Annotation:Hoch Hey Johnny Lad

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HOCH HEY JOHNNY LAD. AKA and see "Hech How Johnnie Lad," "Jerry O'Sullivan's," "Lads of Saltcoats (The)," "Oh Hey Johnny Lad." Scottish, Canadian; Air, Reel or Strathspey. Canada, Cape Breton. A Major. Standard, ADae or AEae tunings (fiddle). AABB'. "Hoch Hey Johnny Lad" (sometimes "Hech How..." or "Hey How"...) is a line from the chorus of a song to the tune. Scottish versions are usually set as a reel, though MacDonald, in his Skye Collection (1887) notes the tune is sometimes played as a strathspey. The 'high-bass' or ADae and AEae tunings are employed on Cape Breton where the melody has been frequently recorded, set as a strathspey. John Glen, in Early Scottish Melodies, notes that this tune is the same as "Lasses of the Ferry/Lassies of the Ferry" in Stewart's Reels (1761-63, p. 33) and "Lads of Saltcoats (The)" (David Rutherford, 1754). The pairing of "Ferry" melody with the "Hoch Hey" lyric has been attributed (by Robert D. Thornton, for one) to poet Robert Burns, in the Scots Musical Museum. Whether Burns actually had anything to do with the lyric (which is substantially that found in David Herd's 1776 manuscript, with a few alterations and an additional verse), is not known, as it is unsigned in the Museum.

The Irish group Lunasa recorded the tune as "Jerry O'Sullivan's," sourced to contemporary uilleann piper Jerry O'Sullivan (Yonkers, N.Y.).

Source for notated version: Donald MacLellan and Donald Campbell (Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg].

Printed sources: Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music from Cape Breton), 1996; p. 121. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 2; No. 24, p. 6. Köhlers' Violin Repository, 1881-1885; p. . MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 14. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 26.

Recorded sources: Celtic CX 35, "Donald MacLellan" (c. 1950's. Unlisted after "Old Traditional Strathspey"). Celtic CX 049, Donald and Theresa MacLellan/The MacLellan Trio. IMS WRC1 759, Winnie Chafe - "Cape Breton Scottish Memories" (1979). Rounder 7059, Alex Francis MacKay with Gordon MacLean - "Gaelic in the Bow" (2005). Smithsonian Folkways Records, SFW CD 40507, The Beaton Family of Mabou - "Cape Breton Fiddle and Piano Music" (2004). Andy M. Stewart - "Songs of Robert Burns".

See also listing at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]

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