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Homeward Bound reel

Also known as Clarkson’s, Gem Of Ireland.

There are 19 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Homeward Bound has been added to 5 tune sets.

Homeward Bound has been added to 74 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Homeward Bound
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A,2|:D2 DE FEDF|A2 AF ABde|faed B2 dB|AFEF DB,A,B,|
D2 DE FEDF|A2 AF ABde|faed B2 dB|AFEF D3 g:|
fdfg afdf|e/e/e ed efg2|fdfg afdf|edef d/d/d dg|
fdfg afdf|e/e/e ed efg2|f/g/a ed B2 dB|AFEF D4:|
# Added by t-rex .
2
X: 2
T: Homeward Bound
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A,|D/D/D DE FEDF|A/A/A AF ABde|faed B2 dB|AFEF DB,A,B,|
D/D/D DE FEDF|A/A/A AF ABde|faed B2 dB|AFEF D/D/D D:|
g|fdfg afdf|e/e/e ed efg2|fdfg afdf|edef d/d/d dg|
fdfg afdf|e/e/e ed efg2|faed B2 dB|AFEF D/D/D D:|
# Added by Tate .

Six comments

Homeward Bound

Gem of Ireland

Mmm, Gem of Cape Breton more like……

Homeward Bound

Yes, it is in ‘Coles’ (Ryan’s Mammouth)1000 Fiddle Tunes as The Gem of Ireland. Some Cape Bretoner’s have credited Dan R MacDonald for the tune but because it’s in (with a few slight differences) a 19th century collection it cancels that possibility out.

Cape Breton version

I feel that even though the Cape Breton version ‘Homeward Bound’ is not that dissimilar from the ‘Gem of Ireland’, it certainly has become a unique tune in it’s own right. As a fiddle tune, the syncopated bowing style that can be used, makes it quite different.

Homeward Bound

In Gordon McQuarrie’s Cape Breton Collection (1940) this tune is credited to Rory MacDonald. It is remarkably similar to “Gem of Ireland” but I don’t think it’s a straight copy. Noodling about in a reel in D major, there are obvious places for the tune to go…