Major Malley's Reel

Major Malley's Reel was a well-, known traditional Irish reel - a lively dance tune in quick time. Reels were extremely popular throughout Britain and Ireland in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries, especially at fairs, inns and country gatherings. 
The tune evokes the festive atmosphere of Greenhill Fair. The dancers are old bent men. Despite their age they are energetically dancing a cheerful reel. 
The lively music forms a striking backdrop to the much darker events unfolding nearby, where Troy secretly meets Pennyways after snatching the note from Bathsheba.  Hardy often places moments of private tragedy against scenes of public merriment. 

Major Malley's Reel is a popular country dance tune, easily recognised by Victorian readers. 

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