Annotation:Hawk Hornpipe (The)

Back to Hawk Hornpipe (The)

X:1 T:Hawk, The C:James Hill R:Hornpipe B:Kohlers' Violin Repository, Book Two (1881-1885, p. 125) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion L:1/8 M:C| K:E Major B/c/d|e2g>e (B>e)g>f|(e>g)f>a (g>b)a>g|~f2a>f (c>f)a>g|(f>e)d>c (B>c)d>B| e2g>e (B>e)g>f|(e>g)f>a (g>b)a>g|(f>e)f>g (a>B)c>d|(e>B)g>f e2:| |:B>B|\ (B>b)g>e (B>a)f>d|B(a/g/)fd edcB|(c>B)d>c (e>d)f>e|(g>f)a>g g2f>g| (a>b)g>a (f>g)e>f|dbca BgAf|(d>e)f>g (a>B)c>d|(e>B)g>f e2:||

HAWK HORNPIPE, THE. AKA and see "Bells of St. Louis (1) (The)." English, Scottish; Hornpipe. England, Northumberland. E Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A early 19th century hornpipe composed by James Hill (c. 1811-1853, Gateshead, Northumberland, near Newcastle), in all probability named after a Tyneside pub called The Hawk, on the Bottle Bank, Gateshead, where Hill made his living for a time as a fiddler (Hill also wrote a tune for the Bottle Bank, where he lived). Hill, who named some of his tunes after various local pubs (and who was himself a publican for a while-see also his "Pear Tree (The)" named for another Tyneside establishment), was originally born in Dundee, Scotland. "The Hawk" is one of the more celebrated tunes from a composer known for his hornpipes (although this tune is often heard played as a reel). It is possible the name "Hawk" had other associations for Hill as well. Another of Hill's tunes is "Champion Hornpipe (4) (The)," and honors Henry Clasper (1812-1870), a celebrated Tyneside rower and boat builder. Clasper had worked at the Hawks, Crawshay and Sons ironworks in the mid-1830's, and married a cousin, Susannah Hawks, a member of a wealthy family. Clasper took over the tenancy of the Skiff Inn, Derwenthaugh, and, in addition to being a pub landlord, he began to build boats on the same site. He built two skiffs for himself, the Hawk in 1840 and the Young Hawk in 1841. With the latter he won the Durham Regatta Single Sculls race in 1842. Hill was probably well aware of Clasper's boats, with whom he perhaps also had connections as publicans.

The Irish group De Danann recorded the tune set as a reel entitled "Bells of St. Louis (1) (The)" on their album "Mist Covered Mountain." Alistair Anderson played the tune in the key of G (Hill wrote it in 'E'), and Shetland versions are in D major. Irish versions are in both 'D' and 'E' and tend to be played as reels. The first part also resembles the second strain of "Archie Menzies' Reel." See the pipe reel "Shetland Fiddler (The)" for a related tune.

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford].

Printed sources : - Bain (50 Fiddle Solos), 1989; p. 20. Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 42, p. 16. Dixon (The Lads Like Beer), 1987. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 333 (arranged by James Hunter). Köhler’s Violin Repository, Book Second, 1881-1885; p. 125. Miller (Fiddler's Throne), 2004; No. 287, p. 171. Northumbrian Pipers' Society (The Fiddle Music of James Hill), 2005.

Recorded sources: -Olympic 6151, Florence Burns - "Scottish Traditional Fiddle Music" (1978). Trailer LER 2074, Alistair Anderson (with fiddler Aly Bain) - "Alistair Anderson Plays the English Concertina" (1972. Learned from Northumbrian piper Billy Pigg).

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]

Back to Hawk Hornpipe (The)