Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 1677 (Tear the Calico)

RhythmBars8-bar phrase structureMode
Reel24ABCD Major
Transcription of first 2 bars of Tear the Calico
 about these two bars

These two bars are the start of my transcription of how this tune was played – the first time through – on the recording BB 3 (details in the Discography below).

Where do you get the tune titles?
Titles given to this tune in the sources listed below (plus notes of mine about this tune):
Tear the Calico / Rip the Calico / The Fair Wind / A Fair Wind / Fair Wind / The Blue Meadow / Burren Reel / West Clare Reel / Tommy Glenny's Reel (3rd in set Kilfenora Reels on KCB 3; 3rd in set West Clare Reels on Chlr; mislabeled as I Have No Money on CTL 3; as untitled Reel on Dnu 1; 3rd in set Out on the Road on Drv 5) (also in G, also with parts doubled, also with 1st part last, also with 2nd part last) (compare Tear the Calico #2106)
What do the "track#tune" codes mean?

cd Discography

Here are all recordings of this tune considering only the indexed recordings. I have discovered by careful listening that these sources are in fact musically the same tune, regardless of the tune titles they use, key changes, retuning, etc. They are listed in order of when they were recorded.

Year
Recorded
Track
#Tune
[Album code] Artist. Title. Primary musicians (instruments). Album details
and contents
~19589#3[KCB 1] The Kilfenora Ceili Band. The Fabulous Kilfenora Ceili Band. P.J. Lynch (fiddle), Gus Tierney (fiddle), Jim McCormack (flute), Gerry Lynch (accordion), P. Mullins, T. Eustace, P. Madigan, Kitty Linnane (piano), G. O'Loughlin (drums).View album details
19746#3[CC] Bernard O'Sullivan and Tommy McMahon. Clare Concertinas. Bernard O'Sullivan (concertina), Tommy McMahon (concertina) except where solos noted.View album details
197410#1[RF] Miko, Pakie and Gussie Russell. The Russell Family of Doolin, County Clare. Miko Russell (whistle, flute, vocals), Gussie Russell (whistle), Pakie Russell (concertina).View album details
~19741#3[KCB 3] [The Kilfenora Ceili Band]. [The Kilfenora Céilí Band]. View album details
19773#3[BB 3] The Bothy Band. Out of the Wind into the Sun. Paddy Keenan (pipes, whistle), Matt Molloy (flute, whistle), Kevin Burke (fiddle), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (vocals, keyboards), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, bodhrán, synthesizer), Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar).View album details
~19789#2[SE 5] Seamus Ennis. The Fox Chase. Seamus Ennis (pipes).View album details
~19783#2[LCTM] Liz Carroll & Tommy Maguire. Kiss Me Kate. Liz Carroll (fiddle), Tommy Maguire (accordion).View album details
~19782.18#3[GL20] various. Green Linnet Records. The Twentieth Anniversary Collection. View album details
~199212#3[CTL 3] Cherish the Ladies. The Back Door. Mary Coogan (guitar, banjo), Siobhan Egan (fiddle, bodhrán), Eileen Golden (feet), Winifred Horan (fiddle, dance), Maureen Doherty Macken [Mary Rafferty] (accordion, flute), Joanie Madden (flute, whistle), Cathie Ryan (vocals), Linnane Wick (dance).View album details
~19937#3[JKn 2] James Keane. That's the Spirit. James Keane (accordion).View album details
~19939#3[JMd] Joanie Madden. A Whistle on the Wind. Joanie Madden (flute, whistle).View album details
19965#2[TCB 3] The Tulla Ceili Band. A Celebration of 50 Years. P. J. Hayes (fiddle), Martin Hayes (fiddle), Francis Donnellan (fiddle), Mark Donnellan (fiddle), J. J. Conway (flute), Jennifer Lenihan (flute), Sean Donnelly (accordion), Michael McKee (accordion), Jim Corry (piano), Michael Flanigan (drums).View album details
19968#2[Dnu 1] Danú. Danú. Daire Bracken (fiddle), Brendan McCarthy (accordion), Donnchadh Gough (pipes, bodhrán), Tom Doorley (flute), Eamonn Doorley (bouzouki, fiddle), Timmy Murray (guitar), Cárthach Mac Craith (vocals).View album details
~19961#2[ADB] various. Mighty Session! View album details
19988#3[Chlr] Chulrua. Barefoot on the Altar. Paddy O'Brien (accordion), Tim Britton (pipes, flute, whistle), Pat Egan (guitar, vocals).View album details
~199913#3[Drv 5] Dervish. Midsummer's Night. Cathy Jordan (vocals, bodhrán, bones), Tom Morrow (fiddle, viola, vocals), Shane Mitchell (accordion), Liam Kelly (flute, whistle), Séamus O'Dowd (guitar, fiddle, harmonica, vocals), Michael Holmes (bouzouki), Brian McDonagh (mandola, mandolin, vocals).View album details
20069#4[TCB 4] The Tulla Céilí Band. 60th Anniversary Celebration. Mark Donnellan (fiddle), Martin Hayes (fiddle), Jim Corry (piano), Sean Donnelly (accordion), Michael McKee (accordion), J.J. Conway (flute), Jennifer Lenihan (flute), Martin Glynn (flute), Mick Flanagan (drums).View album details

Bibliography

Here are all transcriptions of this tune under any title whatsoever – considering only the indexed books – listed in chronological order. I have discovered by careful comparison that these are very similar to this tune as played on the recordings listed above.

As tune #1255 in [1850] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. O'Neill's Music of Ireland. [available]
As tune #525 in [1001] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. The Dance Music of Ireland. 1001 Gems. [available]
As tune #245 in [CRE 2] Breandán Breathnach. Ceol Rince na hÉireann 2.
As tune #161 in [JOL] Terry Moylan. Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra. Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border. [available]
On page 64 of [M] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. 3rd Edition.
On pages 108-109 of [M2] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. Millennium Edition.
As reel #289 in [Cobb] Dan Cobb. Cobb's Music of Ireland. [available]

If you are considering using the above transcriptions to help you learn this tune, I invite you to check these practical Tips for Learning Irish Traditional Music. See also: So why do you bother indexing books and abc?

Year of the oldest source for this tune, considering the recordings and transcriptions listed above (note that I concentrate on sources after 1900): 1903