Annotation:Stony Steps (2)
X:1 T:Stoney Steps [3] M:C L:1/8 R:Hornpipe Q:"Allegro" B:Thomas Wilson - Companion to the Ball Room (1816, p. 136) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G D|G2 BG dBgd|ecAd GFED|ECB,C A,2 AB|cABG GFED| G2 BG dBgd|ecAd GFED|EDB,C A,2 AB|cAGF G4|| G,A,B,C DEFG|ABcd B2G2|BcAF G2 ef|ged^c d4| dBgd cBed|cBAG FEDC|B,DGD CEAc|BAGF G2z2||
STONY STEPS HORNPIPE. AKA – “Stoney Steps,” “Stone Steps.” AKA and see "Blake's Hornpipe (2), "Brewer's Horse (The)," “Novey Gallows.” English, Irish; Hornpipe. B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A very popular melody in the English repertoire. Attributed to Tyneside fiddler and composer James Hill in Kohler’s Violin Repository (Edinburgh, 1881-1885), but may have simply been passed on by him see Seattle's note for "Blake's Hornpipe (2).” Indeed, Barry Callaghan (2007) notes that it was in widespread circulation before Hill’s day and was included in Northumbrian musician William Vicker’s 1770 manuscript collection, and military fifer John Buttery's c. 1780-1816 collection. Callaghan believes it is a stage tune from the late 18th century, and notes it came into widespread circulation throughout Britain. In addition, “Stoney Steps” can be found in the music manuscript collections of William Mittel (New Romney, Kent, 1799), the Welch family (Bosham, Sussex), John Clare (Helpstone, Northants, 1820, as “Novey Gallows”), the Rev. Robert Harrison (Brampton, Cumbria, 1820, as untitled hornpipe), William Clarke (c. 1820-1850, Feltwell, Norfolk) and Joshua Gibblons (see “Stoney Steps (4)”). The first part of the tune only is similar to Chappell’s “Brewer's Horse (The)”. It is the second part of Vicker’s “Blake's Hornpipe (2)" that is cognate with the first part of the “Stony Steps” tune. Levey gives that the tune can be played as a reel as well as a hornpipe.
