Sheet Music: The Raveled Hank of Yarn

TitleThe Raveled Hank of Yarn
Alternate titlesNellie Donovan
The Doon Reel
Kate Kelly's Fancy
Callaghan's Reel
ComposerTraditional Irish
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyG major
RangeG4–B5
Time signature4/4
Tempo144 BPM
Performance time0:30
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (46 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (231 kB)
Date added2018-03-26
Last updated2018-03-26
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.2 (relatively unpopular)
Categories
Celtic Music, Reels, Traditional/Folk

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Monday 26 March 2018

Tune of the Day: The Raveled Hank of Yarn

Traditional Irish reel

This melody is known under several different titles (notably “Nellie Donovan” and “The Doon Reel”), and appears in many collections published in the early 20th century. In Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody (1922), Francis O'Neill recounts:

A few years ago as Mr. Leech was fingering a stray reel on his flute, Prof. John Cummings [...] remarked “that’s The Raveled Hank Of Yarn and I had forgotten it for the last forty years”. Although then in his 85th year he buckled on his pipes, and played the tune in a style which astonished his audience.