“The Abbey Reel” is a popular session tune that I learned from a session with Terry Bingham, Yvonne Casey & Stéphane. It was actually one of the first reels I learned on the concertina, back in 2007.
X:1
T:Abbey Reel, The
R:reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Ador
A3B A2GE|A2GA BGdB|A2AB AGEF|G2GA BGdB|
A2AB AGEG|A2GA BddB|A2AB AGEF|G2GA BGBd||
e~g3 a2ab|gabg aged|e~g3 a2ga|bgaf gedg|
e~g3 agbg|agbg aged|e~g3 a2ga|bgaf gedB||
“The Green Fields of Woodford” is the last jig of the set recorded by Alan & John Kelly that is quite popular around Doolin. The first tune of the set is “Ned Coleman’s” and the second one is “Old Joe’s”.
I learned “The Sunny Hills of Beara” in 2020, it is a wonderful jig composed by the late John Dwyer. I learned it from the playing of Tony O’Connell (concertina) and Brid Harper (fiddle), who recorded it on Tony’s solo album “‘Live And Well”.
I first heard this tune on John Williams’ first album, on which he calls it “The Tidy Woman” and plays it more like a jig. It is more common as a slide though, under the name “Behind The Bush In The Garden”. I learned if from the Doon Ceili Band.
