Key signature: Amajor
Submitted on April 13th 2003 by tufbo.
This tune has been added to 62 tunebooks.
Also known as Kilfenora Reei, Union.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Union, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amaj
e2 (3cBA eAcA|eAcA Bcdf|1 e2 (3cBA eAcA|(3Bcd cA BAFA:|2 ~e3c dcBA|FABc d3A||
K:D
|:df~f2 dfef|df~f2 afef|df~f2 dfec|1 dcBA FABc:|2 dcBA Bcdf||
K:A
"variations"
eA (3cBA eAcA|e2cA Bcdf|1 eA (3cBA eAcA|Bcdc BAFA:|2 ~e3c dcBA|FABc dABc||
K:D
|:df~f2 d2ec|df~f2 afec|df~f2 dfec|1 dcBA FABc:|2 dcBA FAdf||
Bo, I'm wondering if the A part is actually intended to be in C (or A minor to be pedantic). A typing mistake perhaps, somewhere along the line? In sessions, I've always known the A part to be played in A major, and that's how it is usually printed.
Oh, in some sessions one or two irreverent persons have been known to call this tune "The Onion"!
Trevor
# Posted on April 13th 2003 by lazyhound
Key Change
To my ear that A Part has to be in A Major; especially that FNat at the end feels uneasy to my ears.
I have checked several other versions including the Norbeck one on JC Tunefinder and it seems those versions start in A (not even Aminor).
I'd be interested to know how its being played elsewhere.
Cheers
Donough
# Posted on April 13th 2003 by Donough
From Paddy O'Brien Tune Collection:
>
# Posted on April 13th 2003 by gian marco
"The Union Reel was named after the Irish uilleann pipes, or union pipes. The tune disappeared from the repertoire of Irish traditional musicians around the turn of the century, and emerged again through a 78 rpm recording of a 10-key melodeon player, Frank Quinn, during the 1920s. Other 78 recording artists chose it for several recordings in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. It was made popular in the United States by Joe Derrane and later Gerry O'Brien, both accordion players. The tune made its way back to Ireland because of the 78 records being sought after by Irish musicians. It’s a unique story of a reel that left Ireland and later returned. This reel has always been played with two parts. The version on this recording has a extra part inserted between the original two, which means it is now a three-part reel. "
# Posted on April 13th 2003 by gian marco
This tune is in A major.
# Posted on April 13th 2003 by gian marco
I agree with Gian Marco - I've only ever heard it played with the 1st part in A major (although the key signature only needs 2 sharps throughout, since there is no G or G# anywhere in the 1st part). It was played at the session I was at last night and there was definitely no sign of any C-natural or F-natural.
I mentioned this recently in the comments to another tune, but the first part of this tune is almost identical to the first part of The Foxhunter's Reel, while the 2nd part is almost the same as the final part of Lucy Campbell's. Now that I've pointed that out, you'll probably never be able to play this tune without lapsing into one of the others. On the other hand, if you already play the other two tunes, it'll make learning this one a lot easier.
Gian Marco - Do you have the middle part of the tune?
# Posted on April 14th 2003 by OrganicPeatCreature
I don't.
# Posted on April 14th 2003 by gian marco