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The Thames hornpipe

Also known as Kelly’s Fancy, O’ Kelly’s, O’Kelly’s Fancy, Tom Miskelly’s, Tom Miskelly’s Fancy, Wonder, Ypsilanti, The Ypsilanti.

There are 9 recordings of this tune.

The Thames has been added to 39 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Six settings

1
X: 1
T: The Thames
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
dc |: BgdB AecA | GdBG FcAF | GDEF GABc | ^cded fed=c |
BgdB AecA | GdBG FcAF | GDEF GABc |1 ^cdef g2d=c :|2 ^cdef g3A ||
|: Ad^cd edcd | Be^de fede | gfed ^cBAG | FA^GB A3A |
Ad^cd edcd | Be^de fede | gfed ^cABc |1 d2f2 d3A :|2 d2 f2d2 ||
2
X: 2
T: The Thames
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B>gd>B A>ec>A | G>dB>G F>cA>F | G>DE>F G>AB>c | ^c>d^d>e f>e=d>=c |
B>gd>B A>ec>A | G>d (3BAG F>cA>F | G>gd>B A>e (3cBA | G2 F2 G2 :|
A>dc>d e>dc>d | B>e^d>e f>ed>e | g>fe>d c>BA>^G | A>^GA>^A (3BcB A>=G |
F>dc>d e2 (3dcd | B>e^d>e f2 (3ede | g>ec>A ^G>AB>c | d>A (3FGA d2 :|
3
X: 3
T: The Thames
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
BgdB AecA | GdBG FcAF | GDEF GABc | ^cd^de fe=d=c |
BgdB AecA | GdBG FcAF | GgdB AGFA | G2 B2 G2 :|
Adcd edcd | Be^de fede | gfed cBA^G | A^GA^A cBA=G |
Fdcd edcd | Be^de fede | gecA ^GABc | d2 f2 d2 :|
4
X: 4
T: The Thames
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
~ | G2 d>B A>ec>A | G>DB>A G2 :|
~ | G2 dB AecA | GDBA G2 :|
~ | g2 e>c ^G>AG>E | D>AF>A d2 :|
~ | g2 ec ^GAGE | DAFA d2 :|
5
X: 5
T: The Thames
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmin
|:fe|dbfd cgec | BfdB AecA | BFGA Bcde | =efgf agf_e |
dbfd cgec | BfdB AecA | BFGA Bcde | =efga b2 :|
K:Fmaj
|:b2| afcA BecB | AFAc fagf | =eceg bgeg | f=efg a2 b2 |
afcA BdcB | AFAc fagf | =eceg bgeg | f2 a2 f2 :|
6
X: 6
T: The Thames
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
(3d^c=c |BgdB AecA | G2 (3BAG FcAF | GDEF GABd | ^cded fe (3d^c=c |
BgdB AecA | (3GGG (3BAG FcAF | GDEF GABd | ^cdef g2 (3d^c=c |
BgdB AecA | (3GFG (3BAG FcAF | GDEF GABd | ^cded fe (3d^c=c |
BgdB AecA | (3GFG (3BAG FcAF | GDEF GABd | ^cdef g2 FG ||
Ad (3d^cd ed (3d^cd | Be (3e^de fe (3e^de | gfe^d e=d^cB | (3ABA ^GB A2 F=G |
Ad (3d^cd ed (3d^cd | Be (3e^de fe (3e^de | gfed ^cABc |(3ded ^ce d2 FG |
Ad (3d^cd ed (3d^cd | Be (3e^de fe (3e^de | gfe^d e=d^cB | (3A^ce (3ae^c A2 FG |
Ad (3d^cd ed (3d^cd | Be (3e^de fe (3e^de | gfed ^cABc |(3ded ^ce d2 ||

Eleven comments

The Thames Hornpipe

I was given this hornpipe by the late box-player Simon Knight (R.I.P.), an old friend, greatly missed. He got it from an ancient mono cassette tape recorded by his father (an avid trad field collector) in Doolin, Co. Clare in the 50s. He also passed it on to Jackie Daly who has since recorded it. I’m not sure of the album - probably a "Buttons & Bows" album with the Maguire bros. I still have the slip of manuscript with Simon’s immaculate hand-written notation. I usually play it in a set with the Acrobat, and the City of Savannah (all of them have nice key changes).

Thames Hornpipe

This hornpipe was also recorded by Paddy OBrien on on e of the 78s. If you look at Reaveys Reel ‘The Highest Hill in Sligo’ you will see a striking resemblance in the body of the tune.

"The Ypsilanti Hornpipe" / "The Thames Hornpipe" ~ rescued duplication

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on February 1st 2008 by ceolachan.
~ /tunes/8202

X: 1
T: Ypsilanti, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: G Major
|: d>c |\
B>gd>B A>ec>A | G>dB>G F>cA>F | G>DE>F G>AB>c | ^c>d^d>e f>e=d>=c |
B>gd>B A>ec>A | G>d (3BAG F>cA>F | G>gd>B A>e (3cBA | G2 F2 G2 :|
K: Dmaj
|: F>G |\
A>dc>d e>dc>d | B>e^d>e f>ed>e | g>fe>d c>BA>^G | A>^GA>^A (3BcB A>=G |
F>dc>d e2 (3dcd | B>e^d>e f2 (3ede | g>ec>A ^G>AB>c | d>A (3FGA d2 :|

The rescue continues ~ "The Ypsilanti Hornpipe" ~ minus > & (3

X: 2
T: Ypsilanti, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: G Major
|: dc |\
BgdB AecA | GdBG FcAF | GDEF GABc | ^cd^de fe=d=c |
BgdB AecA | GdBG FcAF | GgdB AGFA | G2 B2 G2 :|
K: D Major
|: FG |\
Adcd edcd | Be^de fede | gfed cBA^G | A^GA^A cBA=G |
Fdcd edcd | Be^de fede | gecA ^GABc | d2 f2 d2 :|

The rescue continues ~ "The Ypsilanti Hornpipe" ~ other possibilities

I missed a triplet I usually play, and here are also some other ways with the penultimate and final bars of both parts…
A part, bar 4 ~ | ^c>d^d>e f>e (3e=d>=c |
A part:
~ | G2 d>B A>ec>A | G>DB>A G2 :|
~ | G2 dB AecA | GDBA G2 :|
B part:
~ | g2 e>c ^G>AG>E | D>AF>A d2 :|
~ | g2 ec ^GAGE | DAFA d2 :|

"The Ypsilanti Hornpipe" / "The Thames Hornpipe" ~ too much fun not to share

This is another one of those carnival tunes, and button’s recent trip to 12/8 land for some reason reminded me of this, or was it certain discussions that dragged it back into memory. It is also played in Bb and F, where it’s given in collections like Cole’s and Ryan’s, as "The Ypsilanti Hornpipe". I’ll add another transcript on that line later, for the ‘history’ bit…

You might want to pull out your old clown costumes and makeup and knock the dust off and and give your bones a good shake and try playing this and juggling at the same time? Nah! ~ tight rope walking? No, not that, I know, unicycling!!! 😉

conormccarthy suggested comparions: "The Highest Hill In Sligo"

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on December 11th 2005 by Unseen122.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5295

C: Ed Reavy

Thames hornpipe

X:5 from Kerr’s Vol 3. 2nd part differs from those posted here, and also it’s in Bb/F.

Thames Hornpipe

My teacher Brian Conway taught it to us as O’Kelly’s Hornpipe!

no comparison

Sorry to disagree Conor, and with the greatest of respect, but Reavey’s Reel "The Highest Hill in Sligo" is NOTHING at all like "The Thames Hornpipe" in any way, shape or form

The Thames, X:6

Transcribed with ornamentation and variations included from the B/C box playing of John Whelan on his "Taking Time" Zoom session on 27 January 2021