The Ivy Leaf

reel

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on November 6th 2002 by Trinil.

This tune has been added to 168 tunebooks.

Also known as The Extremity, Ivy Leaf, Miss Farr's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Night At The Fair by The Two Tap Trio
• A Treasury Of Irish Music by Various Artists
• A Treasury Of Irish Music 2 by Various Artists
• A Wind Of Change by Brendan O'Regan
• Accordion Music From The Soul by Finbarr Dwyer
• An Ceoltoir Fanach by Cathy Custy
• Augusta: 20 Years Of Irish Music Recorded Live At The Augusta Heritage Center by Various Artists
• Blasad Ghaidhlig - A Taste Of Gaelic by Dawn And Margie Beaton
• Blue by Colman Connolly, Tobias Kurig, Franziska Urton
• Boxed by Anders Trabjerg
• Carrying The Tune by Kevin Crawford
• Ceol Ar An BhFeadóg Stáin by Donncha O'Briain
• Cruinn by Academy Of Irish Music Chicago
• Electric Céilí by Electric Céilí
• Erne by Jim McGrath, Cathal Hayden, Gerry O'Donnell, Tommy O'Sullivan
• Farewell To Ireland CD 2 (Of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
• Feadoga Stain 2 by Mary Bergin
• Feenish Legacy by Marcus Hernon And Padraic Coyne
• Fiddle And Concertina Player by John Kelly
• From Galway To Dublin: Early Recordings Of Traditional Irish Music by Various Artists
• Galway's Own by Joe Burke
• Happy To Meet Sorry To Part by Various Artists
• Inside Out by Mícheál O' Raghallaigh
• Instrumental by Franz Sanger And Susan Frances
• Jerry Holland by Jerry Holland
• Many Happy Returns by Arcady
• N by Paddy Keenan
• Onward by Lilt
• Osna by Osna
• Pay The Piper: Music For The Sets Volume 3 by Various Artists
• Riverdance And Other Famous Irish Songs And Dances by Various Artists
• Seven Evenings, Seven Mornings by Shantalla
• Snug In The Blanket by Paddy O'Brien
• Soh It Is by Craobh Rua
• The Best Of Joe And Antoinette Mckenna by Joe And Antoinette McKenna
• The Celts Play Connecticut by Various Artists
• The Crooked Stair by Cran
• The First Measure by Pipedown
• The Kells by The Kells
• The Kitchen Recordings by Sean O'Driscoll And Larry Egan
• The Last Of The Travelling Pipers by Felix Doran
• The Man Of The House by Tom Moran
• The Mighty Box by Luke Daniels
• The Singing Kettle by Chulrua
• The Stool Of Repentance by Donnybrook
• The Thing Itself by Maeve Donnelly And Peadar O'Loughlin
• The Uneven Bridge by Glen Ayre
• The Wheels Of The World, Early Irish American Music, Vol 2 by Various Artists
• Traditional Music Of Ireland by Joe And Antoinette McKenna
• Up To Here by Afterhours
• Virginia by Birkin Tree
• When The Party's Over by Brian Finnegan
• Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald: House Parties And 78s by Winston 'Scotty' Fitzgerald

X: 1
T: Ivy Leaf, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
A3A cdeA | AceA dBGB | A2ed cdec | AE~E2 GEDG |
A2ed cdec |(3.A.B.A ec dBGB | A2ed cdec | AE~E2 GEDG |
|: ea{b}ag eA (3.B.c.d |efge d3f | ea{b}ag edcd |
AE~E2 GED2 |ea{b}ag eA (3.B.c.d | efge d3c |
[1 A3B +E3c3+d | (3.e.f.g fa gedB :|2 AEAc {d}cBcd| (3.e.f.g fa gedB ||

Ivy Leaf

Trad, I think. There're several tunes going by this name but this is the version I learned, note for note. I wonder if it has a different name, or if the others are imposters.... I think it's got a good interesting sound to it without pushing the 'different' factor. We play it with Glass of Beer and Silver Spear, or at least we will be soon.

# Posted on November 6th 2002 by Trinil

Ivy Leaf

I've alway's liked how this tune goes after a G major reel, "Crooked Rd to Dublin" & the G version of "Maude Millar" come to mind....

# Posted on November 7th 2002 by B Rad

Ivy leaf

I have a double LP of one of the "Irish Folk Tours" of Germany in the 1980s (late 70s?) when Miko Russell played this tune. He also introduced it before playing it, and because of his strong Clare accent, it ended up on the sleeve notes as "I Will Leave"
( Ivy Leaf = I Vill Leave) ! So don't be surprised if it 's known by that name on the continent.
First heard it by Desi Wilkinson, who recorded it with "Cran".

# Posted on November 8th 2002 by Kenny

Ivy Leaf

A little note for backers: this tune is in key of A mixolydian (also 2 sharps). So don't try any D major chord progressions on this one.

# Posted on November 10th 2002 by Jani

Amix

Thanks, Jani. I'm afraid I never quite learned my modes so I wouldn't have caught that. Guess I'll have to start studying... ;)

# Posted on November 11th 2002 by Trinil

Ivy Leaf Reel

Here's a setting based on the playing of Kevin Burke (fiddle):

X: 1
T: Ivy Leaf, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
S: From the playing of Kevin Burke.
K: Amix
A2 ed cdec|Acec dBGB|A2 ed cdec|B~E3 GABd|
A2 ed cdec|Acec dBGB|A2 ed cdec|B~E3 GABd||
e~a3 edBd|e~g3 dBGB|e~a3 edBA|B~E3 GABd|
e~a3 edBd|e~g3 dBGB|A2 AB =cBcd|e/f/g fa gedB||

# Posted on November 14th 2007 by Will Harmon

I had a rough time finding this tune since it's A myx rather than D major. Can someone fix it?

# Posted on March 6th 2008 by ElaineT

"The Ivy Leaf" ~ composer?!

I could swear I'd met the composer of this one, and learned it from them, and guess what, not in A Mixolydian, but A Dorian, or that is how I'm remembering it. Now I'll have to find my old ABCs for it...

X: 3
T: The Ivy Leaf
C:
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: A Dorian
|: cB |\
A/B/A eA cdec | Acec dBGB |
A/B/A eA cdeA | BEGE dG :|
|: B/c/d |
eaag e2 B/c/d | eaag e/g/e dg |
[1 eaag edBA | BEGB dG :|
[2 eAAB c2 cd | eg f/g/a gB |]

But, then again, it could be the 'lurgy' affecting my reason...

# Posted on March 6th 2008 by ceolachan

Only 'Trinil', the original contributor, can correct it to A Mix. I've sent here a scramble of emails to that effect, from my current state of 'lurgydom', the poor soul...

# Posted on March 6th 2008 by ceolachan

Another version

i learnt another version of this tune:

X: 1
T: Ivy Leaf, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amix
~A2 Ae cA ec | Ae ce dB GB | A2 Ae cA ec | AG EF GE D2 |
Ae ~e2 ce ~e2 | ae ~e2 dB GB | A2 Ae cA ec| AG EF GA B1/2c1/2d|
e2 ag eg fa | ~g2 ge dG B1/2c1/2d | e2 ag ed _cA | BG EF GA B1/2c1/2d |
e2 ag eg fa | ~g2 ge dB GB | A2 AB _cB cd | e2 fa ge dB |

i play it with off beats emphasis on the Es. a really great tune indeed.

# Posted on April 25th 2008 by Othannen

Primitive instrument, and 19th-century play

In Ireland long ago, rural folk knew how to make music with an ivy leaf. You hold it between your thumbs and blow over it, making the leaf into a "reed" which can vary in pitch according to the shape of your mouth. This seems to be a lost art in Ireland now, but I met a Chinese fellow from Yunnan province last summer who was in Washington, D.C. at the Smithsonian Folklife Festivel. He could make the most amazing music this way using any ivy-like leaf that came to hand. He traded tunes one night with piper and low whistle player Jarlath Henderson of Armagh to the delight of all present.

Another possible source for the name of the reel is the play "The Ivy Leaf," which was produced throughout Ireland and America in the late 19th century and featured an uilleann piper in the cast.

# Posted on June 25th 2008 by blarneystar

Recorded by Leo Rowsome in 1944:

http://www.archive.org/details/LeoRowsomePrimroseLassTheIvyLeaf

# Posted on August 28th 2008 by Ramiro

Gumleaf playing too !! In the Antipodes

Although the ivy-leaf as an instrument may have fallen into disuse, it persists, however vestigially, in Australia.

Gum-leaf playing, in the 19th century and earlier 20th, was a reasonably widespread art. There aren't many old codgers left who do it. But just two years ago there was an old Aboriginal bloke playing Lennon's 'Imagine' with a backing band on the Grand Final of "Australia's Got Talent" on the box. Splendid !! Here's the link -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpWUEEuXBtg

There were Australian championships as recently as 1978.

# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Fliúiteadóir

Grass was the reed of choice in my youth, but other tough leaves work well, and much better than ivy...

# Posted on April 12th 2012 by ceolachan

"The Ivy Leaf" / "Miss Farr's" ~ a rescued duplication

Submitted on April 12th 2012 by Sean B..
~ /tunes/display/11896

X: 5
T: Miss Farr's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amix
|: ~A2 eA cAec | Acec dBGB | ~A2 eA cAec | d2 BG EFGE |
~A2 eA cAec | Acec dBGB | Aced cBcA | BEED EFGE :|
|: eaag edcd | effe BA G2 | eaag edcA | BEED EFGE |
eaag edcd | effe BAGB | ~A3 B =cBcd | egfa gedB :|

Authorship, origin, alternate setting ~ I obtained it from either a Yankee Clipper or a Tenpenny album. I no longer have either album so I can't be sure. Here's an alternate setting I found online:

X: 6
T: Miss Farr's Reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amix
|: Aced cAec | Acec dBGB | Aced cAed | BEEF GABG :|
ea a2 caea | Bg g2 dgBg | ea a2 caec | BEEF GABG |
ea a2 caea | Bg g2 dgBg | afge fdec | BEEF GABG |]

# Posted on April 12th 2012 by Sean B.

# Posted on April 12th 2012 by ceolachan

"Miss Farr's" / "Lucy Farr's" ~

A lot of tunes were passed on via the bow of Lucy Farr, who influenced many, but didn't always remember or have a name for all the tunes she knew and played, with many and varied sources for her repertoire...

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/farr.htm

# Posted on April 12th 2012 by ceolachan