Annotation:Underhand Hornpipe (The)
X:1 T:Underhand Hornpipe, The M:4/4 L:1/8 R:Hornpipe C:James Hill K:G (3def|gdBd GB (3def|gdBd G2AB|cAFA DFAc|ed^cd B2 (3def| gdBd GB (3def|gdBd G2AB|cAFA DFAB|A2G2G2:| |:GA|BGFG DGFG|BGFG D2 AB|cAFA DFAc|ed^cd B2 GA| BGFG DGFG|BGFG D2 AB|cAFA DFAB|A2G2G2:|]
UNDERHAND HORNPIPE, THE. AKA and see “Redesdale Hornpipe.” English, Hornpipe. G Major: B Flat Major (Baty). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "Underhand Hornpipe" is attributed to early 19th century fiddler James Hill, who was originally born in Dundee, Scotland. Hill lived much of his life in Gateshead, northern England (near Newcastle), and is particularly famed for his hornpipe compositions. The tune is attributed to him in Köhler's Violin Repository (Edinburgh, 1881-1885), and, in a penciled-in attribution, in James Baty's c. 1840-60 Northumbrian music manuscript. 'Underhand', like several of Hill’s other compositions, was named for a famous race horse (see also “Bee's Wing (The),” “XYZ”, “Flying Dutchman”). Underhand won the Northumberland Plate in 1857.
The tune was probably originally in the key of B Flat (as it is in Baty's ms., albeit with strains in reverse order from other versions), and Matt Seattle[1] believes Baty's version may be closer to the original.
