Sheet Music: The Swallow's Tail

TitleThe Swallow's Tail
Alternate titlesMiss Wright's Reel
Molly's Nightcap
The Swallow Tail Coat
The Swallowtail
The Triumphant Puppy
The Steeplechase
Take your Hand Away
ComposerTraditional Irish
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyA minor
RangeG4–B5
Time signature2/2
Tempo84 BPM
Performance time0:45
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (47 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (383 kB)
Date added2015-01-17
Last updated2015-01-17
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.4 (below average)
Categories
Celtic Music, Reels, Traditional/Folk

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Saturday 17 January 2015

Tune of the Day: The Swallow's Tail

Traditional Irish reel

This reel is known under many different titles, including “The Steeplechase”, “Take your Hand Away” and “Molly's Nightcap”. In his book Between the Jigs and the Reels (1994), Caoimhin Mac Aoidh states the tune is more correctly called in County Donegal the “Swallow's Tail Coat”, named after the long split-tail coats dancing masters wore.

This reel is often paired with “The Green Fields of America”.