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The Balkan Hills march

Also known as The Balkan Hills Schottische.

There are 15 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Balkan Hills has been added to 7 tune sets.

The Balkan Hills has been added to 31 tunebooks.

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Three settings

1
X: 1
T: The Balkan Hills
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
a3g|:fAfe d2A2|BGdB A2de|fAAa gfed|f2e2 e2ag|
fAfe d2A2|BGdB A2de|faga gecA|d4 d2:|
f3g|:adfa f2ed|BGdB A2fg|adfa gfed|f2e2 e2fg|
adfa f2ed|BGdB A2de|faga gecA|d4 d2:|
3ABc|:d2e2 f2ed|BGdB A2de|fAAa gfed|f2e2 e2AB|
d2e2 f2ed|BGdB A2de|faga gecA|d4 d2:|
fg|adfa fdfa|fdfa f2 fg|adfa gfed|f2e2 e2fg|
adfa f2ed|BGdB A2de|faga gecA|d4 d2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Balkan Hills
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
a>g|f>Af>e d2A2|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>df<a g>fe>d|f2e2 e2a>g|
f>Af>e d2A2|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>a^g<a =g>ec<A|d4 d2:|
|:f>g|a>df<a f2e>d|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>df<a g>fe>d|f2e2 e2[1f>g|
a>df<a f2e>d|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>a^g<a =g>ec<A|d4 d2:|
[2a>g|f>Af>e d2A2|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>a^g<a =g>ec<A|d4 d2||
|:A>B|d2>>e2 f2e>d|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>df<a g>fe>d|f2e2 e2A>B|
d2>>e2 f2e>d|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>a^g<a =g>ec<A|d4 d2:|
|:f>g|a>df<a A>df<a|f>df<a f2e>d|a>df<a g>fe>d|f2e2 e2[1f>g|
a>df<a A>df<a|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>a^g<a =g>ec<A|d4 d2:|
[2a>g|f>Af>e d2A2|B<Gd>B A2d>e|f>a^g<a =g>ec<A|d4 d2||
3
X: 3
T: The Balkan Hills
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
a>g|f<Af>e d2(3AB=c|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f>d (3fga g>fe<d|f2e2 e2a>g|
f<Af>e d2(3AB=c|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f z f<a g>e (3cAd-|d6:|
|:f>g|a2a>g f2(3fed|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f z f<a g>fe<d|f2e2 e2[1f>g|
a2a>g f2(3fed|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f>a^g<a =g>e (3cAd-|d6:|
[2a>g|f<Af>e d2(3AB=c|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f z (3fga g>e (3cAd-|d6||
|:A>B|d2e>d f2e<d|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f z f<a g>fe<d|f2e2 e2A>B|
d2e>d f2e<d|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f z g<a g>e (3cAd-|d6:|
|:f>g|a>gf<a A>df<a|A>df<a f2f>g|a>gf<a g>fe<d|f2e2 e2[1f>g|
a>gf<a A>df<a|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f>d (3fga g>e (3cAd-|d6:|
[2a>g|f<Af>e d2(3AB=c|(3BGd- d>B A>Bd>e|f z f<a g>e (3cAd-|d6||

Four comments

The Balkan Hills

From the excellent early Boys of the Lough album, “Live at Passim”. This is one of my favourite albums as I learnt so much from it, and has very happy memories of times and tunes past. It is a great ceilidh band favourite, and can be played as just a 3 part version, missing out the last part. Odd that it is not already on the site.

The Balkan Hills, X:2

Second setting is something like the way the tune would be played by a box and fiddle band for a Canadian Barn Dance. A 2/4 march, I’ve transcribed it here in 2/2 so as to compare with the first setting.
Not sure what pipers play for the part endings with the G#, but the Scots Guards has |f<aB>g f>ec<A|d4 d2|.

The Balkan Hills, X:3

Third setting as played by Nuala Kennedy on “A Wee Selection”. Often she varies the repeats but the first time through is what is transcribed here.

Re: The Balkan Hills

Dan R MacDonald recorded a great rendition of this back in the day, in a set with his own composition “The Lasses of Campbell Street.”