Reels, jigs and hornpipes have been my bread and butter for decades. I've come across a few snotty purists who rattle on about how, these days, we don't play for dancing and how we don't get it, etc. Well, there are sessions, concerts and records without a dancer in sight all over the place. You play it fast, play it slow, play it moderate, and who's to say what's good or what's not so good. I've played for dancers lots of times and you get to know what's what in terms of tempo to ensure that they don't stay glued to their seats. As for non-dancing situations, all that matters is that your session or band colleagues are all comfortable with the pace of the playing, whether it be fast or not so fast, and that the music is played with spirit and good articulation and doesn't vanish in a blur!

I got my early inspiration from Planxty (moderate), Bothy Band (fast) and Four Men and a Dog (super-fast). I still love them all. Maybe, as the yanks say, I should go figure...