Key signature: Dmixolydian
Submitted on February 14th 2004 by Jamie.
This tune has been added to 27 tunebooks.
Also known as Back Of The Change, Back The Change, Con Cassidy's Highland, Con Cassidy's Highland Fling, Johnny Going To Céilí, Johnny Going To Ceili, Johnny Going To The Ceili, Johnny Going To The Ceilidh.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Johnny Going To Ceilidh
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
A3G Addc|A2AG EDEG|A~G3 A2dc|AcAG EDD2|
A2 AG Addc|(3AAA AG EDEG|A~G3 A2dc|AcAG EDD2|
e~g3 edcd|edeg a3g|e~g3 edcA|GAcd ed (3ddd|
e~g3 edcd|edeg a3g|e(a{b}ag) e3d|^cAcd edd2|
Johnny Going to Ceili
I wasn't sure about posting this one or not as it is pretty similar to Jigging the Donkey and the Beauty Spot already listed here. Despite "Johnny Going to Ceili" being as different from those two tunes as they are from each other, it clearly shares an incestuous relationship with them, and it would be interesting to here any stories people might know about the tunes.
I originally got this tune from Cathal McConnell's album: On Lough Erne Shore and discovered, while in Ireland, that this tune has long been popular in the Fermanagh tradition. Apparently Cathal got the tune from the playing of John Maguire (who played Fiddle, Flute, Whistle and Piccolo) father of Sean Maguire. This transcription is what I play, which is close to Cathal's Playing of it (though I can't check as this must be one of the many albums I've lent to someone and can't remember who....)
# Posted on February 14th 2004 by Jamie
I forgot to say that this tune is a thumping great flute tune which Cathal plays with Long Slender Sally and the Gossoon the Beat His Father, but it works pretty nicely on fiddle too.
# Posted on February 14th 2004 by Jamie
Johnny Going to Ceili
I learned this tune from Harry Bradley in a workshop some weeks ago. I don't think he decided what tunes to teach in advance: this tune more than likely popped out of his flute by accident. Anyway, here's his version:
K: Dmix
AG~G2 Addc|ABAG EDEG|AG~G2 AddB|cBAG EGD2:|
eg~g2 edcd|edeg a3g|eg~g2 edcA|GAcd edd2|
eg~g2 edcd|edeg a2ag|eaag ~e3d|^cAcd e2d2||
This is actually very similar to Norbeck's transcription of Cathal McConnell's version, so I guess Harry probably learned it from Cathal's recording. Gary Hastings recently recorded this tune on "Slan le Loch Eirne" and I happened to record him playing it from a radio programme. It seems listed as "The Gosson that Beat His Father," but that's obviously a mistake.
# Posted on March 30th 2005 by slainte
Slainte, what Henrik has transcribed is apparently my playing of the tune but, of course, I learned it straight off McConnell's album when it first came out.
# Posted on March 30th 2005 by LongNote
So LongNote, did Henrik transcribe your playing off your records, or his own tape of your playing?
# Posted on March 30th 2005 by Will CPT
Oh, yeah. It doesn't say it was directly transcribed from C. McConnell's recording. Now we got your real name, LongNote.
# Posted on March 31st 2005 by slainte
As I continue to do, I made tapes of tunes for anyone who was interested. I suppose Henrik got his hands on a copy of one of these as I only got to know him after my years in Sweden. No shortage of great musicians in Sweden and Denmark who can play both Irish and their own trad music equally well.
# Posted on March 31st 2005 by LongNote
Oooo, I'm interested! Me! Me!
# Posted on March 31st 2005 by Zina Lee
For what it's worth, this is the way I currently play this tune. It doesn't differ much from my version to be found on Henrik's site nor from Harry B's version as posted above by slainte. As Harry and I are both from the north, that isn't surprising, I suppose. I have to confess to having no training whatsoever in music, so I have tried to transcribe my own playing by using the ABCs as posted as a guide and making the necessary changes. If there are mistakes, please correct me.
K: Dmix
dc|: AG~G2 Addc|ABAG EDEG|AG~G2 AddB|cBAG EGD2:|
eg~g2 ed B/c/d|edeg a2ag|eg~g2 edcA|GAcd edd2|
eg~g2 ed B/c/d|ed e/f/g a2ag|eaag ~e3d|^cA B/c/d edd2||
# Posted on July 10th 2005 by LongNote
Also on Danu's "All Things Considered." They mistakenly call it "Beauty Spot."
# Posted on December 10th 2005 by slainte
One of those reels in which -if played slowly- I imediately hear a driving, haunting 6/8 march... It's all there for you to play if you remove a couple of chosen quavers in each bar...
readymade so to speak
# Posted on September 27th 2006 by birlibirdie
I recently came across this tune in Hugh Shield's edited collection of the James Goodman manuscripts, where it's called Back the Change. The version that Goodman collected is similar but not the same as the version posted here. 'Tis a lovely tune!
# Posted on December 12th 2006 by Tize
Just sounds like a version of the Beauty Spot to me. There are lots of versions of that tune - some of which are much more different to the standard session version than this one is.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1270
# Posted on September 4th 2007 by Dow