The Queen Of May

reel

Key signature: Edorian

Submitted on February 17th 2004 by turophile.

This tune has been added to 54 tunebooks.

Also known as Kitty Losty's, P. J. Crotty's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• An Tris Is A Rian by Claire Keville, John Weir And Eithne Ni Dhonaile
• Another Side Of Cape Breton by Johnny Wilmot
• From Leitrim To London by Brian Rooney
• Leo Rowsome: Classics Of Irish Piping by Leo Rowsome
• Memories Of Sligo by Roger Sherlock
• The Chieftains 1 by The Chieftains
• The Classic Recordings Of Michael Coleman by Michael Coleman
• The Coleman Archive Vol. 2: The Home Place by Various Artists
• The Enduring Magic by Michael Coleman
• The Green Mountain by Pat O'Connor
• The Merry Love To Play by Peter Horan And Gerry Harrington
• The Orange Tree by Grey Larsen And Andre Marchand
• The Porthole Of The Kelp by Sean Casey
• The Tap Room Trio by Tap Room Trio
• The Very Best Of The Claddagh Years by The Chieftains
• Traditional Fiddle Music From County Clare by Vincent Griffin
• Two Champions: Irish Traditional Music At Its Best. by Sean McGuire And Joe Burke

X: 1
T: Queen Of May, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
Bcdf ~e2 dB|ADFD FA ~A2|Bcdf edBc|dBA=c BDFA|
B2 BA BcdB|ADFD FA ~A2|Bcdf edBc|dBA=c BDFA||
~B2 eB fBeB|defa afed|~B2 eB fBeB|dBA=c BDFA|
(3Bcd eg fdeB|defa af e2|fbba fafe|dBA=c BDFA||

Chieftains' Queen of May

This is the version of The Queen of May heard on Chieftains 1 (track 5).

# Posted on February 17th 2004 by turophile

Queen of May (reel)

Listen to Dezi Donnelly and Mike McGoldrick playing this tune together: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ceilihouse/rams/7may.ram It starts around 20:30, the second one in the set. Smashing!

# Posted on May 10th 2005 by slainte

Dez Donnelly's setting

Nice catch, Hiroyuki, and thanks for posting the link. Here's what I hear Dez Donnelly playing on that Ceili House track (and I transcribed his playing on The Rainy Day under that tune here in the database as well).

X: 1
T: Queen Of May, The
T: P.J. Crotty's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: E dorian
Bcdf eBdB|AD F/E/D FAAd|Bcdf edBc|dB A/A/=c BEGA|
B3 B BAdB|AD F/E/D FAAd|Bcdf edBc|dB A/A/=c BEGA||
B2 eB fBeB|defa afed|~B2 eB fBeB|dB A/A/=c BEGA|
(3Bcd eg ~f3 e|defa afea|fbba ~f3 e|dB A/A/=c BEGA||

# Posted on May 10th 2005 by Will CPT

Will, you're my hero too.

Needless to say, Harry Bradley and Jesse Smith also recorded this great tune together. I have to learn it in a few days.

# Posted on May 11th 2005 by slainte

Interesting to note that the set played by McGoldrick and Donnelly is precisely the same as that recorded by Padraic Mac Mathuna on 'Blas Na Meala'

# Posted on August 19th 2006 by prouse

I notice, Turophile, that you posted this tune as being in B minor. in terms of notation, this is of no consequence, as the key signature is correct. But I have noticed that backers are often flummoxed by this tune. Something in the opening phrase suggests a B-minor chord, but then, when they try to continue backing in the key ofBm, it doesn't work. As Will CPT shows in his abc, it is actrually in E dorian. Bm can be used as the opening chord (Em and G both work as well), but the second chord (in bar 2) should be D, not A as is often assumed by backers.

# Posted on February 5th 2008 by ragaman

Key Signature

I agree about the correct key signature have changed it to E dorian.

# Posted on February 12th 2008 by turophile