Smith's Reel: A Song History

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"Smith's Reel" is a D-major breakdown with a long paper trail. The oldest printing known to the sources consulted here was found by Vivian Williams in George Saunders' New and Scientific Self-Instructing School for the Violin, which appeared in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1847. Saunders, who billed himself as a professor of music and dancing, claimed the tune as his own composition.[1][2] It later turned up in Elias Howe's Musician's Omnibus (1864) and twice in Ryan's Mammoth Collection (Boston, 1883), once under its usual name and once as the hornpipe "Smith's Delight."[3][4] The Traditional Tune Archive suggests the Ryan's printing probably did most to spread it, and it leaves open whether the title means a man named Smith or a blacksmith.[1]

Whistler drypoint of blacksmiths and onlookers gathered around the anvil in a dim forge

James McNeill Whistler, The Forge, drypoint, 1866. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Public domain (CC0). Whether the tune’s title refers to a blacksmith is uncertain.

Likely by way of those books, the reel entered fiddling traditions across North America, in places as far apart as New England, Prince Edward Island, Nebraska and Texas.[1][3] R. P. Christeson published a version from Nebraska fiddler Bob Walters in his Old Time Fiddlers Repertory (1973). The Slippery Hill archive dates Walters' recording to 1955 and points out how much the tune had changed since Howe printed it.[3][5] Ken Perlman collected a Prince Edward Island setting from Peter Chaisson, Jr.[1][4] In Ireland the melody is best known as the hornpipe "Kitty's Wedding." However, Irish printings go back only to Francis O'Neill's 1903 collection, and the Tune Archive doubts that the tune is Irish.[1][4]

Its players range across styles as different as swing and Maritime fiddling.[3] Perlman observes that in recent decades it has turned into a contest staple among American fiddlers.[4] It also appears in Stephen Seifert's mountain dulcimer collection Join the Jam II.[6]

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Sources

  1. The Traditional Tune Archive: "Annotation:Smith's Reel (1)".
  2. Washington Old Time Fiddlers Association: "Smith's Reel".
  3. The Fiddler's Companion (Andrew Kuntz): "Smith's Reel".
  4. Bowing Down Home (Ken Perlman collection): "Smith's Reel".
  5. Slippery-Hill.com: "Smith's Reel" (Bob Walters).
  6. Stephen Seifert: "Join the Jam II".