Horizonto jig

This is on one of Blowzabella’s older CDs. Not sure who wrote it.

I think the version I learned was closer to:

ABA GAF|GEF DEC|A,2A, DEF|E2E CDE|
F3 FGF|E2E CDE|F2E2C2|A,=B,^C D3:|
B,2B, DEF|B,2B, DEF|A,2A, DEF|A,2A, DEF|
B,2B, DEF|B,2B, DEF|ABA GAF|GEF DEC|

for the first few bars

Martin, hope you don’t mind me posting the version that I got from Blowzabella:


X: 1
T: Horizonto
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmin
ABA GAF|GEF DEC|A,2A, DEF|E2E CDE|
F3 FGF|EDE CDE|F2D EDC|A,=B,^C D3:|
B,2D DEF|B,DB, DEF|A,2D DEF|A,DE FED|
B,2D DEF|B,DB, DEF|ABA GAF|GEF DEC|
B,2D DEF|B,DB, DEF|A,2D DEF|A,DE FED|
B,2D DEF|B,2D DEF|=B,2D DEF|=B,2D DEF|
B2A2GF|E3 EFG|A2G2FE|D3 DEF|
G2F2ED|^C3 CDE|F2G2^G2|A3 AGA|
B2c2B2|E3 EFG|A2B2A2|D3 DEF|
G2F2ED|^C3 CDE|F2E2C2|A,=B,^C D3||

I think the composer was Paul James, bagpiper with Blowzabella.

Great tune.
Angels of the North use this for the Willowtree.
Great dance.
Thanks to John James.

Noel

Paul James composed this tune. It’s from the album “Vanilla”
Does anyone have any interesting ideas for a bass rhythm?

Here’s another setting:

X: 1
T: Horizonto
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
Q: 3/8=125
V: 1
C: Paul James
K: Dm

aba gaf|gef dec|A2d def|e2c cde|
f3 fgf|e2c cde|fed edc|A=Bc d3:|

|:B2d def|B2d def|A2d def|A2d def|
B2d def|B2d def|aba gaf|gef dec|
B2d def|B2d def|A2d def|A2d def|
B2d def|B2d def|=B2d def|=B2d def:|

|:b2a2gf|e2e2fg|a2g2fe|d4ef|
g2f2ed|_d4=de|f2g2_a2|=a4ga|
b2c’2b2|e2e2fg|a2b2a2|d4ef|
g2f2ed|_d4=de|f2d2dc|d2 z z3:||

Damn…I was to quick with the ‘post’ button…

Anyway, I believe that the version I just posted is the ‘real thing’, which is to say, as played by Blowzabella on the Vanilla album.

The copy in “New Tunes for Dancing” is slightly different again! I might ABC it one day…

& whatever happened to the original submitter? Have they nothing to say for the tune? ~ just another ‘dump and run’? It would be nice Martin if you would at least confess the origins. Where did you pick it up? Is it a favourite of yours, or do you actually hate the thing but thought you’d subject others to it? ‘Comment’ is welcome and appreciated!!!

Sorry Ceolachan- I got lost a bit there. Yes it is a favourite of mine, though loads of people play it in Em and this irritates me because it’s much harder on the fiddle than in Dm 🙂. I particularly like the chord sequences here, and I agree that it goes really well with the Willow Tree dance. One day I shall learn to play it on the hurdy-gurdy…

I composed Horizonto after touring with Blowzabella in Brazil in 1988. There is a live album from that tour called Pingha Frenzy - you can find out more from the discography on www.blowzabella.com. I remember making the tune up in my head while walking down a street in London thinking about the tour and particularly a gig we did in a decaying old opera house in Bello Horizonte (hence the alternative name). It’s a catchy tune because it is something of a pastiche - or put together from bits of (half remembered) other tunes - but I am very glad people like it. As a 48 bar jig it’s a useful tune for dancing and people have sent me lots of versions of their bands playing it which I am always delighted to hear. There are lots of ways of harmonising it and I sometimes use it when I teach a Dance Orchestra/Band Workshop as there are so many ways it can be arranged. If you have recorded a version I’d love to hear it. I may put them all on a website one day. Blowzabella is still going strong and Horizonto is still in the repertoire. I’m still trying to write a tune that’s better. Haven’t managed it yet. Paul James. info@pauljames.eu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMezePBE2EA

play video

I heard it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty7QNnkgJ7M

play video

Wrote it down in Emin, so its playable on a D whistle..

And also this band Neusa plays it really cool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqIoiWjjGsg

play video

From the book!

Blowzabella’s version, one octave higher.

Seems to work nicely in Amin. Variations from other versions above and elsewhere, and transposed.

Gmin as well. Few different variations, chords, and transposed.

From the playing of Charlie Hunt.

From the playing of Spöket I Köket on their album Den Nya Spisen.

From the playing of Là Nua.

From the playing of Sarah Carter & Dave Williams.

Sarah (the fiddler) plays some notes underneath the held notes from Dave (the whistler) during the C Part. Have excluded those extra notes from this setting.

Andoa (Ricardo Mouriño, whistle; Iago Boente, bouzouki; Roi Adrio, percussion), second tune, starting at 1 min:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqAjTUxgfPk

play video

Dílse (Sarah Mahony/Ivanna Mac Mahon/Rebecca McCarthy-Kent/Sinead O Donoghue/Sean Kearney/Fergal Breen/Mairead Hicky), first tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kOu68iK7dE

play video

Kate & Rich in Vancouver, with some improvising:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5museYt_Zk

play video

Primavera String Quartet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBizWPuCRNM

play video

Lucia MacPartlin & Maria Ryan, first tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFzNWHoAXYU

play video

From the playing of Andoa.

Lacks the second-octave-high-d-note in The C Part.

Some variations from the playing of Andoa.