Music under the “Rossport Reel” title. The first appearance in print under the “Providence” title appears to be in the Bulmer & Sharpley Collection (1974). Philippe Varlet finds the earliest sound recordings from the 1970’s by Paddy Reynolds (on his Rego LP “Sweet and Traditional”), by fiddler Sean Ryan, and on a tape by Aggie Whyte. The tune is distinguished by its beginning on the V chord on the downbeat.
Source for notated version: Paddy Reynolds (1920-2005, Staten Island, New York) [Miller & Perron, Mulvihill]; .
Printed sources: Alewine (Maid that Cut Off the Chicken’s Lips), 1987; p. 29. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland vol. 2), 1976; No. 19. Cranitch (Irish Fiddle Book), 1996; No. 51, p. 145. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 45, p. 20. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Tunes vol. 1), 1977; No. 6. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 99 (two versions). Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 90, p. 24. Treoir, vol. 38, No. 3 & 4, 2006; p. 34.
Recorded sources: Cló Iar-Chonnachta Records, CICD 148, Mick Conneely – “Selkie” (2001). Coleman Music Center CHC 009, fiddler Fred Finn – “The Coleman Archive, vol. 2: The Home Place” (2005. Various artists). Green Linnet Records SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane - "Contentment is Wealth" (1985). Kells Music, Paddy Reynolds – “Atlantic Wave.” Ossian OSS 5, Matt Cranitch – “Take a Bow.” Ossian OSS CD 130, Sliabh Notes – “Along Blackwater’s Banks” (2002). Rego, Paddy Reynolds - “Sweet and Traditional.” Tara CD 4011, Frankie Gavin – “Fierce Traditional.” Varrick VR-038, Yankee Ingenuity - "Heatin' up the Hall" (1989). Marcas O'Murchu – “O Bheal go Beal.” Glenside and Kilfenora Ceili Bands – “Songs, Jigs and Reels.”
See also listings at:
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [2]