PETER'S PEERIE BOAT (Peter's Little Boat). AKA - "Pete's Peerie Boat," "Peter Peerie's Boat." AKA and see "Hooper's Jig," "Trip to Tomintoul." Shetland, Jig (6/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'B (Hunter): AABB (Anderson). A popular jig composed by fiddler, teacher, collector and bandleader Tom Anderson [1] in 1949 in honor of Peter Leith, the first pianist of the Islesburgh Scottish Country Dance Band (of which Anderson was the leader). The pianist was a very keen sailing enthusiast and loved boats, one small (peerie) one of which he was trying to sell. Anderson "used to complain that he thought more about the boat than about the piano accompaniments--so he wrote a tune about it!" (Hunter, 1979). Peerie in Scots can also mean a spinning top, and there is some speculation that Anderson's title might refer to a boat spinning in the waves, but Anderson used the work peerie in several annotations in his published works, each time giving its meaning as 'small'. It is unlikely he meant anything but 'a small boat'. Tom Anderson (1910-1991)
This tune was first used by Scottish accordion player Jimmy Shand and his Band in the early 50's for the dance 'Hoopers Jig,' and has been played on the radio by most leading Scottish Dance Bands. The name of the dance (Hooper's Jig) is sometimes associated with the tune, but the dance band version of the tune itself is called "A Trip to Tomintoul" (Tomintoul is in Moray, Scotland).
Additional notes
Printed sources : - Anderson (Ringing Strings), 1983; p. 26. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 297.
Recorded sources : - Alia Vox, Jordi Savall - "The Celtic Viol II" (2010). Lismor Recordings, Jim Johnstone & His Band - "The Sound of Jim Johnstone and His Band" (1974). Black Crow Records CRO 216, Alistair Anderson - "The Grand Chain" (1987). Music for Pleasure MFP 50374, Jimmy Shand - "The Pride of Scotland." Shielburn Associates, West Telferton - "Industrial Strength" (2003). Tradition 2118, Jim MacLeod & His Band - "Scottish Dances: Jigs, Waltzes and Reels" (1979, as "Trip to Tomintoul"). Waverley ZLP 2015, Tom Anderson with William Johnson - "Scottish Violin Music - Volume 2" (1963).
See also listing at : Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Hear melodeon player Lester Bailey's version [3]
