“The Great Eastern” is a reel that, while not a member of a large tune family, is nontheless important in several traditions, largely on the merits of its strong, flowing and well-crafted melody. It has a few names, but essentially they are the same tune, showing little of the variety and musical distance between versions that sometimes develops when tunes weave in and out of various traditions. It can be found in North American tradition as “Bennett’s Favorite” and “The Great Eastern,” in Irish tradition as “John Brennan’s Reel” and especially “The Silver Spire,” and in Québecois tradition as one of the “La Grondeuse” tunes. It has a long recording history, beginning with the duet of Paddy Killoran and Paddy Sweeney in the 1930’s and continuing today with versions by Sharon Shannon, Tommy Peoples, John and Phil Cunningham, Natalie MacMaster and the groups Wild Asparagus and La Bottine Souriante, to name a few.
In Québec the title “La Grondeuse”—‘the grumbling woman’—is the title of many tunes, each fiddler seeming to have his or her own version based on a variety of melodies in the key of ‘D’. What they have in common is that the ‘G’ string is tuned up to ‘A’ (ADae, or ‘raised bass’ tuning), producing ringing overtones and lending itself to dense droned bowing on the low parts (i.e. ‘grumbling’). “La Grondeuse” is universally played in the Québec fiddle tradition and it is often employed as a vehicle for step-dancing. One “La Grondeuse” strain is the “Great Eastern”/”Silver Spire” melody and has made the contra dance rounds for many years, beginning with New Hampshire fiddler and caller Dudley Laufman.
Irish fiddlers know the reel by the titles “Silver
Spire” and “John Brennan’s (Reel).” It was famously recorded for the first time
in 1931 by the duet of fiddlers Paddy Killoran and Paddy Sweeney (who paired it
with “Farrell O’Gara”), both from County Sligo and recent members of the New
York city Irish immigrant community. Since no earlier
record of the name “Silver Spire” occurs prior to the 1931 Killoran/Sweeney
recording, I believe the original name had become detached, and that Killoran,
Sweeney or the someone at the record company decided to call the unnamed reel
after the then-current engineering marvels the Empire State Building and the
Chrysler Building, both newly completed. The buildings dramatically altered the
New York City skyline, and the art-deco Chrysler Building even features a
silver spire the juts skyward from the top of the building. Through this
influential recording the reel quickly became a staple of the Irish dance
tradition and was picked up by such groups as the Ballinakill Ceili Band (who
recorded it on a 78 RPM disk, set as a hornpipe). The melody became associated with County Sligo flute player John
Brennan in some Irish circles. He was a regular member of Dublin’s Church
Street Club, site of a famous long-lasting session that began in the late
1950’s, centred around fiddler John Kelly, originally from County Kerry. The
Tara Ceili Band and Tommy Peoples/Matt Malloy/Paul Brady have recorded it under
the “John Brennan’s” title, to name a few. It is still a popular tune that is
heard occasionally at modern sessions, and because of this, and through Irish
recordings, it has re-entered other traditions, creating interesting juxtapositions
where it exists simultaneously with other titles.
It is in American
tradition, however, that the reel can be traced farthest; to 1883 and Ryan’s Mammoth Collection. Therein it appears twice, first as
“Bennett’s Favorite,” then again as “Great Eastern Reel;” the latter being the
only tune credited to Clem Titus (who, like many of the names credited in
Ryan’s, was probably a mid-18th century band leader). The “Great Eastern” title is the one that
the tune is usually known by, although some fiddlers picked up the “Bennett’s”
version by perusing the Ryan collection or its successor, Cole’s 1000 Fiddle Tunes. Missouri fiddler Cyril Stinnett’s version
is given below. Stinnett probably had his version from Burt County, Nebraska,
fiddler Uncle Bob Walters, remarks Bill Shull, and although Stinnett did not
read music, Walters did, and often picked up tunes from Ryan’s/Coles. Natalie
MacMaster has also recorded “Bennett’s Favorite.” It is doubtful, especially
given the tune’s appearance in the same publication under the “Bennett” title,
that it was authored by Titus, about whom nothing is known.
If Titus is unknown, however, his title is certainly not, for it was the
name of one of the most famous ships of the mid-19th century and
instantly recognizable to anyone living at the time, albeit almost forgotten
nowadays. The Great Eastern was the last of three great
transatlantic steamships designed by the colorfully-named Isambad Kingdom
Brunel (whose father was an expatriate French-born engineer resident in England
after the Revolution, who constructed the first tunnel under the Thames, still
in use today as part of the London Underground). The ship was an astounding
engineering feat. It was the largest vessel of its age—originally called The Leviathan due to its huge size—and
six times larger than any ship ever then built. Instead of the usual wood, the Great
Eastern was made of iron, weighed 19,000 tons and measured 689 feet. In fact, it was so huge it had to be
launched sideways, although when the moment came she only managed to shift
three feet before stopping. It would be three months before she was finally
pushed into water. Unfortunately, her luck did not improve. During her sea
trials a terrible explosion occurred caused by a stuffed ventilator, and the foremost
funnel was launched like a rocket. Members of the crew, scalded by blast,
emerged on deck, and one agonized sailor threw himself over the side, only to
be mangled to death by the huge blade wheels on the side of the ship. Poor
Brunel, whose health had suffered during the long construction, had a stroke
when he heard the news and he died soon afterward.
The Great Eastern was
built so large in order to run from Europe to Australia with only one stop for
fuel, but she was never employed in that task. Instead she was assigned the run
to New York, although she never was able to attract the number of passengers
needed to become profitable. For one reason, she was famous for rolling in the
great waves of the Atlantic, producing monumental bouts of sea-sickness. Her
port visits were mismanaged, alienating potential passengers. Even more
ominously, during her fourth voyage a storm tore away her rudder, causing eight
months of repairs, and on a subsequent passage she struck a rock, tearing a
gash in her side 75 feet long (she was saved by her unique double-hull, which
kept her afloat). After a few years of mounting losses the great ship was taken
out of service.
Soon, however, she was resurrected for a task that
finally befit her, for the Great Eastern became the steamship that laid
the first permanent transatlantic cable.
Only a ship of her size could carry the enormous amount of cable
necessary to span the Atlantic, and she was finally a success. By the mid-1870’s,
however, her time was passed, and she languished in harbor for twelve more
years, more-or-less as a floating billboard. Finally, in 1888 she was sold for
a pittance for scrap, although it took the better part of two years to
dismantle her. During this process a skeleton was found between her double
hulls, one of the workmen who was on the original building crew from the 1850’s
and perished unknown.
Perhaps the most bizarre incident in the ship’s career occurred in New York harbor in 1860. One night, months before the great vessel entered port, a feared thug named Albert E. Hicks, commonly called Hicksey, fell asleep in the lodgings of a Cherry street dive after a night of drinking. He was given a nightcap laced with opium by the owner, robbed and knocked unconscious with a blackjack. Hicksey awoke to find himself shanghaied aboard an oyster sloop, the E.A. Johnson, and by the time the hoodlum regained enough of his senses to protest, the vessel had rounded Staten Island and was headed out to sea. His rage soon gained momentum, escalating to a murderousness that he discharged upon the boat’s captain and two young brothers who were crewmembers. The E.A. Johnson was found abandoned and adrift a few days later and the slaughter revealed in all its horror. Meanwhile, Hicks made an escape in the ship’s dinghy and retreated to his haunts in lower Manhattan, but not before robbing his dead victims of their valuables and carrying off anything of worth he could find. He might have gotten away with it, but instead it turned out that the hapless Hicks had been observed being taken to the boat in the original act of being shanghaied. After a quick investigation he was arrested and a subsequent search of his belongings revealed loot positively identified as his victims’.
After a quick trial Hicks was condemned to die. The
sensational case had garnered much fanfare, however, and as the date for his
execution neared he became something of a celebrity. P.T. Barnum visited him in
his cell and arranged to purchase a plaster cast of his head and bust for his
museum, and later also acquired his clothes. On the appointed date, a Thursday
in July, Hicks said his farewells, and, accompanied by a priest, a sheriff, and
chief and deputy United States Marshals dressed in their finest, he was
escorted to a carriage. They joined a procession led by a fife and drum corps
playing by a dirge, followed by a string of black draped carriages, and waded
through cheering crowds from the old Tombs prison down to Canal Street. Since
the place of execution was designated as Bedloe’s Island (where the Statue of
Liberty is now located), Hicks was transferred to a steamboat for his last
short ride. By this time the harbor was filled with boats, all jockeying to
witness the hanging. Upon embarking, however, the marshals found the procession
had moved faster than anticipated and by the time the steamboat entered
mid-stream it was determined that they had plenty of time. Believing it
undignified to land on the island too early, the chief marshal decided to take
the party for a sight-seeing sail up the Hudson. The Great Eastern was anchored in the river above them, recently
arrived from Europe on her maiden voyage, and when the marshal’s boat
approached, Hicks was brought to the rail. The chief stationed himself on the
bridge, sword in one hand and speaking-trumpet in the other, and explained to
the surprised Great Eastern
passengers the purpose of the cruise while pointing out Hicks’s shackles and
chains.
The smaller steamship then descended the river and
arrived at the island, where a detachment of soldiers and the scaffold awaited
them. Since it had been erected not thirty feet from the water, the throngs of
sightseers in their excursion boats had an ample view of the proceedings and it
was estimated that some 10,000 witnessed Hicks go to his maker that day. His
body was returned to Manhattan for burial in Calvary Cemetery, where he did not
long repose in peace, for his grave was soon robbed and his corpse sold to
medical school students for dissection. (This story appears in The Gangs of New York, 1928, by Herbert
Asbury).
(The
author wishes to thank Bill Shull for communications and permission to use his
transcription of Cyril Stinnet’s “Bennett’s Reel.” Also, thanks to
communications from Guy Bouchard)
Andrew Kuntz 09/10/02
8 Veatch Street
Wappingers Falls, New York
12590
aikuntz@optonline.net
T:Bennett's Reel
R:reel
C:Trad.
S:Cyril Stinnett
A:Missouri
Z:B. Shull, trans.; R.P.
LaVaque, ABCs
S:Cyril Stinnett,
transcribed by Bill Shull
L:1/16
Q:120
K:D
((3A,B,C)|D2)FE
(DF)A(B|dc)df e(cA)F|GBEG (FE)D(F|GF)ED CEA,C|! D2FE (DF)A(B|dc)df e(cA)F|GBEG
(FE)DF)|(ED)CE D2:|! |:D(B,|A,B,)CD (EF)G(E|FD)EC (DF)A(c|dc)dA FAd(e|gf)g(f
e)(dc)A|! (de)fd (cd)ec|(Bc)(dB) A(GF)D|(GF)EG (FE)DF|(EDCE D2:|
X:2
T:Silver Spire
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:Reel
K:D
:A,C|D2 FE DFAc|dcde fdAF|GABG FADF|(3GFE FD EGFE| D2 FE DFAc|!
dcde fdAF|GABG FADF|EDCE D2:||:z2|A,B,=CD EFGE|FDEF GABc|!
dcdA Bcde|fdgf ecAc|defd ceAc|dcdB AFDF|GABG FADF|EDCE D2:||
X:3
M:C|
L:1/8
K:D
D2FE
D2FA|dc de fd AF|G2BG F2AF|EC A,C D4:|
|:A,B,
CD EF GF|ED EF GA Bc|dc dB AB cd|fa gf e2A2|
d2fd c2ec|Bc dB AF DF|G2BG F2AF|EC A,C D4:|
X:4
T:Great
Eastern Reel, The
M:C
L:1/8
S:Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (1883)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:D
D2
(F>E) D>F A2|({dc}d>c)(d>e) fcA(F|G)BE>G F>AD>F|
G>(E
{F}ED) C>E A,>C|D2 F>E D>F A>d|(3edc d>e f>dA>F|
GBE>G
F>AD>F|1 E2A,2D3A,:|2 E2A,2 D4||
|:A,>B,C>D
E>FG>E|(3FED E>F G>AB>c|dcd>A Bc d>e|
f>a
(3baf e2 (3ABc|d2 fd cdec|dcd>B A>FD>F|GBE>G F>AD>F|1
E2A,2D2^G,2:|2
E2A,2 D2A,2||