Man In A Brown Hat barndance

This is not a Polka but a Schottische, written by Hurdy-Gurdy player Cliff Stapleton of Blowzabella fame.

This ‘classic’ tune has been part of the Bal Folk repertoire for years. If you’ve been to Saint-Chartier, you’ll probably have heard this piece a hundred times over!

X: 2
T: A Man In A Brown Hat
C: Cliff Stapleton
M: 2/2
L: 1/8
R: schottische
K: e minor |: D |
E2 GA F2 E2 | G2 A2 B4 | B2 Bc A2 e2 | dedc B/c/d GF |
E2 GA B2 E2 | GFGA B3 d | B2 Bc BAGA | F2 GF E3 :|
|: B |
e>fgf e2 B2 | d2 ^c2 B4 | EFGA B2 e2 | ded^c B/c/d Gd |
e2 gf e2 B2 | ded^c B3 d | EFGA BcdF | G2 F/G/F E3 :|

The second half slips into E Dorian and out again… 😎

Weird, how did that happen? ~ K: e minor |: D |
I’d intended my usual stacking, or ~

K: e minor
|: D |

The digital gremlins must be back…

Compiled by Dave Armitage, Nigel Eaton, Paul James, Ian Luff, Dave Roberts, Dave Shepherd, Cliff Stapleton & Jon Swayne…
Published by Dragonfly Music, 1987 (Matt Seattle)

Page 25, Schottisches: “Man in a Brown Hat” ~ by Cliff Stapleton

X: 3
T: Man In A Brown Hat
C: Cliff Stapleton
M: 2/2
L: 1/8
R: schottische
K: d minor
|: F2 FG E2 D2 | F2 G2 A4 | A2 AB G2 d2 | cdcd AcFc |
F2 FG E2 D2 | F2 G2 A4 | A2 AB AGFG | E4 D4 :|
K: D Dorian
|: defe d2 A2 | c2 B2 A4 | DEFG A2 d2 | cdcd ABcA |
defe d2 A2 | c2 B2 A4 | DEFG AGFG | E4 D4 :|

Absolutely love this tune. we NEED all the blowzabella tunes up here asap.

Yes, these tunes are reall amazing. I’ll submit some more soon.

Blowzabella aside: when it comes to English and continental stuff, I absolutely love Wood & Cutting. I’ve seen them live a couple of times, and we even played together on one occasion (a friend’s wedding party, where we taught them a German Zwiefache - and man, they loved it!). The way they play together…listen to each other…pick up on ideas and develop them…wows me every time! And they play some drop dead beautiful tunes as well.

Later…

The title of the tune is The Man In the Brown Hat.Don’t argue with me because I have the (vinyl) album in front of me even as I type.

Erm…Dafydd…whom are you talking to, exactly? And what’s the point?

No point.Talking to myself ,the only way i can be assured of an intelligent conversation.LOL No,there is a point it’s The Brown Hat,we must have accuracy.

Good timing, this got played at the session last week (they like Blowzabella) - catchy tune and I made a mental note to look it out. No idea if it was in the original key though - I suspect not 🙂

Dafyddy, which recording of it? 😉

~ as published by the gang in the before mentioned publication…

Maybe this something for the die-hard Blowzabella fans…some very rare issues with different spelling on the sleeve…awmygod…gotta haven ’em all!

But honestly, I’ve always know it with an ‘a’ in place of a ‘the’.

Who cares? ’Tis the music that matter, right? 🙂

The is album was called Bobittyshooty and was released in 1984.

Having just looked it up on the CD sleeve, I have to second Dafydd: it’s really “Man in ‘the’ Brown Hat”!

Strange…never noticed…guess it just didn’t matter… 😏

Well, never mind! 😉

“A Richer Dust” also has it as The Man in the brown hat.

I think that the version on Bobbittyshooty is set with Eglantine, another Stapleton tune, and then a Scandinavian tune, I forget what.

I have never liked Eglantine very much. It reminds me of that Finnish Scottische. Eww.

Here is my DADGAD fingerstyle guitar arrangement :
https://youtu.be/ILNMu2-ZADw

play video

Hope you like it…

Wow, that’s some great DADGAD playing!