Annotation:Foxhunter's Reel (1) (The)
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FOXHUNTER'S (REEL) [1], THE (Fiagaí an Mhada Rua). AKA and see "Fiddler is Drunk (The)," "Patrick Kelly's Reel." Irish, Reel. G Major (Harker/Rafferty, Mallinson, Sullivan, Taylor): A Major (Alewine, Breathnach, Moylan). Standard, GDgd or AEae tunings (fiddle). AABBCCDD (Alewine): ABCDE (Breathnach): ABCCDD'E (Moylan): ABB'CCDDE (Harker/Rafferty): ABBCCDDEE (Mallinson, Sullivan, Taylor). One of the "big" reels at sessions in modern times. It is generally easier for fiddlers to play it in the key of 'A' Major, although session playing demands 'G' to accommodate other instruments. The GDgd or AEae tuning for the tune was traditional in County Kerry, and was brought to southern County Clare by the late fiddler Patrick Kelly of Cree (Fiddler Magazine, Spring 1994), with whom the tune was strongly associated. "Greig's Pipes" is a related tune that, says Breathnach, "left its mark on 'The Foxhunters', as did 'Miss McLeod's'." Goodman prints the tune under the title "Greig's Pipes."
Paraphrasing King Alfred the Great, William Shenstone (1714-1763) wrote, "There are people who read, people who write, people who think, and there are foxhunters."
Source for notated version: Chieftain's fiddler Seán Keane (Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border), recorded at Na Píobairí Uilleann, October, 1984 [Moylan]; sessions at the Regent Hotel, Leeds, England [Bulmer & Sharpley]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].
Printed sources: Alewine (Maid that Cut Off the Chicken's Lips), 1987; p. 18. Breathnach (CRÉ II), 1976; No. 205, p. 106. Breathnach (Folk Music and Dance of Ireland), 1971; 5. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974, vol. 1, No. 51. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 19, p. 6. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 29, p. 13. Moylan (Johnny O'Leary), 1994; No. 157, pp. 90-91. Sullivan (Session Tunes), vol. 2; No. 1, p. 1. Taylor (Through the Half-door), 1992; No. 16, p. 13. Vallely (Play Tin Whistle with the Armagh Pipers Club), vol. 2; 25.
Recorded sources: Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Patrick Kelly - "The Fiddle Music of Clare." Green Linnett GLCD 1155, Martin Hayes - "Under the Moon" (1995). Green Linnet SIF 3018, "Molloy/Peoples/Brady" (1978). Green Linnet SIF 3064, Dick Gaughen - "Coppers and Brass." Rounder 0215, James Bryan - "The First of May" (198-). Shanachie 34014, James Kelly, Paddy O'Brien & Daithi Sproule - "Traditional Music of Ireland" (1995). Shaskeen - "The Joys of Life." Patrick Kelly - "Ceol an Clair."
See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [3]