The Shepherd's Daughter

reel

Key signature: Adorian

Submitted on January 9th 2003 by lazyhound.

This tune has been added to 42 tunebooks.

Also known as John Egan's, Shepherd's Daughter.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• An Phíb by Dicky Deegan
• Baker's Well by Baker's Well
• Bakerswell by Bakerswell
• Barr Na Cuille by Neil Mulligan
• Bohola (3) by Bohola
• Bruach An TSuláin by The Abbey Céilí Band
• Cairde Cairdín by Diarmuid O'Brien
• Call The Tune: Music For The Sets Volume 4 by Various Artists
• Castle Ceili Band by Castle Ceili Band
• Foinn Seisiun 2 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
• Give Us A Penny And Let Us Be Gone by Teada
• In Full Flight by Gavin Whelan
• Keelwest by Paul McGrattan
• Lan Dochais by Mayo Roscommon Hospice Support Group, Newport
• Like Magic by Todd Denman And Bill Dennehy
• Like The Wind (Ar Nos Na Gaoithe) by John Wynne
• Lucky In Love by Charlie Lennon And Mick O'Connor
• Masters Of Tradition by Various Artists
• Midnight On The Water by The Kings River Band
• Notes From The Heart by Mick, Louise And Michelle Mulcahy
• Pride Of The West by John Wynne And John McEvoy
• Return To Droim by Colm Gannon
• Sweeter As The Years Roll By by James Keane
• Sweetwood by Liam Kelly
• The Back Door by Cherish The Ladies
• The Boys From The Blue Hill by Vinnie Kilduff
• The Moneymusk by Hammy Hamilton
• The Pleasures Of Hope by Harry Bradley And Michael Clarkson
• The Ships Are Sailing by Comhaltas Concert Tour Group 1978
• The World Pipe Band Championships 2006 by Various Artists
• Toss The Feathers by Mountain Dew
• Traditional Irish Flute Music by Fintan Vallely
• Traditional Irish Tunes Played On The Tin Whistle (1/2) by Geraldine Cotter
• Up Close by Kevin Burke
• Whistle Wizardry by Vinnie Kilduff

X: 1
T: Shepherd's Daughter, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
e3g edBd|eA~A2 eA (3B^cd|e2ge edB=c|dG~G2 dG (3B^cd|
e2ge edBd|eA~A2 B2BA|GABd efga|bgaf g2fg||
eaaf g2fg|eaag edBd|eaaf g2fg|egde gdBd|
eaaf g2fg|eaab =c'abg|eaaf g2fg|egde gd (3B^cd||

This is a lively single reel which I've heard from time to time in sessions but not frequently enough to have been able to catch quite all of it. So I searched for it. This submitted version, from Henrik Norbeck's collection, is by Paul McGrattan and Paul O'Shaughnessy (Within a Mile of Dublin). They have a variation as follows:

~e2ge ed (3B^cd|eA~A2 BABd|eggd edB^c|dG~G2 BG (3B^cd|
~e3g ed (3B^cd|eA~A2 ABBA|G2 (3B^cd efga|bgaf gefd||
eaaf gefd|eaag ed (3B^cd|eaaf gefd|(3efg de gd (3B^cd|
e2af g2ag|eaab =c'bag|eaaf g2fg|(3efg de gdBd||

In this tune there is plenty of scope for the player to slide in and out of varius modes by using c sharp or c natural, but always keeping the high c as a natural. Although the tune is listed as A dorian, a case can be made out for it being in E minor (also 1#), but, as Will Harmon has pointed out, A dorian may be more suitable if the tune is followed by a compatible tune such as the Congress Reel.

There is also a slightly different version of the tune from the New England Fiddler's Repertoire. Here is the unornamented version:

e3g edBd|eAA2 EABd|e2ge edBe|dGG2 DGBd|
e2ge edBd|eAA2 ABBA|G2Bc dega|bgaf g4||
eaaf g3a|eaaf ged2|eaaf g2af|e2de gdBd|
eaaf g3a|eaab c'bag|eaaf g2ag|e2de gdBd||

and here is its ornamented version:

(3efe eg edBd|eA (3AAA EABd|e2ge {f}edBe|dG (3GGG DGBd|
e2ge {f}edBd|eA (3AAA AB{c}BA|G2Bc dega|bgaf ~g4||
ea{b}af ~g3a|ea{b}af ged2|ea{b}af (3gag af|(3efe de gdBd|
ea{b}af ~g3a|eaab c'bag|ea{b}af g2ag|(3efe de gdBd||

The tune is sometimes known as John Egan's. Will tells me that John Egan was a flute player from Sooey, Co. Sligo. He lived in Donegal and London, ending up in Dublin.

trevor

# Posted on January 9th 2003 by lazyhound

Good one

Trevor ,
Thanks for this one. I learned this tune many years ago from Seamus McMahon, the flute player from Ennis. I had forgotten the tune but remembered the name and had erroneously attributed it to another tune entirely. Now I have the right tune for the name but am left with a tune with no name.

# Posted on January 10th 2003 by milesnagopaleen

Paul McGrattan and Paul O'Shaughnessy's Set

Oh, yes. I remember Paul McGrattan and Paul O'Shaughnessy play a set of another John Egan's, Dobbin's Flowery Vale, and finally this one. Now we got all of them.

# Posted on January 11th 2003 by slainte

Shepherd's Daughter

Nice tune. Thanks for posting it. I heard it first on Vinnie Kilduff's whistle CD, Boys of Blue Hill, where he plays it after Sean Sa Cheo. Makes a pretty spicey set; while both tunes are in Edorian, The Shepherd's Daughter throws in those C naturals. Very cool.

# Posted on January 15th 2003 by Brendan

Is it me, or isn't this a two-part version of the Merry Sisters of Fate? I had to play it a while before I realized the B parts are nearly identical...check out http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/623

Trevor, I should've caught this earlier.

# Posted on January 18th 2003 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Yes, the B parts of this tune and the Merry Sisters of Fate are indeed virtually identical. Probably one of those instances where someone way back when got a couple of tunes confused.

trevor

# Posted on January 20th 2003 by lazyhound

The Shepherd's Daughter

Altan in fact recorded this tune as John Doherty's version of "The Merry Sister of Fate" on their "Runaway Sunday." According to Pat Mitchell, it's also related to Dan Breen's: http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/999

# Posted on April 1st 2005 by slainte

if it's Kevin Burke's Up Close version your looking for, go to: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/999
(Dan Breen's)

# Posted on July 15th 2009 by birlibirdie

The Shepherd's Daughter

What a great tune. Here's Altans version....

X: 1
T: Shepherd's Daughter, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
egfg egdg | eAAA eABd | egfg e2 dB | dGGG dGBd |
egfg egdg | eAAA eABd | egfg e2 dB | defg bgag ||
eaag e3d | eaaB cBcd | eaag e2 dB | dGGG dGBd |
eaag e3d | eaaB cBcd | eaag efga bgaf g2 fg ||

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJDTQW87w-s

# Posted on September 25th 2009 by bogman