Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: GUEST,Neill Conroy - The Geekausaurus
Date: 02 Feb 20 - 10:38 AM

From what I know of the tune St. Anne's Reel was first recorded by Joseph Allard in 1929 in Montreal. It is supposed to be named for the Bay of St. Anne in New Brunswick. Here in Canada it is heard a lot on PEI, and has been manipulated to hell and gone there. I first heard it in West Prince County in 1970, But The Islanders with Don Messer probably had played on CBC when I was a young'un and paid it no attention.

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: clueless don
Date: 17 Mar 04 - 09:03 AM

DonMeixner,

As I recall, Gordon Bok recorded a medley of hornpipes (possibly on the album "A Tune for November", or one of the other early Folk Legacy ones) which he called "Lou's Handy", so named because he heard Lou Killen play them. The liner notes identify the two individual tunes, as I recall, as "Boys of North Tyne" and "Reedsdale Hornpipe" (or similar spelling.) "Boys of North Tyne" is the tune that everyone else in the universe calls "Boys of Blue Hill" (or "Bluhill".)

A bit of trad-meets-pop trivia: On the Simon and Garfunkel recording of their song "Fakin' It", there is a very brief snatch of "Reedsdale Hornpipe" played during the break, right around the point where a woman's voice says something like "Good morning, Mr. Leach, have you had a busy day?" Thanks to my pal Craig for pointing that out to me!

Don

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: DonMeixner
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 12:01 PM

I believe it safe to say that many tunes are named because of where they were played by the person who transcribed them. Lou Killen once told me 'tween sets at a concert that The Boys From Bluehill was really a hornpipe called The Boys From (Of) North Tyne. Gordon Bok called it Lou's Handy as I may be misremembering.

I would further think that atributing location, name and age to a good many tunes transcribed before any real field recordings were done will be dificult indeed. I would imagine it would require a bunch of learned fiddle folks sitting around a bunch of very old music texts and playing a piece and then saying "Wazzat?".

Don

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: Pied Piper
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 07:40 AM

Here's a "few" variants for you to have a look through.

TTFN
PP

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: dulcimer
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 07:19 AM

I think it some similarity to the third part of Pinch of Snuff. Just my opinion.

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: Big Mick
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 07:07 AM

Anyone else heard that this is based on an earlier tune called something like "The Caudic Reel"? Seems like I read somewhere that it came over from Scotland, and the lads tinkered and came up with the version known as St. Anne's Reel. Long winters up there in the Maritimes, you know.

Mick

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 09:44 PM

Well, messed up but the link does get to Gest Songs although it looks like it is to Jon's Ceolas.
This will look better:
St. Anne's Reel
Click on midi M-Z files and scroll down.

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 09:33 PM

Lovely Midi at Gest Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Good article in Fiddler's Companion, Jon, but no pre-20th c. notes.

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 07:01 PM

My first port of call for this question would be the Fiddler's Companion.

Try this search and scroll down for the St Anne's Reel.

Jon

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 05:37 PM

Thread 19498 has some information: St. Anne's Reel
No records before the 20th c.

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 05:28 PM

It's probably as old as Paul Grace's partner Win?    :-D

Subject: RE: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 04:00 PM

it appears to be a quebecois tune - first recorded publication is in the 1930's. I suspect it may be possible that it is 130 years older - but in my opinion not probable

Subject: Origins: Age of Saint Anne's Reel
From: GUEST,Paul Grace
Date: 15 Mar 04 - 03:50 PM

We're trying to determine if the tune St Anne's Reel or variants can be dated as having been played in the US or Canada as far back as 1800. Thanks. Paul