Annotation:Colonel McBain's
Back to Colonel McBain's
COLONEL McBAIN'S (An Ardtaoiseac Mic Baeitine). AKA - "Colonel McBean." AKA and see "Boston Rattlers'," "Brian Boru's March (1)," "Dan Sullivan's Reel," "Devonshire Reel (1) (The)," "Duke of Clarence Reel (The)," "General McBean," "Hobb's Favorite," "Johnny's Wedding," "Miss Abercrombie's Reel," "Mother's Delight," "Phelan's Fancy," "Seán Frank," "Sporting Paddy (3)," "Sporting Molly." Scottish (originally), Irish; Reel. G Minor (most versions): E Minor (O'Neill). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Howe, O'Neill, Surenne): AAB (Gow, Honeyman, Hunter, McGlashan, Ross): AABB (Cole). Glen (1891) finds the earliest publication of the tune in Robert Bremner's 1768 2nd collection (p. 101). O'Neill (1922) remarks: "'Col. McBain's Reel' first appeared in print in Bremner's 2nd Collection of Scots Reels, or Country Dances (London 1768), and reprinted in McGoun's Repository of Scots and Irish Strathspeys, Reels, etc. (Glasgow 1803). Its 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. 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.
Source for notated version: Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford]; the Rice-Walsh manuscript, a collection of music from the repertoire of Jeremiah Breen, a blind fiddler from North Kerry, notated by his student [O'Neill].
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. 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. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 265. Köhlers’ Violin Repository, Book 1, 1881-1885; p. 99. 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 Ross (Choice Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances & Strathspeys), Edinburgh, 1780; p. 19. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 57. 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 [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index [2]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings [3]
Hear Cape Breton fiddler Winston Fitzgerald play the tune at the Internet Archive [4] (last tune in a medley, preceded by "George I. Taylor Strathspey" and "Marquis of Huntly's Strathspey (1) (The)").