Annotation:President Garfield's Hornpipe
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PRESIDENT GARFIELD'S HORNPIPE. AKA and see "Garfield's Hornpipe," "Blue Water Hornpipe," "High Level (2)." American, Canadian; Hornpipe. USA; New England, Missouri. Canada; Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton. B Flat Major (Brody, Cole, Kerr, Martin & Hughes, Miller & Perron, Perlman, Phillips): D Major (Sweet). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (most versions): AA’BB’ (Martin & Hughes). American President James A. Garfield, the twentieth U.S. chief of state (elected in 1880) was assassinated by a lone anarchist, a European immigrant, shortly after taking office, making his one of the shortest terms in that office. The composition is credited to Harry Carleton in Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883), and it is known as a New England tune. As “Garfield’s Hornpipe” it is on Missouri fiddler Charlie Walden’s list of ‘100 essential Missouri fiddle tunes’. Northumbrian concertina player Alastair Anderson introduced the tune into Northumbrian repertoire, finding it in Kerr’s Merry Melodies, but also being influenced by hearing New England fiddler Rodney Miller play it. Sources for notated versions: Rodney Miller (Antrim, N.H.) [Phillips]; Kenny Chaisson (b.c. 1947, Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island; now resident of Rollo Bay) [Perlman]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; p. 221. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 101. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 2), c. 1880’s; p. 42. Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-ghedllaedh), 1990; p. 42. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddler’s Repertoire), 1983; No. 100. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 115. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 216. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 137. Sweet (Fifer’s Delight), 1965/1981; p. 42. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. NMAS 1972, Natalie MacMaster - "Fit as a Fiddle" (1993). Fretless 119, Rodney and Randy Miller"Castles in the Air." Glencoe 001, Cape Breton Symphony "Fiddle." Green Mountain GMS 1052, "No Curb Service Anymore: The Pine Island Band." Philo 119, Rodney and Randy Miller "Castles in the Air." Rounder 7008, "Jerry Holland." Boys of the Lough – “To Welcome Paddy Home.” Topic Records, Alistair Anderson – “Corby Crag” (1978). Paul O’Shaughnessy & Paul McGrattan – “Within a Mile of Dublin.” 422 – “One.”
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