Annotation:Western Hornpipe

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WESTERN HORNPIPE, THE. AKA and see “Athlone Hornpipe (The),” "Bobby Gardiner's," "McIntyre's," “Mountain Stream (1),” "Paddy Killoran's," "Tara Brooch (The)," "Paddy O'Brien's Hornpipe (1)," "Six O'Clock." Irish, Hornpipe. C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Although the tune is usually played in the key of ‘C’ (esp. by fiddlers, c.f. Michael Coleman’s recording), it is occasionally heard in ‘D’. It is set in that key in Breathnach’s Ceol Rinnce na hÉireann, vol. 3, No. 217, from the playing of fiddler Séamus Thompson, although it is said that he played it in the key of ‘C’ on the source recording, and that it was erroneously transcribed in ‘D’. County Sligo born fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945) recorded the melody on a 78 RPM in New York, in a medley as the second tune paired with “Stage Hornpipe (1) (The).”

Source for notated version: New York fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945, originally from County Sligo, Ireland) [DeMarco & Krassen, Miller & Perron].

Printed sources: DeMarco & Krassen (A Trip to Sligo), 1978; pp. 34, 48, 62. Fiddler Magazine, Winter 2005/06, vol. 12, No. 4; p. 49. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, vol. 3), 1977; No. 16. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 124. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 21, p. 94.

Recorded sources: Bellbridge Records, Bobby Casey – “Casey in the Cowhouse” (1992. Originally recorded 1959). IRC Records, Michael Coleman. Shanachie 34014, James Kelly, Paddy O’Brien & Daithi Sproule – “Traditional Music of Ireland” (1995).

See also listings at:
Alan Snyder’s Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [3]