John Rea and his five brothers were all taught to play the fiddle by their father, but in 1924 a dulcimer was made for John, and that became his instrument. His father was a big influence on John’s repertoire, and many of the tunes he played had Scottish roots, in common with much of the music played by Antrim traditional musicians.
1 Highlands: Whistle o’er the Lave o’t/The Braes of Tulimet and reel: Scudding Through the Whins
2 Jigs: Bundle and Go/The Jug o’ Punch
3 Reels: The Galway Reel/Dinny O’Brien’s Reel
4 Jigs: The Ladies of France/Jackson’s Trip to Aughrim/Jackson’s Return from Dover
5 Hornpipes: The Belfast Hornpipe/The Rights of Man
6 Reels: The Sailor on the Rope/The Bonny Bunch of Roses
7 Set Dance: The Three Sea Captains
8 Jig and Strathspey: Kitty’s Fancy/Lady Anne Hope
9 Reels: The Boys of Ballycastle/The Five Mile Heat
10 Hornpipes: The Mountain Hornpipe/ The Kingston Hornpipe
11 Jigs: The Kinnegad Slashers/The Tenpenny Bit
12 Hornpipe and Jig: The Plains of Boyle/Jackson’s Slippers
13 Reels: Roaring Mary/Tim Moloney
14 Set Dance and Highland: St. Patrick’s Day/Duncan Davidson
Produced and recorded by Robin Morton, August 1977.
First issued by Topic Records 1979.
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