Annotation:Clee Hill

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CLEE HILL. AKA - "Dennis Crowther's No. 1." English, March (4/4 or 2/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. Clee Hill refers to both the height of Titterstone Clee, one of the highest hills in south Shropshire, or the village of Cleehill, Shropshire, which lies on the slopes. Titterstone Clee is in the range of hills called collectively the Clee Hills, and has been heavily quarried over the years. Writer J.R.R. Tolkien used to visit the area and some believe he modelled "The Shire" in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings after the area. The late Dennis Crowther (d. 2007) was a poet, singer, mouth organ player from the area. Part of the melodic material from "Clee Hill" appears in the tune "Oh, Joe! The boat is going over," a melody used by morris/molly dancers from the Clee Hill area. Accordion master John Kirkpatrick recorded this tune (along with "Dennis Crowther's No. 2") at the Sidmouth Folk Festival, 1999.

Source for notated version: Shropshire harmonica player and entertainer Dennis Crowther [Callaghan].

Printed sources: Callaghan (Hardcore English), 2007; p. 32.

Recorded sources:




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