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The High Part Of The Road jig

Also known as Ard A Bhothair, Ard An Bhothair, Ard An Bhothar, Ard An Bothair, Ard An Bothar, Down The Dark Lane, Ellen Flanagan, The Hill On The Road, Willie Clancy’s, Willie Clancy’s Fancy, Willy Clancy’s.

There are 44 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The High Part Of The Road appears in 4 other tune collections.

The High Part Of The Road has been added to 28 tune sets.

The High Part Of The Road has been added to 292 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

1
X: 1
T: The High Part Of The Road
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:~B3 cBc|ded cAG|F2D DED|DGG FGA|
~B3 cBc|dcA d2e|fed cAF|AGF ~G3:|
|:~g3 def|g2a bag|~f3 def|afd cAB|
~g3 def|g2a bag|fed cAF|AGF G3:|
2
X: 2
T: The High Part Of The Road
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:~B3 cBc|ded cAG|F2D DED|DGG FGA|
~B3 cBc|dcA deg|fed cAF|1 AGF GAc:|2 AGF G2 f||
~g3 def|g/g/ga bag|~f3 d^cd|afd cBA|
~g3 def|g/g/aa bag|fed cAF|AGF G2 f|
~g3 def|gac bag|~f3 d^cd|afd cBA|
~g3 def|gac bag|fed cAF|AGF G2 f||
# Added .
3
X: 3
T: The High Part Of The Road
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:[BD]2(B B{d}c{B}c)|ded {cd}cAG|E{A}F{D}F DD/D/D|DG(D (3EFG)A|
(3B{d}B{A}BD B{d}c{B}c|dc(A (3Bcd)e|{fa} fed {cd}cAF|AGF ~G3:|
(3g{a}g{f}g(B B)dg|gdg ba(g|(3f{a}f{e}f)A {fa}f{e}fA|{ab}afd cAG|
f{a}g{f}g Bdg|{a}gdg bag|{fa} fed cAF|AGF GBd|
{ga}g{e}gB {ga}g{e}gB|~g3 bag|e{a}f{e}f dfa|{b}afd {cd}cAG|
(3f{a}g{f}g(B B)dg|gdg bag|{fa}fed {cd}cAF|AGF F/F/GD||

Thirteen comments

I picked up the ABCs for this tune from the IRTRAD-l mailing list. I’ve heard the tune many times before, though.

It’s one of those nice tunes that sounds good played fast or slow.

High Part of the Road

As far as I remember, this appears in Vol 1 of Ceol Rince na hEireann under this title though, in the notes Breandan Breathnach says that it was he himself who named the tune in Irish “Ard an Bhothair” which does mean the “top” or “high part of the road. His source was Willie Clancy. I have seen it on another site as “The Blooming Meadows”.

Track 11 of Danu “All is Said and DOne” starts with a nice version of this. I added the track listing mispelling so hopefully the album will connect with the tune. It is listed as Ard A Bhothair in recordings section.
What a site this has worked straight away!!!
NB The tune was posted by Jeremy originally.

Sorry for stating the bl**ding obvious - I forgot I was going ot put this comment in the recording section. :(

High Part of the Road, Gerry O’Connor and Danu

X: 1
T: High Part Of The Road, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
D: Danu, When All is Said and Done
K: G
~B3 cBc|ded cAG|F2D DED|DGG FGA|
~B3 cBc|dcA deg|fed cAF|1 AGF GAc:|2 AGF G2 f||
~g3 def|g/g/ga bag|~f3 d^cd|afd cBA|
~g3 def|g/g/a bag|fed cAF|1 AGF G2 f:|2 AGF GAc||

They also play the B part as follows (with the fiddle an octave lower):

~g3 def|ga’c bag|~f3 d^cd|afd cBA|
~g3 def|ga’c bag|fed cAF|1 AGF G2 f:|2 AGF GAc||

Posted .

Fintan Malone, from Co. Clare, taught me this jig. He calls it Willie Clancy’s Jig. Willie Clancy was a frequent guest at the Malone house…So much so, that a room on the third floor was called Willie’s room.

It was an interesting surprise to hear this tune again on Danu’s CD and learn another name for it! The liner notes state that Brendan Breathnach named the tune since he could not find any known title for it.

And yes, it is a great tune played either fast or slow…and so easy to pick up by ear.

“easy to pick up by ear.”
Too easy! I hate it! (the second part spoils it for me)

Tommy Peoples’ album of the same name

with Paul Brady was one of the first I ever bought and the title tune played by him (like all the other tunes, really!) seemed like magic. What a fiddler.