Are there any reels that are played slowly, or that are particularly pleasant played slowly, but that lose something when sped up?
I know ‘slow’ is a relative term, but I am probably thinking under twenty five bars per minute (and I do mean bars - there seems to be two schools of what constitutes a beat which I am trying to side-step).
Even better if there are readily/freely available recordings as exemplars… (I could not find a ‘cheapskate’ icon).
There are lots of them. I think it comes down to a matter of taste as to whether you prefer a slow or fast version of a reel or if they loose/gain something by slowing them down or speeding things up. They can morph into something wholly other sometimes when played slow. Here’s a discussion on The Session that may help or give you some ideas at least. http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/4582
Recordings? They are out there - usual places/players. You might look for T_he Words that Remain_ CD by Solas. The set they title The Beauty Spot starts with a slow version of what I believe is Dowd’s #9 by Seamus Egan on flute and ramps things up from there. Just one example.
Feadoggie
25 bars per minute translates as 50 beats per minute the way I count and at that speed I think you are straying out of reel territory and into the realm of dirges 
.
I think I’d put 65 bpm as my lower limit. As to what reels suit being played slowly, I’d say almost any reel - if you can keep the internal rhythm together at that speed, and slow down the execution of your rolls or whatever so that they sound natural at that speed. If you can’t, it’s going to sound horrible whatever the tune is.
Tunes that lose something when played fast? You could make a case for saying that any tune will lose something when played fast - but most will gain something, too. Again I think it’s all a matter of how well you play them.
I don’t have any particular favourites for playing slow - I’d be happy to slow down just about anything. If a tune won’t stand being played slowly, it’s probably not a very good tune…
…particularly pleasant played slowly, but that lose something when sped up
I believe this is partly in the ear of the beholder, and partly in the chosen setting/intentional execution of the player. Many times I’ve listened to recordings that sounded lovely and relaxed in pace but was surprised to find how fast they were actually being played when I tried to play along.
For me personally, one of the reels that comes to mind is the Morning Thrush. I don’t know that I would like it played as slow as your described speed but I know I’ve heard recordings that I thought stole what was special about the tune in their faster rendition. This is perhaps one of my favorite tunes of all time and yet the only recordings I’ve heard which do it justice (by my ear/taste) were by Seamus Ennis and Brian McNamara. Nobody else has quite hit it for me.
You might also look to commercially available recordings for slow reel ideas. Off the top of my head here are few to get you started:
Maids of Mitchelstown - The Bothy Band, Out of the Wind and Into the Sun
Dunmore Lasses - The Chieftains, The Long Black Veil (not a traditional sounding track but a trad tune regardless).
Here’s one I learnt from Nick Metcalf’s youtube clip Castle Kelly’s
and some dots http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/21
It’s a beautiful tune played slowly but loses everything when speeded up.
We play it with c# on the run down from the a’s the rest c nats,
adds a bit to a great tune.
Beautiful 
Here’s one I learnt from Nick Metcalf’s youtube clip > Castle Kelly’s
and some dots > http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/21
It’s a beautiful tune played slowly but loses everything when speeded up.
We play it with c# on the run down from the a’s the rest c nats,
adds a bit to a great tune.
I originally got this one from the “Doublin” recording by Paddy Glackin and Paddy Keenan who play it relatively slow. It does sound lovely at a relaxed tempo but equally as good played faster (check out, for example the Tulla Ceili Band’s 50th anniversary album).
Finore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xTZcdoOjjs
Grey Larsen’s Stormy Night
http://muzetunes.com/playback.asx?c=KteF0L8QAm8y5Tufm0ydDzmdtY5xds6GRSgrMVJzAqo=&f=b from his
Thunderhead album (with Kevin Burke)
Wow, thanks folks
This topic is larger than I would have thought. I really like that Dunmore Lassies track - and there are lots more to listen to.
Maybe I can ease myself into reels with some traditionally played slowly.
Don’t stop the suggestions though.
I like that idea - I am not skilled/experienced/musical enough to know if it is always true, but it appeals to me. A more forceful version might be that ‘Speed cannot make a tune’ (‘Speed cannot make a bad tune good’).
http://www.irishfiddle.com/martin_hayes_interview.html
especially see last few paras for possible relevance …
Try Musical Priest
Philo
On the other hand there are tunes like :
that can put rhythm under a dancer’s feet very satisfactory but hold not much in a melodic sense. Horses for courses.
(Wouldn’t play that version, which has a few odd corners, but had to make do with the image available)
I thought that there would be exceptions…
It’s still an awful totally formulaic tune but dancers love it and there’s a strange satisfaction in playing it for a good dancer.
I don’t know if there’s a proper categorical name for these sorts of tunes, but I sometimes call them rants: The High Reel, Tam Lin, The Four Courts, etc. They’re mostly rhythmic vehicles, and often great crowd-pleasers for that reason. A lot of composed “neotrad” tunes tend in that direction, too.
I have been listening to The Dunmore Lassies by Ry Cooder and The Chieftains. What is that wind instrument?
I didn’t hear anything surprising during the first minute and a half. B flute and a whistle.
Thanks Mr G. I did not say it was surprising - I thought it was a flute, but was not sure. My ear is not that well trained yet to be confident.
narrowdog wrote;
Here’s one I learnt from Nick Metcalf’s youtube clip Castle Kelly’s
I’m sorry, but that medley is just so wrong.
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