The Hut On Staffin Island hornpipe

This is based on Kevin Griffin’s version of the tune on
“Traditional Music from Doolin Co. Clare”
I have heard another version on Kathryn Tickell’s- “Debateable Lands”

Of course, this is a Phil Cunningham tune.

Nice tune!

Great tune- but its not a hornpipe. Its a Scottish schottische.
Just out of interest, count how many different bars there are to make up the whole tune - its surprisingly few.

The Angels of the North play it with one of Jame’s Hill’s great tunes “The Hawk”which we play as a fast reel.
Noel Jackson
Angels of the North

Phil Cunningham is playing this tune - his tune - (there’s a story behind it of course) with John McCusker at the moment during their current tour (November 2003). I first heard it played by some trad mad musos in London sessions - particulary Cathy Sharp, who plays the fiddle - and learnt it as a beautiful slow tune to which we added some lovely harmonies….Phil Cunningham and the band played it quite a bit faster - I thought it was reel-type pace. I’m not exactly au fait with the “Schottische” style of tune but I guess that’s probably correct. Will do some research now for myself.
xx

She, Cathy and friends would then go into a really fast version of The Nine Points of Roguery……..great stuff…great set of tunes.

STAFFIN…

The original recording on the Relativity album was in the key of “A”. The actual sheet music in Phil’s book is likewise.

However, it is played in D, as here, in most session situations.

Katryn Tickell plays it in A. I was about to transpose the ABCs, then I realized GDAErs could just move it up a string, and Flute/Whsitle guys can just play it on an A Flute/Whistle.l

Tickell plays it in D. Personally I think ‘G’ is a good, whistle-safe option 😉

Hiya,
Phil C here.. just to clear up the question of spelling on the tune.
“Staffin” island is the correct spelling, it’s a wee island off the north east coast of Skye. There is a salmon fishing hut there.. which used to be inhabited during the season by Sandy Macleod of Garafad! Most definitely not a Schottische (although if you dot it a bit more you could dance one to it..) It was written as a slow reel, and can be played either or. I normally play it slow in D then up to speed in G.

love this tune! but could somebody post it in G major,? cos i have a d whisltle and it can’t play middle C and below

I love this tune a lot, it’s on the “Live At Trinity Hall” CD, and is played first like a waltz and then a reel. I don’t quite like the accidentals that are in this version here though.

I’ve seen a hand written sheet of dots for this tune with the amusing & almost anagrammatic alternative title “Hot Stuff on the Little Island”.

This bit mildly diverting little piece of ribaldry possibly originated from the short lived Strathspey & Reel society in Largs or from one of the members of Argyll based ceilidh hackers Canned Haggis.

I found out about this tune from a video of Phil, Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas and lots of others. It’s a really beautiful tune, especially when paired with Wing Commander Donald MacKenzie’s!

That would be this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWwNxJEUtRQ

play video

This version in G major fits nicely on the pipes or whistle.

First heard this tune on the same video as posted above of Phil Cunningham (composer of the tune) playing with Aly Bain and others. This version is based on that video. Catchy tune and fun to play.

We play it as 3rd tune (in D) in a set: preceded by “Memories of Father Angus McDonnell” (G) then “Calum’s Road”(D): all played around same speed and with more dottiness than shown in any of the scores, so a very “swingy” feel to it.

+1 line on x:3

Went for a drive up the north east coast of Skye last week … past Staffin Island . You can see the hut from the road. 🙂

Help! In the video posted above by malcombpiper, what is the second tune? I got that they start with Hut on Staffin Island, then a slightly faster, higher transposition of the same. But then they go into a fast reel. Someone mentioned Wing Commander…but in looking at the music, it doesn’t seem to add as the right one. Somebody tell me what it is…I love the tune, but it would take me forever to get it by ear, they’re going so fast.

You’re right, it isn’t “Wing Commander Donald MacKenzie’s” (but they do go into that after your tune). My first thought is that it’s ANOTHER setting of “The Hut on Staffin island” much Irish-ified - but I might be wrong. I’ll have a good listen to it…

If you “Google” “Transatlantic Sessions Hut On Staffin Island” you get this from the “Wikipedia” entry for “Transatlantic Sessions” :
“Programme Five: The Hut on Staffin Island/Shake a Leg/Wing Commander Donald MacKenzie’s Reel (Phil Cunningham)”.
Without checking, I think the middle tune was by John McCusker from his days with “The Battlefield Band”.

Well done, Kenny - it’s on ‘Across the Borders’ (1997).

OK, thanks so much! 🙂

Second tune is Shake a Leg by Mc Cusker and third is Wing Commander McKenzie

Janglecrow’s version is exactly as Phil plays it , or as near as makes no difference in Key of D .Just one change I would make is to end line 1 in second part to same as line 3 -DB.B.D The others all leave out a line in the second part as Phil plays 3 lines starting with high D but the others only have 2. The G version also has the 3 lines starting with high G .

This is the G version played by Phill after his D version in the video.