Annotation:Hills of Glenorchy (1)

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HILLS OF GLENORCHY [1]. AKA - "Hills of Glenurchie" AKA and see "Braes of Glenorchy (2)," "House of Clonelphin (The)," "Jolly Corkonian (The)," "Over the Hills," "Paddy McFadden,""Pat Burke's." Scottish, Canadian, Irish; Jig, Quickstep or Pipe March (6/8 time). Canada, Cape Breton. A Mixolydian (Dunlay & Greenberg, Dunlay & Reich): A Mixolydian (Neil): D Dorian (Gatherer): E Dorian/Minor (Cole, Gow, Hinds, Howe, Kerr, Martin). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Cole, Hinds, Howe, Kerr, Martin): AABB' (Dunlay & Reich): AABB'A'A'BB' (Dunlay & Greenberg). Glen Orchy (Gleann Urchaidh) is a long glen in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, down which runs the River Orchy. One of, or perhaps the, earliest setting of the tune is to be found in Alexander Mackay's collection of c. 1805 under the title "Braes of Glenorchy." Dunlay & Reich (whose Cape Breton version seems slightly altered) identify this as a pipe tune usually appearing in E minor; the variations are easier to play in E minor or in A minor an octave down, and the authors say its a good tune for octave harmonies or 'doubling' the melody. Bayard (1981) remarks that the melody should be categorized as one of the "Hillside" group of tunes (See note for "Annotation:Hillside (2)"). See also variants "Captain Holmes," "Lark in the Morning," "Trip to Galway" and "Katy is Waiting." One version, "House of Clonelphin (The)", appears P.W. Joyce's 1909 collection, gleaned from a Munster manuscript. Other Irish versions can be found in Allen's Irish Fiddler (c. 1920's) as "Over the Hills" and another in Giblin's collection as "Paddy McFadden." Gatherer's (1987) first version is a pipe tune, as is Neil's (1991). See also the cognates "Old Grey Cat (The)," "Smuggler's Reel," the jig "Rollicking Boys of Tandaragee (The)," and the Northumbrian air "Wild Hills of Wannie (The)." Lorrie MacKinnon found a Gaelic verse to "Hills of Glenorch" in The Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness (1917), which goes:

Loisg a' chailleach a casan air eibhleig (x3)
'S chuireadh i feum air ola nan ron
(The old lady burned her feet on an ember and she used seal oil on it).

Source for notated version: Buddy MacMaster (Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg, Dunlay & Reich].

Printed sources: Anonymous (A Companion to the reticule), 1833; p. 11. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 62. Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton), 1996; p. 106. Dunlay & Reich (Traditional Celtic Fiddle Music of Cape Breton), 1986; p. 72. Gatherer (Gatherer's Musical Museum), 1987; p. 19 (two versions). Gow (Sixth Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1822; p. 16. Hinds/Hebert (Grumbling Old Woman), 1981; p. 24 (appears as "Hills of Glenurchie"). Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 148. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; No. 6, p. 47. Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), vol. 1, 1991; p. 19. Miller (Fiddler's Throne), 2004; No. 57, p. 45 (appears as "Hills of Glenurchie"). Neil (The Scots Fiddle), 1991; No. 124, p. 163. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 92. Scots Guards - Standard Settings.

Recorded sources: A & M 79602 2001-2, Ashley MacIsaac. Atlantica Music 02 77657 50222 26, SA93130, Donny LeBlanc - "Atlantic Fiddles" (1994). BM-91, Buddy MacMaster - "Glencoe Hall." Rodeo (Banff) RBS 1255, Barabara MacDonald- "Scottish Piano Selections" (appears in "Medley of Jigs"). Celtic CX049 CX 1, (various artists) Donald & Theresa MacLellan/The MacLellan Trio- "Cape Breton Violins" (appears after "There Came a Young Man"). LC9501, Lee Cremo. Rounder C-7013, Joe Cormier. Waverly/EMI Records ZLP 2086, Bobby Harvey - "Aye on the Fiddle" (1967).

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