Annotation:XYZ
XYZ. AKA and see "Butchers of Bristol (2) (The)." English, Hornpipe (whole time). G Minor (Green ms.): A Minor (Rook). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A G-minor mode setting of the "Butchers of Bristol (2) (The)" is to be found under the curious title "XYZ" in the 1831 music manuscript book of William Thomas Green (1825-1898), piper to the Duchess of Northumberland, as was his father, William Green of Morpeth (1774-1860). Researcher and Northumbrian piper Matt Seattle explains that 'XYZ' was the name of a famed racehorse, winner of the Gold Cup for four consecutive hears from 1811-1814[1]. XYZ was owned by R. Riddell esq. of Felton Park, Northumberland, and died in 1832. Green's manuscript is dated 1831 at the FARNE site, when Green would have been aged 6 or 7, and contains settings of tunes suggesting the fiddle or fife, or perhaps the flute, with a dearth of pipe tunes. Quite possibly it is the work of another hand, perhaps only possessed by Green. The ms. has also been dated to the c. 1850, when Green was in his mid-20's. "XY" (sans the 'Z') was also entered into the Robert Davison manuscript, also c. 1850, and an untitled version of the hornpipe (also transcribed in G-minor) can be found William Irwin (Langdale) manuscript c. 1838-1850.
"XYZ" is sometimes attributed (e.g. in the early 20th century music manuscript collections of Jock Davidson "Kielder Jock" and the Clough family) to Tyneside fidder-composer and sometime publican James Hill (c. 1810-1856), famous for his hornpipe compositions and an ardent racing and sports fan. However, a number of tunes have been misattributed to Hill and older attributions to Hill have not been found, and at this time it cannot be verified that Hill was the composer.
- ↑ See Seattle's note at the FARNE site http://www.farnearchive.com/detail.asp?id=R0606202