Hornpipes -MP3 (400K)
The Barber's Pole
The Old Church Hornpipe
Witch Hazel (drum solo)
The Navvie on the Line
The Locomotive
James Hill, born in Scotland between 1813 and 1818, composed these tunes during his time as a tavern musician in the Tyneside region from the late 1830s to the late 1850s. The great Northern trunk of the railroad was then under construction, thus the reference to "navvie", a railroad laborer. Although these tunes date later than many of our selections, the melodies and titles proved irresistable. It should be noted that the American interpretation of a hornpipe is quite different from the Scots'; here we ease the transition from one style to the next with a drum beating of our own. NB: Witch Hazel is a swamp sumac peculiar to New England from which an astringent rub is distilled, good for soothing the bites of black flies also peculiar to New England. A fine stand of witch hazel grows behind Pat Cooperman's Drum Shop in Centerbrook Connecticut...
Fife arrangement by John Benoit
Drum score by Jim MacConduibh.
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MEDLEY - MP3 (400K)
The Duke of Fife's Welcome to Deeside
Miss Susan Cooper
Victoria Hornpipe
In 18th and 19th Century America, hornpipes were often used as work songs as well as dance accompaniment. To the soldiers of the period, marching was indeed considered to be "work", and the adaptation of hornpipes to the march was a natural evolution. Here we combine a stately Occasional March with two bright hornpipes to lighten the step.
Fife arrangement by Sarah MacConduibh
Drum score by Michael Cahill.
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RETREATS - MP3 (382K)
The Dream Valley of Glendaruel
Farewell to Nigg
Banks of Allan Water
These three classic retreat marches embody the romance and beauty of the Scottish countryside, and are fine examples of the music that led us to develop this project. We found these tunes in the outstanding collection assembled by H.M. Scots Guards, with whom we have had the privilege of performing several times over the past few years.
Fife arrangement by John Ciaglia
Drum score by John C. Moon.
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