Charlie Hunter jig

Written by Bobby McLeod, Tobermory, Mull

This tune appears, played on whistle by Breda Smyth, on Music at Matt Molloys, in a set entitled Cape Breton Jigs.

The tune is originally Scottish.

Willy Taylor, Joe Hutton and Willy Attkinson play it in the Borders style on the Topic CD:Ranting & Reeling

Charlie Hunter was a wireless operator on the MacBrayne’s ferries out of Oban and he played the fiddle as a hobby.

I’ve heard this tune performed, with slight variations, at many old time fiddling contests and sessions out here in BC, Canada

K: Dmaj
|: DFA GBd | Adf a2 g | fed Bcd | ecA GFE |
DFA GBd | Adf a2 g | fef gec |1 edc dAF :|
2 edc dfg ||
afd dcd | BGG G2 F | E^GB efd | cAA Aag |
fdA FDF | GB/c/d g2 g | fef gec | edc dfg |
afd dcd | BGG G2 a | b^ge e^de | cAA a2 g |
fdA FDF | GBd g2 g | fgf gec |1 edd d3 ||

While I’ve given the repeat for the B-part of the tune to show some other variations, I first learned this tune with just those first 8 bars of the B-part repeating and with =G rather than ^G, but I like it both ways…

I always thought that this was a Tommy Peoples tune. However, I have just hesard a recording of Breda Smith playing this and another and they were introduced as two Cape Breton Jigs.

I would like to know more about these tunes, if possible.

I tried to search for the ABC but could not get a match.

This is actually a modern Scots tune called Charlie Hunter’s: https://thesession.org/tunes/809

Is this about Kate Moss?

The Title given to this tune on “Champions of Ireland: Concertina” is Sliabh League. This isn’t reliable though because this is a cheap compilation and a couple of tunes were mis-titled. It is a great tune though.

X: 3
T: Charlie Hunter
C: attributed to Bobby McLeod of Tobermory, Mull
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|: A |\
DFA GBd | Adf a2 g | fed Bcd | ecA GFE |
DF/G/A GB/c/d | Adf a2 g | f^ef g=ec | edc d2 :|
|: f/g/ |\
|: afd dcd | BGF G2 F | EGB efd | cA^G A2 a/g/ |
fdA FDF | GBd g2 g | f^ef g=ec | edc d2 :|

& that curious other way with the B-part taken slightly differently ~

a2 d dd/c/d | BGF G3 | b^ge e^de | cA^G A3 |
fdA FD/E/F | GB/c/d g3 | f2 f gec | edc d2 |]

Oops! I missed that change ~
the B-part, bar 4, the ^G back to natural ~ =g/

Son of Oops! I see I doubled the repeat sign for the B-part above, which should have read ~

|: f/g/ |\
afd dcd | BGF G2 F | EGB efd | cA^G A2 a/g/ |
fdA FDF | GBd g2 g | f^ef g=ec | edc d2 :|

Submitted on August 1st 2005 by Feargal French.
~ /tunes/4804

X: 4
T: Charlie Hunter’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|: DFA GBd | Adf a2 g | f2 d Bcd | ecA GFE |
DFA GBd | Adf a2 g | faf gec | edc d2 f :|
|: afd d2 c | BGF G2 F | EGB e2 d | cAA A2 e |
fdA DFA | GBd g2 e | faf gec | edc d2 f :|

Cape Breton Jig
I always thought that this was a Tommy Peoples tune. However, I have just hesard a recording of Breda Smith playing this and another and they were introduced as two Cape Breton Jigs.

I would like to know more about these tunes, if possible.

I tried to search for the ABC but could not get a match.

# Posted on August 1st 2005 by Feargal French

The Title given to this tune on “Champions of Ireland: Concertina” is Sliabh League. This isn’t reliable though because this is a cheap compilation and a couple of tunes were mis-titled. It is a great tune though.

# Posted on June 14th 2007 by 52Paddy

In case it goes the usual way of such things, “POOF!”, I’ve moved the transcription and comments to the ‘comments’ for the original submission slainte has linked to above…

“Charlie Hunter” / “Charlie Hunter’s”
Submitted on June 27th 2002 by Mark Cordova.
https://thesession.org/tunes/809/comments

Piping version

This was composed by the late Bobby MacLeod, from Mull, who was a piper and accordion playing bandleader (also landlord of the Mishnish Hotel in Tobermory).

Charlie was leader of the Lorne Strathspey and Reel Society. I have played, once, with his late son Alastair (accordionist and bandleader) and several times with his grandson Russell (fiddler and pianist).

This is a popular tune with the Scottish Dance Bands.

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol (UK).

A tune well known and popular on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, but one we’ve known from several places and sources, including musician friends on the island while we were living there.

From the bow of Mike MacDougall, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, The Canadian Maritimes. On the recording “Mike MacDougall’s Tape for Father Hector”, track 4, the first in a set of jigs, Mike starts and ends with the B-part.

https://thesession.org/recordings/1168

As I didn’t see a setting with chords, I went for it. I got them having a look to a different music scores in Folk Tune Finder. But I did my own combination of chords. I checked them using the English System Concertina mobile application that I am playing quite a lot these days. The melody line is similar to the ones already posted here but a bit simplified. I must admit that I like those G sharps a lot.