Hunting The Hare jig

This would seem to be a Welsh variation.

I came across this many years ago as the tune for a song entitled “Room for Company”, recorded by the Critics Group, based in London.

"Blodau’r Grug:
100 Popular Welsh Folk Dance Tunes"
Alex Hamilton / Robin Huw Bowen
Cymdeithas Ddawns Werin Cymru = The Welsh Folk Dance Society
1992

Page 7, Tune #2: “Dawns Gwyl Ifan” / “Hela’r Sgwarnog”
~ in the key of C

|: c2 C EFG | A2 d BAB | ~

There are two tunes in Thompson’s with the name Hunt The Hare; the other one does not appear to be related.

X: 1
T: Hunt The Hare
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|:d2 D FGA|Bed cBA|d2 D FGA|Bdc d3:|
|:fed fed|fed fed|ecd ecd|(e/f/g)f {f}e3|
d2 D FGA|Bge cAc|d2 D FGA|Bdc d3:|

Also recorded by Kate Rusby and Kathryn Robers as a song in three part harmony.

X: 4
T: Hela’r Sqwarnog
T: Hunt The Hare
T: Dawns Gŵyl Ifan
T: St. John’s Eve Dance
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: GMaj
|: g2 G Bcd | e2 a fef | g2 G Bcd | egf g3 :|
bag bag| bag bag | afg afg | acb a3 |
g2 G Bcd | e2 a fef | g2 G Bcd | egf g3 |]

# Posted on April 14th 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig
https://thesession.org/tunes/1590/comments

X: 5
T: Hunting the Hare
S: “Ryan’s Mammoth Collection”, 1883, page 109
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: DMaj
|: d2 D FGA | Bcd edc | d2 D FGA | Bdc d3 :|
fed fed | fed fed | ecd ecd | egf e3 |
fed fed | fed fed | ecd ecd | egf e3 |]

In Wales, St. John’s (The Baptist) Day is 24th June. This tune was played during the holiday celebrations until the Calvanist strictures of the later 19th century finished off these frivolities.

The Polca of the same name can be found here;

https://thesession.org/tunes/14507

I find both of these “Hunt the Hare” tunes (both the Welsh ones) interesting, because Ar Log and Crasdant play very different tunes with this title, neither of which quite sounds like a jig. The Ar Log version is more like a slow reel but the notes sound somewhat similar to the way this jig sounds.