Annotation:Groves Hornpipe (The)

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GROVES (HORNPIPE), THE (Crannciuil na Tor-coillte/choillte). AKA and see "Drunken Sailor (The)," "Jackson's Cove," "Jackson's Hornpipe (2)." Irish, Hornpipe. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). ABCD (Stanford/Petrie): ABCDE (O'Neill/1850 & 1001, Stanford/Petrie): AABBCCDD'EE (Mitchell): AABB'CC'DDEE (O'Neill/Krassen). George Petrie attributed the tune to "Jackson," undoubtedly referring to 'Piper' Jackson, a 19th century gentleman piper of great renown. Bayard (1981) believes the tune may be an elaborated dance form "based on the simple, fundamental strain of 'Johnnie Cope', and may perhaps be descended from that rather old air. While generally in the major tonality, accidentals and a naturalized 'f' are more or less frequent in the tune, depending on the version. O'Neill obtained his setting from the great Irish-American piper Patrick (Patsy) Tuohey, although earlier (c.1880) O'Neill had been very impressed with a version of the tune by John Hicks. Hicks, also a pipe player, was a protégé of gentleman piper Captain William Kelly, and had emigrated to America in 1850 as a young man. He was noted for his very wide repertoire, notes Brian McNamara, who states that Tuohey learned the tune from Hicks, and that another famous Chicago piper, Police Sergeant James Early, learned it from Tuohey. The tune is almost identical with "Drunken Sailor (The)," save that the latter is set in the dorian mode-Petrie's 2nd version (No. 319) of the "Groves" has the alternate title of "Drunken Sailor." Breathnach (1985) remarks it is similar to "Bank of Turf (The)." The title appears in a list of tunes in his repertoire brought by Philip Goodman, the last professional and traditional piper in Farney, Louth, to the Feis Ceoil in Belfast in 1898 (Breathnach, 1997). The earliest appearance in print appears to be in George Petrie's (1789-1866) collection, noted down in the mid 19th century. The notation to No. 318 in Stanford/Petrie's collection is in rhythmic error.

Source for notated version: piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Mitchell]; piper Patrick Touhey (Chicago) [O'Neill]; piper James Early (Chicago) [O'Neill].

Printed sources: Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 97, pp. 84-85. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 173. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1598, p. 296, and No. 1703. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 843, p. 146. Petrie/Stanford (Complete Collection), 1903-06; Nos. 318 & 319.

Recorded sources: Drumlin Records, Brian McNamara - "A Piper's Dream" (2000). Topic Records, Michael Hanafin (et al) - "Past Masters of Irish Music" (reissue of original 78 RPM recording. The liner notes indicate that Michael's brother Billy Hanafin was a close associate of Patsy Tuohey {see above}).

See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]




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