Cronin’s (hornpipe) on The Session

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BA|:GABd dBde|g3e dega|bage dBGA|BAAG AcBA|
GABd dBde|g3e dega|bage dBAB|G2 GF G4:||
|:fg|afdc d2 ga|bged e2 ga|bgaf gedB|BAAG AcBA|
GABd dBde|g3e dega|bage dBAB|G2 GF G4:||

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Twenty-two comments

This is the tune that is added to the song ‘Changing Your Demeanor’ on the Chieftain album ‘The Long Black Veil’, which recently was added to the recordings section of the Session.
I think it’s a lovely piece - a real cutie. Actually one of my favorite hornpipes. Very nice and easy to play on the whistle

Great, really cool. Thanks for digging this out!

Cronins

I’m just starting to learn this- heard it on a CD "Paddy in the Smoke" played as Denis Murphys hornpipe. Took me a while to find the dots as I cant learn it from the CD- its at the "right" pitch for learning from. Excellent CD though- real ITM recorded in the 1960’s in London Pubs.

Try the following variation - which I brought home from the Willie Clancy Summer School 2003: instead of gag (bars 2,6,14) play g2g (which invites a roll on the g2). Instead of ac in bars 4,12 play a2, instead of ag in bar 8 play g2. I feel that the last two variations yield a more traditional hornpipe style.

Lyrics?

Does anyone know the words to this song sung by The Chieftains on their CD Long Black Veil? I have always wanted to learn this song.

Found them!

I was searching the net, and happened to find the lyrics:

Here we are we’ve come to call with pipes and flutes and fiddles and all
In case of death we’ve even brought a keener,
So, if you’re glum and feeling down just feel like us and act the clown
And soon there’ll be a change in your demeanour.

(lilting)

I put me money on a horse today for with the race he’d run away
Or so a friend that’s in the know he told me,
Twenty lengths ahead at most, he proundly cantered pass the post
But, woe was me, he lost the bloomin’ jockey!

(lilting)

Now of all the places I have seen from China to the Caribbean,
Are all across the goat compared to Ireland,
From Bally Castle to Tralie the Corup to the Liffy
There’s no where else on earth but like this island.

(lilting)

In Hollywood I long to be, no, not the place across the sea,
But in county Wicklow, Ireland’s lovely garden.
Where no pretenders will you find but decent people warm and kind,
And flocks of friendly sheep into the bargain.

(lilting)

For your ills don’t take a pill but take it down the road, the hills
And listen to the larks lovely warbling,
In the evening in the company with music in the key of E
You’ll be dancing Kerry sets until the morning.

(lilting, followed by Dancing Kerry sets until the morning)

O Callaghan’s Hornpipe

Terry Bingham does a nice version on Anglo along with Byrne’s on his CD
Great player who was /is based in Doolin

Terry Bingham’s is nice - but Denis Murphy’s, charmingly sweet. It’s a shame that Music from Sliabh Luachra isn’t in wider circulation.

—DtM

actually the variation that sixholes mentioned with the long g notes is how Paddy Cronin played it (at least on a copy of an old recording I have). So it’s not surprising it might have been taught that way. If I get a cahnce I’ll transcribe roughly what’s on the recording.

In the key of E?

Really? Shouldn’t that read "…with music in the key of D…"? I always assumed that’s what he was singing, it seems to be the most logical choice.

"Cronin’s Hornpipe" ~ G & D

Cronin’s Hornpipe

A great tune that has the added advantage of being playable an octave lower on the fiddle without any undue difficulty - that is before "c" transposed it into "D"!

Yes, it’s great to play it octaves, but I didn’t invent the D take on it, but I can’t remember who first taught it to me that way, except vague memories of a piper being involved, half a dozen other musicians, the curtains drawn, the lights low ~ and some dark smoky pub in Monaghan at around 3 a.m… You would have been in your element Ban… It was one of those where you peed up against the wall and it ran out across the sidwalk in a little gulley and into the street… 😎

"you peed up against the wall and it ran out across the sidwalk in a little gulley and into the street… "
Scary, what was "it" !!!

I prefer this tune in D, suits the relaxed feel of it.

Cronin’s

In Enda Scahill’s Irish Banjo Tutor, he calls this tune "Off to California".

X: 4 "Cronin’s Hornpipe"

S: transcribed from the box playing of Johnny Reidy
CD: "Johnny Reidy & The Sliabh Luachra Ceili Band: Music for Set Dancing Volume II"
Track 12, the 2nd hornpipe of 3…
https://thesession.org/recordings/4797

"Off To California" ~ the melody most of us know by this name…

# Added by Jeremy - May 21st, 2001
https://thesession.org/tunes/30

Enda was obviously confused, but we all have those moments and it wouldn’t be the first collection that got things mixed up. One out of thousands, how ever talented, can be wrong… 😀 It’s worse, and more embarrassing, when you’re convinced to stubbornness you’ve got it right when you’re clearly not. ~ been there! 😏I know well the slightly gamey taste of my own foot… 😛