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The Four Province Fling hornpipe

Also known as The Drummer, The Four Province Highland, The Four Province, The Four Provinces Fling, The Four Provinces Highland Fling, The Four Provinces Highland, The Four Provinces, The Piper O’ Dundee.

There are 5 recordings of this tune.

The Four Province Fling has been added to 29 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Two settings

1
X: 1
T: The Four Province Fling
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
BG|ABcA ~E3F|~G2BG DGBG|ABcA EAe=f|edcB cA:|AB||
ce~e2 d2ed|ce~e2 dBGB|ce~e2 d2cd|edcB cAAB|
ce~e2 d2ed|ce~e2 dBGB|AcBd cdef|edcB A2||
2
X: 2
T: The Four Province Fling
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amin
E | ABcA E2 E^F | GABc dBGB | ABcA E2 Ef | edcB A2-A :|
B | c2 ce d2 de | c2 ce dBGB | c2 ce d2 df | edcB A2-A :|

Twelve comments

The Four Province Fling

Source: Laurence nugent
Transcription: Gian Marco Pietrasanta

The Four Province Ochestra was a dance band that played in Philadelphia between the early 1920s and the mid 1960s.
The band was renowned for its repertoire of unusual flings, schottisches and barn dances.

Interesting tune, but I’m curious—on your source, does Mr. Nugent play this uptempo as a fling, or slower and syncopated, like a hornpipe?

Posted .

The Four Province Fling

I’m not expert in flings, but I think that Mr. Nugent plays ti just as a fling.
I agree with you, this is an interesting tune.

The Four Province Fling - The Piper o’ Dundee

This is known in Scotland as a reel called "The Drummer", published in a number of 18th century collections (e.g. Stewart’s 1st, 1761; Rutherford’s Compleat, 1750, etc). Words were added to it for the song "The Piper o’ Dundee".

X:899
T:Drummer, The
T:Piper o’ Dundee, The
S:Kerr’s Merry Melodies
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Am
E | ABcA E2 E^F | GABc dBGB | ABcA E2 Ef | edcB A2-A :|
B | c2 ce d2 de | c2 ce dBGB | c2 ce d2 df | edcB A2-A :|

The piper came to our town,
To our town, to our town,
The piper came to our town
And he played bonnielie.

The song goes on to name a list of old Scottish tunes which the piper played, all Jacobite songs. The piper was supposed to have been Carnegie of Finhaven, infamous for being a coward [1] and for changing sides during the 1715 Jacobite uprising.

[1] = This because he fled the battle of Sheriffmuir, but it is said that a great many did exactly the same, from both sides!

Irish or Scottish?

Do we know whether it is Irish or Scottish? His album is called "Traditional Irish Music….." but it seems to hint at being a Scottish tune.

Posted .

Irish or Scottish? Continued

I contacted him and he said they are Irish.

Posted .

Presumably, Larry Nugent, whose recording the original transcription was made from.

Posted by .

Kenny speaks the truth. Laurence Nugent gave them the seal of approval.

Posted .

Them being the two Flings.

Posted .