Annotation:Ottawa Valley Reel (1) (The)
X:1 T:Ottawa Valley Reel [1] T:Farmer's Reel [1] M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel K:G Bc|:dBgB dgBg|ecgc egce|dBga gedB|AFAF AABc| dBgB dgBg|ecgc eage|dBGB cAFA|AAGF G:| |:dgfg dgBg|dgba gfed|^caea caed|^ceag fdef| ggfg dgBg| dgba gfed|^ceag fdef|gbfa g2:|
OTTAWA VALLEY REEL [1], THE. AKA and see "Boys from Scart (The)," "Coquette (1)," "Delaware Hornpipe," "Farmer's Reel (1)." Canadian, Reel (cut or whole time). Canada; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Named for a region in Ontario Province. Perlman (1996) states this is one of the most widely played tunes on Prince Edward Island. It is often attributed to New Brunswick fiddler Earl Mitton, though Perlman says his widow denies he wrote it; Perlman still thinks the tune may have originated in the Maritimes. It has also been attributed to Don Messer. Peter Corfield (2024) notes that renowned New Brunswick fiddler recalled the "Farmer's/Ottawa Valley [1]" reel being in circulation "long before the 1940's." Landry himself had a composition with the same title (given here as "Ottawa Valley Reel (2) (The)"), however, it is a different tune altogether.
The reel, or parts of it, has been in circulation since the mid-19th century. The second strain is cognate with the American melody "Delaware Hornpipe," the Irish "Boys from Scart (The)" and the Scottish "Coquette (1)," and is truly a 'floating' international strain. Moreover the first stains of these tunes, while not melodically identical, all are structured around arpeggiated chords.
