Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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:
KEEL EEEVE 45
of the trumpet class are often placed on a veryhigh
pressure of wind under such names as
Tuba mirabilis, Tromba major, etc. ; such highpressure
reed-stops are generally found on the
Solo-manual ; the reed-stops of the Great organ
being of moderate loudness ; those on the Choir
organ altogether of a softer character. A very
much larger proportion of reed-stops is usually
assigned to the Swell organ than to any other
manual, owing to the brilliant crescendo which
they produce as the shutters of the swell-box
open. Reed-stops are said to be 'harmonic'
when the tubes of the pipes are twice their
normal length and perforated half-way with a
small hole. Their tone is remarkably pure and
brilliant. The best modern organ-builders have
made great Improvements in the voicing of reedstops,
which are now' produced in almost infinite
variety both as to quality and strength of
tone. J. s.
REEL (Anglo-Saxon hreol, connected with the
Suio-GothiontWa,' to whirl'). Anancientdance,
the origin of which is enveloped in much obscurity.
The fact of its resemblance to the
Norwegian Hallv/ng, as well as its popularity
in Scotland, and its occurrence in Denmark, the
north of England, and Ireland, has led most
writers to attribute to it a Scandinavian origin,
although its rapid movements and lively character
are opposed to the oldest Scandinavian
dance-rhythms. The probability is that the
reel is of Keltic origin, perhaps indigenous to
Britain, and from there introduced into Scandinavia.
In Scotland the reel is usually danced
by two couples ; in England—where it is now
almost only found in connection with the Sword
Dance, as performed in the North Riding of
Yorkshire—it is danced by three couples. The
figures of the reel diifer slightly according to
the locality ;
their chief feature is their circular
character, the dancers standing face to face and
describing a series of figures of eight. The
music consists of 8 -bar phrases, generally in
common time, but occasionally in 6-4. The
Irish reel is played much faster than the Scotch ;
in Yorkshire an ordinary hornpipe-tune is used.
The following example, 'Lady Nelson's Reel,'
is from a MS. collection of dances in the possession
of the present writer :
^^^
[In News from Scotland (1591) it is stated
that ' Giles Duncan did go before them playing a
reill or dance upon a small trump. ' The Irish
reel, which is apparently alluded to here, is in
2 -4, or common time, and is always danced singly
the first eight bars, danced in steps, are followed
by a round for the next eight bars, wlien the
originalstepsareresumed,butreversed. w.h.g.i'.]
An example of the Danish reel will be found
inEngel's ' National Music ' (London, 1866).
One of the most characteristic Scotch reels is
the Reel of TuUooh (Thulichan) :—
^^^^^m
Others, equally good, are 'Colonel M 'Bean's
Reel,' Ye're welcome, Charlie Stuart,' The
' '
Cameronian Rant,' 'Johnnie's friends are ne'er
pleased,' and Flora Macdonald.'
'
For the slow Reel see Strathspey, w. b. s.
REEVE, William, bom 1757 ; after quitting
school, was placed with a law stationer in Chancery
Lane, where his fellow-writer was Joseph
Munden, afterwards the celebrated comedian.
Determined, however, upon making music his
profession, he became a pupil of Richardson,
organist of St. James's, Westminster. In 1781
he was appointed organist of Totnes,Devonshire,
where he remained till about 1783, when he was
engaged as composer at Astley's. He was next
for some time an actor at the regular theatres.
In 1791, being then a chorus singer at Covent
Garden, he was applied to to complete the composition
of the music for the ballet-pantomime
f ' Oscar and Malvina, ' left unfinished by Shield,
who, upon some differences with the manager,
had resigned his appointment. Reeve thereupon
produced an overture and some vocal music,
which were much admired, and led to his being
appointed composer to the theatre. In 1792
he was elected organist of St. Martin, Ludgate.
In 1802 he became part proprietor of Sadler's
Wells Theatre. His principal dramatic compositions
were 'Oscar and Malvina,' and 'Tippoo
Saib,' 1791 ; 'Orpheus and Eurydice,' partly
'
adapted from Gluck, 1792 ; The Apparition,'
'British Fortitude,' 'Hercules and Omphale,'
and 'The Purse,' 1794; 'Merry Sherwood'
(containing Reeve's best-known song, ' I am a
Friar of orders grey '),
1795 ; 'Harlequin and
'
Oberon,' 1796, Bantry Bay,' 'The Round
Tower,' and Harlequin Quixote,' 1797 ' '
; Joan
of Arc,' and Ramah Droog' (with Mazzinghi),
'
'
1798 ; The Turnpike Gate ' (with Mazzinghi),
'The Embarkation,' and 'Thomas and Susan,'
1799 ; 'Paul and Virginia' (with Mazzinghi),
and 'Jamie and Anna,' 1800; 'Harlequin's
Almanack,' 'The Blind Girl ' (with Mazzinghi),
1801; 'The Cabinet' (with Braham, Davy,
and Moorehead), and 'Family Quarrels' (with
Braham and Moorehead), 1802 ; 'The Caravan,'