X:1
T:Alexander's Hornpipe
M:C
L:1/8
R:Hornpipe
S:O'Neill - Music of Ireland (1903), No. 1683
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:D Major
(3ABc|:dAFA DFAd|fdcd A2ef|gfed edcd|(3efe(3dcB A2(3ABc|
dAFA DFAd|fdcd A2ef|gfed cABc|1(3dddf2 d2(3ABc:|2(3dddf2 d2AG||
|:FAdA FAdA|GBdB GBdB|Acec Acec|dfaf (3dfd(3BAG|
FAdA FAdA|GBdB GBdB|Aceg fdec|1(3dddf2 d2AG:|2(3dddf2 d2(3ABc||
ALEXANDER'S HORNPIPE. AKA – "Alexander's Favourite." AKA and see "Bang Up (5)," "Byrne's Hornpipe (2)," "Goswick Kirn," "Grimaldi's Hornpipe," "Kelly's Hornpipe (5)," "Prunoble's Hornpipe," "Sandlark (The)," "Tom Cat's Hornpipe." Irish, English; Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune appears as "Byrne's Hornpipe (2)" in the Feis Ceoil Collection of Traditional Irish Music (1914). Curiously, O'Neill printed it in 1903 in his Music of Ireland, but omitted it from his 1907 Dance Music of Ireland, possibly as he may have discovered an English provenance for the tune. The tune is known as a piping tune, dating back to 78 RPM recordings of "Alexanders" by uilleann pipers Tommy Reck (1922-1991, recorded in Dublin in 1950) and Liam Walsh (recorded in 1933).
Early versions of the hornpipe can be found in mid-19th century music manuscript copybooks of fiddlers from the north of England: John Burks under the title "Prunoble's Hornpipe," "Grimaldi's Hornpipe" from, and "Goswick Kirn" and "Tom Cat's Hornpipe."
Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Chicago police sergeant James O'Neill, a fiddler originally from County Down and Francis O'Neill's collaborator [O'Neill]; accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan]; Willie Clancy [McCullough].
Printed sources : - L.E. McCullough (The Complete Irish Tinwhistle Tutor), 1987; No. 30. McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), c. 1920's, No. 82, p. 21 (appears as "Alexander's Favourite").
Moylan (Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 344, pp. 193–194.
O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 193.
O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1683, p. 313.
Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 145.
Sing Out, vol. 34, no. 4, Fall 1989; p. 97.
Recorded sources : - Alia Vox AVSA 9878, Jordi Savall - "The Celtic Viol. II" (2010). Decca F3816 (78 RPM), Liam Walsh (1933. 1st tune in "Stack of Barley Medley"). Folkways Records FP 818-2, Michael Gorman and Willy Clancy – "Irish Jigs, Reels & Hornpipes Recorded In Ireland" (1956). Rounder 1087, Tommy Reck – "From Galway to Dublin" (Reissue of a 78 RPM. Learned from Seamus Ennis).
See also listing at :
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Hear Tommy Reck's recording at the Comhaltas Archive [2]
Hear Tommy Reck's recording on youtube.com [3]
Hear Liam Walsh's 1933 recording at the Internet Archive [4] (1st tune in medley "Stack of Barley")
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