Irish reel

English composer

Definition

A fast Irish dance form in 4/4 or 2/4 time, typically comprising two eight-bar strains repeated. Grainger used two contrasting reels in Molly on the Shore.

Interpretive Guidance

Reel passages demand clean fingerwork and a forward-driving pulse; avoid lingering on any individual note — the momentum must feel continuous and inevitable.

Context

Scope Used by Percy Grainger
Language English

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