Annotation:Alexander's Hornpipe

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X:1 T:Alexander's Hornpipe M:C L:1/8 R:Hornpipe S:O'Neill - Music of Ireland (1903), No. 1683 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D Major (3ABc|:dAFA DFAd|fdcd A2ef|gfed edcd|(3efe(3dcB A2(3ABc| dAFA DFAd|fdcd A2ef|gfed cABc|1(3dddf2 d2(3ABc:|2(3dddf2 d2AG|| |:FAdA FAdA|GBdB GBdB|Acec Acec|dfaf (3dfd(3BAG| FAdA FAdA|GBdB GBdB|Aceg fdec|1(3dddf2 d2AG:|2(3dddf2 d2(3ABc||

ALEXANDER'S HORNPIPE. AKA – "Alexander's Favourite." AKA and see "Byrne's Hornpipe (2)," "Kelly's Hornpipe (5)," "Sandlark (The)." Irish, English; Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune appears as "Byrne's Hornpipe (2)" in the Feis Ceoil Collection of Traditional Irish Music (1914). Curiously, O'Neill printed it in 1903 in his Music of Ireland, but omitted it from his 1907 Dance Music of Ireland. The tune is known as a piping tune, dating back to 78 RPM recordings of "Alexanders" by uilleann pipers Tommy Reck (1922-1991, recorded in Dublin in 1950) and Liam Walsh (recorded in 1933).

An early version of the hornpipe can be found in the music manuscript copybook of fiddler John Burks under the title "Prunoble's Hornpipe." Nothing is know of Burks, but he may have been from the north of England.

Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Chicago police sergeant James O'Neill, a fiddler originally from County Down and Francis O'Neill's collaborator [O'Neill]; accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan].

Printed sources : - McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), c. 1920's, No. 82, p. 21 (appears as "Alexander's Favourite"). Moylan (Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 344, pp. 193–194. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 193. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1683, p. 313. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 145. Sing Out, vol. 34, no. 4, Fall 1989; p. 97.

Recorded sources : - Alia Vox AVSA 9878, Jordi Savall - "The Celtic Viol. II" (2010). Decca F3816 (78 RPM), Liam Walsh (1933. 1st tune in "Stack of Barley Medley"). Rounder 1087, Tommy Reck – "From Galway to Dublin" (Reissue of a 78 RPM. Learned from Seamus Ennis).

See also listing at :
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Hear Tommy Reck's recording at the Comhaltas Archive [2]
Hear Tommy Reck's recording on youtube.com [3]
Hear Liam Walsh's 1933 recording at the Internet Archive [4] (1st tune in medley "Stack of Barley")

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