Cliff Hornpipe

 CLIFF HORNPIPE, THE. AKA and see "Fred Wilson's Clog (/Hornpipe)," "Higgins' Hornpipe," "Wilson's Jig." AKA - "Cliffe Hornpipe." Irish, English, Scottish; Hornpipe. D Major (Allan's, Callaghan, Craig, Kennedy, Kerr, Raven): F Major (Honeyman). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody is thought to have been one of the many justifiably famous hornpipe compositions 19th century Tyneside, Newcastle, tavern fiddler James Hill (c. 1815-c. 1860), although there is little hard evidence. However, it is a member of a large family of related hornpipe melodies, some more closely related than others. Compare, for example, the signature first four bars of the second part of "Cliff" with the same four bars of the familiar "Harvest Home (1)" hornpipe, although the rest of the melodic material differs. "Castle Rag Hornpipe (The)" is a similar melody (or similar in parts) to the "Cliff", as are "Brown's Hornpipe," "Cincinnati Hornpipe (1)," "Cork Hornpipe (1)," "Dundee Hornpipe," "Kildare Fancy," "Ruby Lip," "Standard Hornpipe," "Zig-Zag Hornpipe/Clog," "Kephart's Clog" (Pa.), "Granny Will Your Dog Bite?" (Pa.), "Snyder's Jig" (Pa.). Norfolk, England, musicians Billy Cooper (1883-1964) and Walter Bulwer (1888-1972), on dulcimer and fiddler respectively) recorded a version of the tune in 6/8 time. Honeyman uses the "Cliff" in his hornpipe instructor to introduce another variety of the Newcastle style of hornpipe playing. A hornpipe called "Haymarket Hornpipe" in the Adam Craig collection, issued around the same time as Honeyman's volume, shares the same first strain as "Cliff." Barry Calaghan (2007) prints two version, as "Cliffe Hornpipe," to illustrate the heavily doted-rhythm hornpipe style of northern England players contrasted with the fast and smooth versions favoured by East Anglia or Devon players (who employ it as a vehicle for step dancing). "Hereforshire Hornpipe" is a title for a simplified version of the tune from Gloucestershire melodeon player Beatrice Hill, finds Phillip Heath-Coleman (2010). South Tawton, Devon, melodeon player Bob Cann (1916-1990) called the tune as "Uncle George's Hornpipe," having learned it from his Uncle George, one of his musical mentors. The Dorset Trio played a version as "Sheep Shearing," and one member of the trio remembered it as his 'grandfather's tune', which has been raised to a proper title in modern usage ("Grandfather's Tune"). In America the tune was known under other titles: for example, West Virginia/East Kentucky fiddler Ed Hayley called the tune "Wilson's Jig." See also the tune under the title "Fred Wilson's Clog," named for a famous American blackface minstrel dancer. Printed sources: Allan's Irish Fiddler, No. 101, p. 26. Callaghan (Hardcore English), 2007; p. 15. Craig (The Empire Collection of Hornpipes), c. 1890's; p. 3. Honeyman (Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor), 1898; p. 41. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), vol. 1, 1951; No. 20, p. 10. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; No. 15, p. 44. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 164. Treoir, vol. 32, No. 4, 2000; p. 26. Recorded sources: DMPCD9401, Karen Tweed - "Drops of Springwater" (2001). Topic TSCD607, Billy Cooper, Walter & Daisy Bulwer - "English Country Music" (2000. Originally recorded 1960). Topic TSCD 657, Bob Cann - "First I'm Going to Sing You a Ditty" (various artists. Appears as "Uncle George's Hornpipe"). Veteran VT144CD, Jack, Les & Jason Rice - "Merrymaking: Mouthorgan, concertina and accordion music from Chagford, Devon." Veteran VTVS05/06, Oscar Woods - "The Pigeon on the Gate: Melodeon players from East Anglia" (various artists). Victor 21593B (78 RPM), Ed Reavy (1927). Wild Goose WGS268CD, Chris Bartram & Keith Holloway - "Four Red Feet." See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources, Alan Ng's Irishtune.info. X: 2 T: Cliff Hornpipe S: Noel Strange (1927-1970, County Longford) M: 4/4 L: 1/8 Q: 325 S: Treoir 32/4 Z: Transcribed by Bill Black R: hornpipe K: D (3GFE | DFAF DGBG | FAde fdAF | GBed cegf | (3efe (3dcB (3ABA (3GFE | DFAF DGBG | FAde fdAF | GBdg fdec | d2 dc d2 :| cd | eA (3AAA fA (3AAA | gfed eA (3AAA | gefd edcd | (3efe (3dcB (3ABA (3GFE | DFAF DGBG | FAde fdAF | GBdg fdec | d2 dc d2 :|

X:1 T:Cliff Hornpipe M:C L:1/8 R:Hornpipe S:Honeyman - Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor (1898) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:F c>A|F>Ac>A F>Bd>B|A>cf>c a>fc>A|B>dg>b A>cf>a|(3gaf (3efd (3cdB (3ABG| F>Ac>A F>Bd>B|A>cf>c A>fc>A|B>dg>b a>gf>e|g2 (f2 f2):| F>Ac>A F>Bd>B|A>cf>c a>fc>A|B>dg>b a>gf>e|g2 (f2 f2):||
 * e>f|g>c (3ccc c2 a>c|g>c (3ccc c2 g>a|b>ga>f g>ef>a|(3gaf (3efd (3cdB (3ABG|