The Savage (hornpipe) on The Session

The Savage Hornpipe

I love the name.
It’s in Bb major by the way, not G minor. I learnt this off Pete Cooper at Folkworks a few years ago. On the CD named after it, it’s played in G a couple of times before they do a rousing truck-driver’s-gear-change into Bb. I suspect it’s much easier in G, there being no need for little fingers (if on the fiddle) and such, but I learnt it in Bb, so there ya go.

It’s obviously English, by the way, with a cool Baroquey-sounding second part.

Obviously English, Joe? Was Pachelbel English?

https://thesession.org/tunes/487

The version posted there is a reel, in D, as played by Eileen Ivers - although that version is also played as a hornpipe, and sometimes in C.

The version here has had it’s corners eroded somewhat from rubbing against other tunes and consequently sounds more like a real traditional tune to me. As they say in the West of Ireland, it’s a savage tune.

Sorry, I shouldn’t have juxtaposed the words "English" and "Baroque" like that. I didn’t mean it’s English *because* it’s got a Baroquey bit. I probably shouldn’t have said "obviously", either. It’s just that to me, this tune couldn’t possibly sound anything other than English. And the second bit does sound a bit Baroque.

NIce tune. Does sound English-y in the 1st part and baroque in the 2nd part. Could even be mistaken for an O’Carolan tune! Thanks Joe.

Enters Caliban.

Just heard the Blowzabella version of this, which is pretty sweet.

would go nicely with Stoney Steps and London Hornpipe ( see Anahata’s track on Hardcore English )

Köhler’s version

Aka

Pachelbel’s Frolics

Re: The Savage

Written by Jon Swayne of Blowzabella

Re: The Savage

Not written by Jon Swayne. A traditional tune written out in the John Clare manuscript in B flat

The Savage hornpipe

Two settings

Eleven comments