This is a bit of a follow up to my last thread in this forum.
As I explained, some time ago I noticed I learn almost entirely reels, and I want to branch out and start focusing on expanding the amount of other tunes I know. So, I made a thread about slip jigs. I was given a lot of great recommendations which were of great help to me, so I decided to make another similar thread here.
Another type of tune, of which I know very few tunes, is the hornpipe.
That is just a type of tune where I don’t find very many that I actually like. I’m curious to know which hornpipes you all like the best.
I hope these threads are not of annoyance, but seeing as hornpipes and slip jigs seem to be in much smaller number than reels and whatnot, I think it might be useful to bring to the surface some hornpipes which you all like the best, to perhaps help myself and others find out about some new tunes they might not have otherwise been aware of.
I will start with my favourite, which would be Caisleán An Oir, which is a tune I greatly enjoy… actually, the only hornpipe I think I’ve heard which I really really like, and struck me as a great tune. It’s one of my favourite tunes in general.
So… which hornpipes do you all like the best, on any instrument?
Admittedly, I have not heard very many hornpipes at all, in comparison to other tunes. So, I look very forward to hearing what you all seem to like the best.
Other ones are King of the Fairies, The Fairy’s Revels, The Tailor’s Twist (my competition hornpipe), the Galway, the Liverpool, the Manchester, etc etc.
For a lot of hornpipes, look up James Hill, he wrote lots. The Rights of Man is ascribed to him, as is Harvest Home.
I am familiar with king of the fairies, harvest home, and the rights of man.. but I don’t think I know of the others, unless I’m forgetting the titles. I will look them up, and also look up the composer of the tunes!
By the way, although I know that sometimes thesession has links in the tune description, I should mention, please feel free to post some youtube clips or sound clips, etc, if you happen to have any fine examples of the tunes being played which might be of aid in learning the tunes.
Thanks for the responses and the tunes you have recommended!
I like it as Stack of Rye / The Messenger / Harp & Shamrock set.
Learned it from “Fiddle and Flute : Irish Traditional Music”
by Natalie Padilla, Peter Romero & Blayne Chastain.
Lovely album of tunes.
I love hornpipes-a few that I play are Chief O’Neil’s Favorite,The First of May, The Glenbeigh,wich I learned from a Barney McKenna performance on youtube,and Napoleon Crossing the Rhine, which could also be a barndance but I like it better as a hornpipe. I also just picked up Burn’s, which is the song The Parting Glass played hornpipe-style
I like the Fisherman’s Lilt a lot. I believe it’s actually just Planxty’s rendition of the common Fisherman’s, but I find it much more interesting and fun to play with those interval jumps and all.
The following Cronin’s is also nice. Further favourites of mine are An Comhra Don, Johnny Cope, The Blackbird and The Plains Of Boyle.
The Stack of Rye is one of two tunes composed to complement the stack of Barley and the Stack of Wheat that were recorded by Michael Coleman. The last stack of the foursome is The Stack of Oats.
Her golden hair.. , mentioned above, flows from the same source.
Ah, yes, I did know the Golden Castle hornpipe was composed by him! I read it quite some time ago on one of the comments on the tune, on thesession.org. I had forgotten! I will definitely look into some more of his compositions, thanks!
I suppose this sort of thread is a recurring feature of forums like this. While I can see the point, to a degree, of hearing what other people play, the result is more often than not a litany of the overplayed and obvious.
And while I think one should at some point be able to play the Boys of Bluehill, the Harvest Home, Off to California and the Rights of Man and all that sort of stuff, there’s really not a good reason to confine yourself to the blatantly obvious. Your best way in is always to listen to a lot of good music but your most enjoyable way of learning is picking the tunes you immediately take a liking to and learn those. Find your own way, no need to stick to the beaten path.
I suppose this sort of thread is a recurring feature of forums like this. While I can see the point, to a degree, of hearing what other people play, the result is more often than not a litany of the overplayed and obvious.
Yes Mr Gumby but it’s always a good opportunity for you to give to ‘lesser mortals’ the benefit of your wide ranging knowledge of traditional music.
For my part I enjoy the pioneer bands of modern Irish Trad Music; A medley of tunes and songs by ‘De Danann’ one being the ‘Plains of Boyle’ (5min 57 seconds into the clip) a very whistle friendly hornpipe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbGEYLOacV4&feature=related
No I don’t have a problem, it’s only a message board! You just sound (to me) a bit superior at times. So if there is a problem it’s probably mine. That said, me being mostly a lurker, I think your contribution overall to the forum is very informative.