Crossing the Minch

 CROSSING THE MINCH. AKA and see "McNab's," "McNab(b)'s Hornpipe." Scottish, Canadian; "Pipe Hornpipe." D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD. Minch = sea. "Traditional," states Aly Bain in his collection, though Christine Martin credits it to Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsey, while Paul Cranford credits it to Pipe Major Donald MacLeod (1917-1982, born in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis). The melody was known as "McNab's" or "McNabb's Hornpipe" by Cape Breton fiddlers until quite recently, explains Cranford, due to an influential recording by Winston Fitzgerald. He called the tune "McNabb's Hornpipe" on the 78 RPM release, pairing it with "The Farmer's Daughter," and it proved to be one of his most popular recordings, making it onto the Canadian 'hit parade' of the time. Printed sources: Bain (50 Fiddle Solos), 1989; p. 4. Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), vol. 1, 1991; p. 52. Recorded soures: Culburnie Records CUL 121D, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - "Fire and Grace" (2004). Green Linnet GLCD 1145, Wolfstone - "Year of the Dog." Rounder 82161-7032-2, Bill Lamey - "From Cape Breton to Boston and Back: Classic House Sessions of Traditional Cape Breton Music 1956-1977" (2000). See also Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings.

X: 1 T: Crossing the Minch T: McNabb's Hornpipe R: hornpipe, reel Z: 2004 John Chambers  M: C| L: 1/8 K: D A>d|"D"f>A ~A2 f2 e>f |"G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g |"D"f>A ~A2 "Bm"f2 E>F|"Em"g>B e>d "A7"d>c d>e |
 * "D"f>A ~A2 f2 e>f | "G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g | "D"fg a>f "A7"g>e c>d | "D"e2 d2 d2 :|
 * A>d|"D"f>A ~A2 "D7"f>g a>f|"G"g>B ~B2 g>a a>g|"D"f>A ~A2 "Bm"f>g a>f|"Em"g>B e>d "A7"d>c d>e |
 * "D"f>A ~A2 "D7"f>g a>f|"G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g| "D"fg a>f "A7"g>e c>d|"D"e2 d2 d2:|

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