I received this tune (and I am very much enjoying playing it) last week from a Clare concertina player and don’t have a name for it other than “I think it’s one of Reavy’s.” Anyone out there know it by another name?
Thanks, Nico.
Funny that it has the name of Mr. McCleod connected to it because when I first heard her play it I thought it sounded as if it were somehow related to the tune Mrs. McCleod’s (which I never learned but hear frequently).
They are likely related, I think. The name Garrett Barry’s should give you a hint that this tune came through from him, at least in clare.
Mrs McLeod’s is one of those tunes that’s completely overplayed, is more or less cliche, and that no serious traditional musician wants to hear. That said, it’s also a good tune, and one of my favourite tracks of traditional irish music is Patsy Touhey playing it. It’s been long in the repertoire, and was published in the 1810s in O’Farrell’s Pocket Companion (vol 4 I think). Well worth learning, because it does get played occasionally.
I know the tune as Garrett Barry’s Miss McLeod’s. “Mr. McLeod’s” is a jocular naming, but understandable, because the first one is kind of unwieldy.
This is one tune (setting, actually, if you want to split hairs) that strikes me as strictly a solo piece. Everyone I know who plays it has a slightly to more-than-slightly different version, but unlike most session standards, variations in this case don’t combine well - at least in duos, I’ve noticed; too much stuff going on. Then again, if you have a session of a dozen souls all playing it, the clashy moments might be mitigated a bit. Never seen that happen, though, so I can’t say definitively from experience. Could actually worsen the effect!
My sentiments exactly. I’ve heard it enough to know it by name but never took the time to learn it. I don’t mind the tune terribly and probably will get around to learning it one day. The thing about my repertiore is that since I did most of my early learning strictly from recordings (and didn’t play in sessions), I learned the tunes that my ear liked rather than what was typical session fare so I still don’t have a lot of the “standards.” I’m okay with that though
I was once in a pub waiting for other sessoiners to arrive when the house music caught my attention: it was a 90’s style white boy rap song with Mrs. McLeod’s tune as the chorus between verses of rap… on the uilleann pipes… horrendous! There’s a special place in hell for the piper who contributed to that recording! If there’s one thing that may put me off learning that tune, that’s it!
thanks for the link (Nico) and the comments (Nano). If there’s one thing that may put me on learning that tune, it’s the Patsy Touhey recording!
Makes me want that Bass Reg something fierce anyway. Masterful playing. I actually have a copy of that clip where the bass reg is not quite so overpowering, and it’s amazing to hear that no technique is dropped on the chanter while going full out on the regs.
Anyway, Mr McLeod doesn’t get around quite as much as the missus, does he?
I just finished putting it into notation for this year’s Friday Harbour concertina instructor… should be at least another handful of folks playing the tune come March
I posted this at the “session.org” a while back :-
“1st track on the 1986 recording “Cherish The Ladies”, played by Liz Carroll. A great version, which unfortunately, I’ve only ever heard played once. Time it was better known”.
Doesn’t really work on flute because of the low notes, unfortunately.
“Mrs McLeod” is a great tune, in both Scottish and Irish traditions. There’s a very interesting 4-part Highland bagpipe version too, which I seem to remember came from one of the Australian pipe bands.
In response to the original query, I’ve always known that particular reel as “Garrett Barry’s”, although I have no idea where that came from - possibly Pat Mitchell’s book of Willie Clancy’s tunes.
My pleasure (the same as posted originally but I’ll put it here again). This is my transcription of how she played it at the session (though simplified and without going into detail on variations). She recorded it for me the way that she intended to teach it and confirmed that this is pretty much how her Dad gave it to her.
X:1
T:Garrett Barry’s / Mr. McLeod’s
N:As Played by Flo Fahy
Z:Transcribed by Johnny Kerr
M:4/4
R:Reel
K:G
G3Bd2 (3Bcd | edBe dBAB | G3B dedB | A2 GEDG BA |
G3Bd2 (3Bcd | edBA GABd | eccB cdef|1 gedB AcBA:|2 gedB A2 (3Bcd|]
g3b abge | dBAB G2(3Bcd | g3a gedg | eaag a2ga|
b2gbab ge | dBAB G2(3Bcd | eccB cdef|1 gedB A2 (3Bcd:|2 gedB AcBA|]
Mike (and Willie Kelly) play it on his newest CD, The New Broom. His liner comment is that it is closely associated with the Missus. Nicer tune, I think, but then, they’d have made the other tune sound great as well. All in the playing…
'S a great tune.