Ottawa Valley Reel / Lad O’beirne’s / Marie à Pierre

Ottawa Valley Reel is probably a local tune and is very widely played throughout PEI; my version is based on those of Edward P Arsenault of Mont Carmel & Leonard McDonald of Emyvale. Lad O’beirne’s was composed by Irish fiddler Ed Reavy and popularized in Atlantic Canada by Cape Breton fiddler Jerry Holland. Marie à Pierre is a lively Acadian variant of “Paddy on the Turnpike” that retains just a hint of the original tune’s modal character. The version here is closely patterned on the playing of Victor Doucette of Harper Road. The title roughly translates to “Marie, Pierre’s Wife.” (Key: G throughout).