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The Newcastle hornpipe

By James Hill

Also known as McCormack’s, McCormick’s, New Castle, Newcastle Clog, Prince Albert, Prince Albert’s.

There are 35 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Newcastle has been added to 3 tune sets.

The Newcastle has been added to 87 tunebooks.

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Three settings

1
X: 1
T: The Newcastle
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmin
dc|B2 B,2 (3dcB (3AGF|E2 g2{a}g2 fe|(3ded Bd cBAB|Bbag (3fgf (3edc|
B2 B,2 (3dcB (3AGF|E2 g2{a}g2 fe|(3ded Bd cBAB|(3cdc BA B2||
(3CB,A,|B,DFB dgba|(3gag ^fa g2 CB,|A,CFA cfag|(3fgf =eg f2 (3CB,A,|
B,DFB dgba|(3gag ^fa ga (3bag|fbag (3fgf (3edc|(3BcB Ac B2||
2
X: 2
T: The Newcastle
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmin
|:BA|B2B,2 (3dcB (3AGF|E2g2 g2fe|dfBd ceAc|Bbag fedc|
B2B,2 (3dcB (3AGF|E2g2 g2fe|dfBd ceAc|BABc B2:|
|:DC|B,DFB dfba|g^fga g2CB,|A,CFA cfag|f=efg f2DC|
B,DFB dfba|g^fga gde=e|fefg fecA|BABc B2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Newcastle
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:AG|A2A,2 (3cBA (3GFE|D2f2 f2ed|ceAc BdGB|Aagf edcB|
A2A,2 (3cBA (3GFE|D2f2 f2ed|ceAc BdGB|AGAB A2:|
|:CB,|A,CEA ceag|f^efg f2B,A,|G,B,EG Begf|e^def e2CB,|
A,CEA ceag|f^efg fcd^d|edef edBG|AGAB A2:|

Eight comments

Finger Buster

It’s in Bb not - Gminor but both keys have two flats & Bb wasn’t an option on the input screen. A while back there was a thread called tune based drills & this tune is the ultimate fiddle drill. It’s very dificult & the acidentals in the B part to throw more fuel on the fire. I think this was a Scott Skinner Composition & it is often played after the “Banks Hornpipe”. Often times the first phrase is played spizzacato, as well as the arpeggios in the B part. all this italian music lingo is making me wish there was a spell check!! This isn’t a session tune but more of a show-piece, it’s also super silly. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the effort. It’s a good thing Ed Reavy & Scott Skinner weren’t friends or we’d need super human powers to play the tunes they would have created.

Love, Peace & Hairgrease,
Brad

Point of pedantry

Just a small technical point - the bar lines have gone a beat out of step, starting at the 3rd-to-last bar.

It’s a James Hill tune and I think it’s worth the effort.
K: Bb
|:BA|B2B,2 (3dcB (3AGF|E2g2 g2fe|dfBd ceAc|Bbag fedc|
B2B,2 (3dcB (3AGF|E2g2 g2fe|dfBd ceAc|BABc B2:|
|:DC|B,DFB dfba|g^fga g2CB,|A,CFA cfag|f=efg f2DC|
B,DFB dfba|g^fga gde=e|fefg fecA|BABc B2:|
The first E in the penultimate bar sounds better as =e to me.

Sorry, I meant to say that was straight off a manuscript copy.

Another great ‘German’ or ‘Schottische’

Rock it at around 160 - 165 beats a minute, it’s a fine tune for a Schottische.

It is very schottischey isn’t it? I think it’s the start of the 2nd bar that does it. The B-part is basically stage hornpipe style. It’s an interesting tune because it mixes the fancy triplet runs and massive range and complexity of 19th century clog dance hornpipes with the laid-back quarter-note phrases of schottisches. That’s why this is one of my favourite tunes. It sounds gorgeous in Bb, and on my concertina it actually lies under the fingers more easily in that key than any other.

The first part is nicely original enough: The second part sounds dead corny, it might be redeemed by an original and very sensitive indeed harmony.