Across The Fence hornpipe

I heard Manchester-based fiddler Sean Regan play this great hornpipe at a local session last saturday in Oslo. This version is from “First Collection of Traditional Irish Music” (M.Mulvihill).

From Dolores Keane and John Faulkner’s recording “ Broken Hearted I’ll Wander”. Follows “The Home Ruler” on the recording. Some of the notes in the transcription reflect the presence of a piper on the recording. I always have a hard time deciding which instrument I’m going to transcribe for.

As played on Delores Keane and John Faulkner’s recording “Broken Hearted I’ll Wander”.

T:Crossing The Fence
R:hornpipe
N:track 10: The Home Ruler/Crossing The Fence
D:Dolores Keane and John Faulkner: Broken Hearted I’ll Wander
Z:Bill Reeder
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
D2|B2BD cBcA|dgge dBGB|cBcd BGDB|BAAG AF~F2|!
GDBD GABc|dgge dBGB|dG (3Bcd edcF|AGGF G2:||!
AG|(3FED A,D FAcA|BG~G2 DGBg|ec~c2 dB~B2|BAAG (3FED BA|!
DB~B2 Dc~c2|d>cd>e dBGB|dg (3Bcd edcF|AGGF G2:||!
Bc|dggf g2bg|g2bg agfg|eaag a2ag|fed^c d2d=c|
(3Bcd BG (3ABc AF|GDBD GABc|dg (3Bcd edcF|AGGF G2:||

Aw, nuts! This tune’s already been submitted. Sorry.

Bill, while you’re at it, maybe you could submit that album, “Broken Hearted I’ll Wander.” I would like to submit it myself, but I don’t have it with me right now. It’s a great album that deserves a spot on this website.

Okay, I can do that!

I’ve heard that this was written by Brendan McGlinchey. Can anyone verify that?

I found a couple transcriptions of this tune on John Chambers’ tune finder.
Both versions cited McGlinchey as the composer. I guess that lends some support to the idea.

Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on January 5th 2003 by Halldor.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1294

Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on October 11th 2005 by Bill Reeder.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5062

According to the divine Catherine McEvoy, who is a friend of Brendan McGlinchey’s and played with him in Birmingham when she was a young girl, the real name of the tune is “Across the Fence to the Neighbor’s Wife.”
I put a g# in the 5th bar of the 3rd. part: ea’ag# agfe edC#e d2dC. As Catherine plays it.

Here is my transcription from the Double Barrelled Album:

X:1
T:Crossing the Fence
M:4/4
R:Hornpipe
K:G
BABG cBcA | d2 ge dBGA | c3 d BGDB | BAAG AGEF |
GDBD GABc | d2 ge dBGB | dg (3Bcd ecAF |1 AGGF G2 z2 :| 2 AGGF G2 AG |
|: FDAD FGAc | BGFG DGBg | ecce dBBd | A2 ag fdcA |
DBBB Dccc | d^cde dBGB | dg (3Bcd ecAF |1 AGGF G2 AG :|2 AGGF G2 z2 |
|: dggf g2bg | g2bg aged | eaag abag | fde^c d2 z2 |
(3Bcd BG (3ABc AF | GDBD GABc | dg (3Bcd ecAF | AGGF G2 z2 :|

They play it on Bb whistles so it comes out in Eb.

Here’s my transcription of Brendan’s own playing on track 1 of “Music of a Champion” (1974).
https://thesession.org/recordings/900

X:1
T: McGlinchey’s
T: Across the Fence to the Neighbor’s Wife
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
C: Brendan McGlinchey
S: Brendan McGlinchey “Music of a Champion” (1974)
Z: Joe Fidkid
K: G
(3DEF|: G2 BG ABcA | dg{a}ge dBGB | ~c3 d BGDG | (3cBA BG AF ~F2 |
GDB,D G,B,DG | BG (3ABc dBGB | dg (3Bcd edcF |1 AG (3AGF G2 (3DEF :|2 AG (3AGF G2 AG |]
|:(3FED A,D FAcA | BGDG Bcdg | ec ~c2 dB ~B2 | cA ag (3fed (3cBA |
DB ~B2 Dc ~c2 | ~d2 (3ed^c dBGB | dg (3Bcd edcF |1 AG ((3AGF) G2 AG :|2 AG ((3AGF) G2 Bc |]
|: dg ~g2 dgbg | ~g2 bg agfg | ea ~a2 agfe | (3gfe d^c d2 d=c|
(3Bcd BG (3ABc AF | GDB,D GABc | dg (3Bcd edcF |1 AG ((3AGF) G2 Bc :|2 AG ((3AGF) G2 z2 |]

Met Brendan McGlinchey a few years ago and it is one of his. Didn’t realize it until I met him and he played it. Fine tune, great album.

Here is a version played by Fergal Scahill’s tune a day 2017 - Day 156 - Across the Fence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfbmUf2Hm5Y

play video

Sometimes called Dwyer’s

A great version played by Maurice Lennon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP_WkjfejoM

play video