Elizabeth Kelly's Delight

Oops--A minor or A dorian (there's no F note in the tune) that'd be.

A powerful little slip jig! I learned this years ago, probably from players in western Oregon.

I'm guessing the title's Elizabeth Kelly is the mother of Co. Clare fiddler and concertina player John Kelly, and so grandmother to fiddler James Kelly.

Some common variations are to add the B part ending to the A part:

and to play the B part:

The tune first on the opening track on Lunasa's Merry Sisters of Fate cd, with the Gaelic name, Aoibhneas Eilis Ni Cheallaigh. The boys play it in E minor on the cd:

|E3 EFE EDB,|E2 B,D2 B, A,B,D|~E3 EFE EDB,|
|DED D2 B, A,B,D:||
|:G2 E FGD EDB,|G2 E FDB, A,B,D|GFE FED EDB,|DED D2 B, A,B,D:||

and an octave higher too (which on fiddle is the same fingering as the sheet music posted here, just moved a string up).

# Posted on September 7th 2002 by Will CPT

Another recording

This one has been recorded by Paddy Glackin and Michael O'Domhnail on their album 'reprise'.

# Posted on September 7th 2002 by Henk Bos

Catherine Kelly's

Martin Hayes recorded this on his "Under The Moon" album under the title "Catherine Kelly's".

He plays it as a duet with concertina player John Williams. Lovely concertina playing it is, too.

# Posted on September 7th 2002 by Jeremy

Liz Carroll's newest album, Lake Effect, has an absolutely stunning arrangement (and it's definitely an arrangement) of this tune on it going into an original tune of Ms. Carroll's, Lake Effect -- it was arranged for her by Evan Price of the Turtle Island String Quartet, who play the track with her, one of the best groups of the innovators in classical music.

(For those of you who don't know who Evan Price is, he was U.S. Scottish Fiddling Champion, the Kentucky State Fiddle Champion, two-time Canadian Junior Fiddle Champion, and five-time Canadian Novelty Fiddling Champion. Doesn't count the rest of his work in other genres, including classical, jazz, rock, and blues. American Session members who have listened to Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion have probably heard TISQ. Mr. Keillor calls the TISQ "A real honest to goodness string quartet with beautiful shoes." *grin*)

The purists among us will hate it, but the musicianship of the track is still stunning, in the most exacting terms of any genre (but those who want their ITM to stay sean-nos will likely want to go elsewhere). As usual on anything TISQ is involved with, the arrangement involves all manner of influences, but works well with ITM because of their historical and present insistence on storyline and rhythmic pulse. Rock on, dudes.

There's samples from Lake Effect, including this track of Catherine Kelly's with TISQ, at http://www.greenlinnet.com/shopping/search_detail.cfm?productid=1043

Unfortunately it doesn't include the arrangement getting into full swing on Lake Effect. Damn. But it almost goes from the start of Catherine Kelly's through to not quite the next tune.

Zina

# Posted on September 8th 2002 by Zina Lee

One more recording

you can listening to john kelly playing a version of this tune on volume 1 of ceol an clair,traditional fiddle music from west clare.

i confess that this tune is n't at the top of my 'must learns' but i only heard it a few days ago so maybe it will grow on me!

# Posted on September 12th 2002 by biggus dave

The comment in the Lunasa tunebook (p.37) by Donogh Hennessey says

"Aoibhneas Eilis Ni Cheallaigh or 'The loveliness of Elizabeth Kelly' when roughly translated into English, is a mighty slip jig I learned from my great friend and fiddle palyer Mark Crickard and flautist Cian O'Sullivan with whom I played music for many years in Dingle and East Germany. Lizzy Kelly was a concertina player from Kilrush in Co.Clare"

By the way - we've just been to see Lunasa today (at Rheged, Cumbria, UK). They were excellent. It's not the same without Donogh, but the new guitarist, Tim, is very good and seems to be bringing in something fresh. They said they were starting to record in Septeember for the new album - of which they played a couple of tracks - can't wait

# Posted on July 29th 2005 by Edgar Bolton

This is a fun tune. I think it soulds better in E Minor myself.

# Posted on October 4th 2005 by Unseen122

"Illusionary World" ~ 9 take away 3 =

Submitted on June 19th 2004 by MooglePower.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/3181

# Posted on December 4th 2005 by ceolachan

Double Stops

I play it highly double stopped, which gives it an accordiany feel on the fiddle:

# Posted on August 27th 2006 by Ger the Rigger

"Wandering Spirit" / "Elizabeth Kelly's Delight" ~ rescued duplication

Key signature: A Dorian
Submitted on November 11th 2007 by mehitabel23.
~ /tunes/display/7957

Don't shoot me, it's Irish.
This is an Irish slip-jig! And you all doubted me, didn't you!

# Posted on November 11th 2007 by mehitabel23

# Posted on November 11th 2007 by ceolachan

Mehitabel23's Source ~

This one was learnt by ear from a fiddler called Paddy Le Mercier...

# Posted on November 11th 2007 by mehitabel23

# Posted on November 11th 2007 by ceolachan