The Lone Bush hornpipe

This is as I recall playing it from some years ago. It used to be popular in Edinburgh, and I can remember playing it with Peter Boond on cittern, and also John Martin on fiddle. I think John may have recorded it with Billy Ross. It’s an Ed Reavy composition, but no doubt has been “modified” over the years since he composed it. I seem to remember that Liz Carroll recorded it too, on an LP on the “Rounder” label, which was all Reavy compositions.

Good tune. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn to play it amongst such illustrious company. We got taught it “at the ALP”. 🙂
However, I think Simon Bradley was our tutor so that’s not too bad.

There is a story behind this one (as always).

The lone bush is usually found on a hill (a fairy fort), and if you damage it or uproot it, the fairy-folk will come after you, haunt you, play tricks on you, and you will be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.

A friend of mine bulldozed one and fell into a lake (honest).

If you do manage to uproot it, there will be a large hole and and at the bottom of the hole, you will find a fairy-fountain.

A West Clare motorway was diverted either side of a lone bush, leaving it stuck up on an island (allegedly).

The bush, near Latoon. Newmarket on Fergus, got a protective fence while road building was in progress. No roads were diverted for it. It was vandalised soon after the road opened though.

I transcribed this a long time ago from a radion programme (‘Travelling Folk’ with Archie Fisher, BBC Radio Scotland), but I wrote the title as “The Rowan Bush” - simply mishearing Archie’s diction. It was from John Martin and Billy Ross’s album, and it was only years later when I got the album that I realised my mistake. Terrific tune, which they played after “The Hut On Staffin Island”.

X:986
T:Lone Bush, The
C:Ed Reavy
S:LP-John Martin & Billy Ross
Z:Nigel Gatherer
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:G
D>F | G>AB>d (3cBc d>B | G>AB>d c2 B>c | d>gf>a g>fd>c | B>GD>E =F>DC>E |
G>AB>d (3cBc d>B | G>AB>d c2 B>c | d>gf>d c>AF>G |1 A>GG>F G2 :|2 A>GG>F G>AB>d ||
g>d (3Bcd =f>cA>d | g>d (3Bcd =f2 (3de^f | g>be>a g>fd>e | (3fga g>e f>dc>A |
G>AB>d (3cBc d>B | G>AB>d c2 B>c | d>gf>d c>AF>G |1 A>GG>F G>AB>d :|2 A>GG>F G2 |]

Here’s a version I got from the flute player Tara Diamond, from a Youtube video and a workshop. Nice on the flute.

X: 3
T: The Lone Bush
R: Hornpipe
C: Ed Reavy
S: Tara Diamond
Z: Mike McGann
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
(3DEF |: GA (3Bcd (3cBc dB | GA (3Bcd c2 Bc|dg (3fga gf d2 | (3Bcd BG FD cA |
GA (3Bcd (3cBc dB | GA (3Bcd c2 Bc | dg fd cB (3DEF | 1 AG GF G2 (3DEF :| 2 AG GF G2 (3def ||
|: gd (3Bcd fd (3Bcd | gd (3Bcd f2 ef | ga fa ge d2 | (3fga ge fd BA | GA (3Bcd (3cBc dB |
GA (3Bcd c2 Bc | dg fd cB (3DEF | 1 AG GF G2 (3def :| AG GF G2 (3DEF ||

Transcribed after Tom McHale’s playing.
Source is here: https://soundcloud.com/deeor-1/12-1