Crossing the Minch

Crossing the Minch Click on the tune title to see or modify Crossing the Minch's annotations. If the link is red you can create them using the form provided.Browse Properties <br/>Special:Browse/:Crossing the Minch Query the Archive
Theme code Index	3H53H7 4H64H5H
Also known as	McNab's, McNab's Hornpipe, McNabb's Hornpipe
Composer/Core Source
Region	Scotland
Genre/Style	Cape Breton/PEI, Pipe, Scottish
Meter/Rhythm	Hornpipe/Clog, March/Marche
Key/Tonic of	D
Accidental	2 sharps
Mode	Ionian (Major)
Time signature	4/4
History	CANADA(Maritimes/English)
Structure	AABBCCDD
Editor/Compiler	Biography:Aly Bain
Book/Manuscript title	Book:50 Fiddle Solos
Tune and/or Page number	p. 4
Year of publication/Date of MS	1989
Artist	Biography:Alan Coulsdon
Title of recording
Record label/Catalogue nr.	TOPIC 12-TS-267
Year recorded	1975
Media
Score ()

CROSSING THE MINCH. AKA and see "McNab's," "McNabb's Hornpipe." Scottish, Canadian; "Pipe Hornpipe." D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD. Minch = sea. "Traditional," states Aly Bain in his collection, though Christine Martin credits it to Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsey, while Paul Cranford credits it to Pipe Major Donald MacLeod (1917-1982, born in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis). The melody was known as "McNab's" or "McNabb's Hornpipe" by Cape Breton fiddlers until quite recently, explains Cranford, due to an influential recording by Winston Fitzgerald. He called the tune "McNabb's Hornpipe" on the 78 RPM release, pairing it with "The Farmer's Daughter," and it proved to be one of his most popular recordings, making it onto the Canadian 'hit parade' of the time.

Printed sources: Bain (50 Fiddle Solos), 1989; p. 4. Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), vol. 1, 1991; p. 52.

Recorded soures: Culburnie Records CUL 121D, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - "Fire and Grace" (2004). Green Linnet GLCD 1145, Wolfstone - "Year of the Dog." Rounder 82161-7032-2, Bill Lamey - "From Cape Breton to Boston and Back: Classic House Sessions of Traditional Cape Breton Music 1956-1977" (2000).

See also listing at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings [1]

X: 1
T: Crossing the Minch
T: McNabb's Hornpipe
R: hornpipe, reel
Z: 2004 John Chambers <jc:trillian.mit.edu>
M: C|
L: 1/8
K: D
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| "D"f>A ~A2 f2 e>f | "G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g | "D"fg a>f "A7"g>e c>d | "D"e2 d2 d2 :|
|:A>d|"D"f>A ~A2 "D7"f>g a>f|"G"g>B ~B2 g>a a>g|"D"f>A ~A2 "Bm"f>g a>f|"Em"g>B e>d "A7"d>c d>e |
|"D"f>A ~A2 "D7"f>g a>f|"G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g| "D"fg a>f "A7"g>e c>d|"D"e2 d2 d2:|