Opera Reel
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Opera Reel", also known as "Celebrated Opera Reel", "Duke of Cornwall's Reel",<br> "Grand Opry Reel", "McDonagh's Reel" and "Tommy Gunn's Reel" is an American, Irish,<br> Scottish and English reel known in Missouri, New York, New Hampshire, New England,<br> southwestern Pennsylvania and Michigan in D Major (most versions) or<br> C Major (Howe/Accordeon). It is played in standard or DDae fiddle tunings. The parts are<br> played ABCD (Silberberg), ABCDD (Christeson), AABBC (Ruth),<br> AABBCCDD (Bayard, Brody, Ford, Gow, Howe, Kennedy, Linscott, Sweet),<br> AA'BBCCDD (Phillips): ABBCCD (Cole, Miller & Perron),<br> ABBCCDD (Bronner).<br> Bayard (1981) did not find it in any collection older than the early 19th century<br> (however, earlier printings did exist).<br> Tony Parkes and Steve Woodruff (1980) state the tune was an early 19th century<br> American melody likely modeled on the multi-part Irish and Scottish reels of the<br> 18th century and was particularly popular in the 1850's. The "Opera Reel" appears<br> in the 1823 music manuscript book of H. Canfield (Hartford, Conn.), A Choice<br> Selection of Flute Melodies.<br> Despite the tune's association with New England contra dancing, an<br> American claim of provenance (or even partial provenance) is not supported by<br> the evidence. "Opera Reel" was published in Dublin in 1795 in a gentleman's<br> literary journal called Walker's Hibernian.<br> Anne Loughran and Vic Gammon's Sussex Tune Book (English Folk Dance<br> and Song Society, 1982) contains what may be a cognate or ancestral melody under<br> the title "The Duke of Cornwall's Reel" sourced from a manuscript music book<br> compiled by William Aylmore of West Wittering (Sussex, England). Aylemore was a<br> clarinet player whose book contains dance, military and religious music and is<br> dated 1796 in one place and 1818 in another.<br> "Opera Reel" is one of "100 essential Missouri tunes" listed by Missouri fiddler<br> Charlie Walden. It was also in the repertory of influential Texas fiddler<br> Benny Thomasson.<br> This transcription is close to the version in Cole's.<br> The similar title, "Celebrated Opera Reel" was used by Elias Howe in his<br> mid-1850's publications, but that name hans also has been employed for other<br> tunes.<br> It was printed in<br> Adam's Old Time Fiddlers' Favorite Barn Dance Tunes (1928),<br> Bayard's Dance to the Fiddle (1981),<br> Brody's Fiddler's Fakebook (1983),<br> R.P. Bronner's Old Time Music Makers of New York State (1987),<br> Christeson's Old Time Fiddler's Repertory, vol. 1 (1973),<br> Cole's 1000 Fiddle Tunes (1940),<br> DeVille's Universal Favorite Contra Dance Album (1905),<br> Ford's Traditional Music of America (1940),<br> Harding's Original Collection (1928),<br> John Gow's A Favorite Collection of Slow Airs, Strathspeys and Reels (c. 1804),<br> Howe's Complete Preceptor for the Accordeon (1843),<br> Howe's Musician's Omnibus, No. 1 (1861),<br> Howe's Diamond School for the Violin (1851),<br> Jarman's Old Time Fiddlin' Tunes,<br> Kennedy's Fiddler's Tune-Book: Reels & Rants, Flings & Fancies (1997),<br> Kerr's Merry Melodies, vol. 4 (c. 1880's),<br> Laufman's Traditional Barn Dances with Calls & Fiddling (2009),<br> Edmund Lee's Mrs. Parker's Selection of Scotch Tunes, Strathspeys and Reels,<br> Linscott's Folk Songs of Old New England (1939),<br> Low's The Dulcimer Instructor (1858),<br> Miller & Perron's New England Fiddler's Repertoire (1983),<br> Phillips' Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1 (1994),<br> Robbins's Collection of 200 Jigs, Reels, and Country Dances (1933),<br> Ruth's Pioneer Western Folk Tunes (1948),<br> Silberberg's Fiddle Tunes I Learned at the Tractor Tavern (2002),<br> Sweet's Fifer's Delight (1964/1981),<br> Sym's Sym's Old Time Dances (1930) and<br> Wilson's A Companion to the Ballroom (1816 & 1840).<br> It was recorded by<br> Rodney Miller on New England Chestnuts (1980),<br> Jasper Bisbee (Michegan)(78 RPM) 1923,<br> The Canterbury Country Orchestra,<br> F&W String Band,<br> Arm and Hammer String Band on Stay on the Farm,<br> De Dannan on Ballroom (1987),<br> Grant Rogers on Ballads and Fiddle Tunes,<br> Norman Blake on Rising Fawn String Ensemble,<br> Frank Ferrel ln Boston Fiddle: The Dudley Street Tradition,<br> Grant Lamb on Tunes From Home,<br> Trapezoid on Trapezoid (1975) and<br> Old Bay Ceili Band on Crabs in the Skillet (2011).<br> <br>
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