Annotation:Astley's Hornpipe

ASTLEY'S HORNPIPE. AKA and see "Ashley's Hornpipe (1)," "Bonnie Annie (2)." English, Hornpipe. England; Sussex, Shropshire, Lancashire. G Major. Standard tuning. AABB. A very popular hornpipe found in a large number of English printed and manuscript collections. The name Ashley derives from the Old English name (still in use) for the ash tree coupled with the word leah, meaning glade or clearing, however, the title probably refers to Sergeant-Major Philip Astley, credited with creating the first circus in London in the second half of the 19th century (see note for "Astley's Ride"). It is unclear whether the title was originally "Ashley's Hornpipe" (under which it appears in the Thomas Hardy manuscript, for example) and later became associated with the famous equestrian and therefore underwent a slight name change through association. In print the earliest appearance seems to be in Thompon's Compleat Collection of 200 Fashionable Country Dances, vol. 5 (1788, pg. 41). Shropshire fiddler John Moore had it as "Astley's Hornpipe" in his 1837-40's manuscript. George Spencer (Leeds, Yorkshire) included both titles in his 1831 music manuscript. Fiddler, poet and writer John Clare (1793-1864, of Helpstone, East Midlands) had two versions in his music manuscript, both under the titles "Ashley's Hornpipe" and "Asley's Hornpipe" (one version generally corresponds to the "Ashley's Hornpipe" in the Hardy ms.). Likewise, under the "Ashley's" title it appears in the 19th century music manuscripts of G. Huddswell (Yorkshire) and William Mittell (Kent). Seamus Connolly remarks that he first heard "Astley's Hornpipe" on a Irish radio broadcast of Seán Ó Murchú's Céilí House program of the Eamonn Ceannt Céilí Band from Dublin, regularly featured on the program. Connolly says they had a penchant for playing tunes that were seldom heard.

Sources for notated versions: a c. 1837-1840 MS by Shropshire musician John Moore [Ashman]; copied from Wilson's Companion to the Ballroom (1816) [O'Neill]; a c. 1847 music manuscript by Ellis Knowles, a musician from Radcliffe, Lancashire, England [Plain Brown].

Printed sources: Ashman (The Ironbridge Hornpipe), 1991; No. 67, p. 27 (appears as "Astley's Hornpipe). Connolly & Martin (Forget Me Not), 2002; pp. 12-13. Loughran & Gammon (A Sussex Tune Book), 1982; No. 1. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; p. 42 (appears as "Hornpipe"). O'Neill (Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody), 1922; No. 332. Plain Brown Tune Book, 1997; p. 42 (appears as an untitled hornpipe). Trim (Thomas Hardy), 1990; No. 3.

Recorded Sources: Big Chain BC103, Cooper & Bolton - "The Savage Hornpipe" (2006).