The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #162539   Message #3868962
Posted By: GUEST,Jerry Crossley
29-Jul-17 - 08:48 AM
Thread Name: Does the English reel exist?
Subject: RE: Does the English reel exist?
I'm not familiar with the tunes mentioned above, but would normally regard reels as in 4/4 time and with 8 notes to the bar (ignoring rests and ornamentions). Hornpipes and Strathspeys also tend to have 8 to the bar, but with a slower accented rhythm. The record mentioned above does include some reels, but I suspect they are imported into the English tradition. I see that Stephen Baldwin's 1954 record 'The English Fiddler' also has the odd reel, but is largely polkas, hornpipes and jigs. Michael Raven's book '1000 English Country Dance Tunes' has a lot of tunes in 4/4, but again most are not 8 notes to the bar, and those that do are either imports from Celtic neighbours to my mind, or are English style hornpipes.