BANKS HORNPIPE. AKA- "Banks of the River." AKA and see "Kinloch's Grand Hornpipe," "Mrs. Taff," "Souvenir of Venice." Scottish, Canadian, Irish; Hornpipe. Canada, Nova Scotia. E Flat Major (Scottish versions): G Major (Black). Standard. AAB (Black, Honeyman): AABB (Brody, Hardie, Hunter). "Composed by Parazotti" is an ascription often found attached to this tune, sometimes called a 'descriptive hornpipe'. The composer's origins were somewhat obscure. Alburger (1983) stated she could find no composer by that name and suggested it could possibly be a set of a piece which was danced to by Mme Pariot, who retired from the London stage to marry in 1809. Alastair Hardie (1992), however, reports that Parazotti did exist and was actually the grandson of an Italian violinist who settled in Glasgow. The tune was inspired by the sights and sounds of a river in spate. The melody appears first in print in 1881 in Kohlers' Violin Repository (Bk. 1) under the title "Mrs. Taff" (whom Hardie explains was a person who resided on the West coast of Scotland and was Parazotti's patron for a time. It is said she was the owner of the house in which Parazotti composed his tune). The piece is similar to the tune "Souvinir De Venice Hornpipe" in the 1883 Ryan's Mammoth Collection. " This tune is credited to L. Ostinelli, an Italian who arrived in Boston in the year 1818. Michael Broyles references this musician in his book Music of the Highest Class: Elitism and Populism in Antebellum Boston:
***
He was keenly aware of the reputation the violin had as a
vernacular instrument in New England. According to several
anecdotes, he was furious when his violin was referred to as a
fiddle or when he was requested to play dance music. Once
when asked by a lady if he was to play for a dance following
a concert, he deliberately cut his violin strings and said 'Veree
story, veree story, madam, you see I can no play.'
***
Ostinelli, of whom little is known, was mentioned in Dwight's Journal of Music in 1859. His lasting cliam to fame is his variation which is often used as a finale today by fiddler's playing "The Banks" (Cranford, 1997). The present title, "Banks," is actually the shortened form of the composer's alternate title "Banks of the River" (according to the late Shetland fiddler, collector, teacher and composer Tom Anderson). Scottish fiddler Charles Hardie (1849-1893) was praised by one of the greatest Scottish violinists of his time, J. Scott Skinner, for his rendition of this tune. "The Banks" is one of the tunes sometimes requested of Shetland fiddlers because it is popularly known that "anything composed in a flat key is considered to be a real test of a fiddler's ability" (Cooke, 1986). Skinner himself recorded the tune in the 1920's as part of his "Celebrated Hornpipes" medley. It is also popular in Nova Scotia. In Scotland it is traditionally preceded by the slow strathspey "The Dean Brig o' Edinburgh." Sources for notated versions: Jean Carignan (Montreal, Canada) [Brody]; Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford]. Black (Music's the Very Best Thing), 1996; No. 136, pg. 71. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 34. Cranford (Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 39, pg. 14. Honeyman (Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor), 1898; pg. 55. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992; pg. 128. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 340. Skinner, Harp and Claymore, 1903. Fiddler FRLP001 Tom Doucet (Nova Scotia/eastern Mass.) - "The Down East Star." Flying Fish FF 70572, Frank Ferrel - "Yankee Dreams: Wicked Good Fiddling from New England" (1991). Folkways FG3531, Jean Carignan- "Old Time Fiddle Tunes" (1968) {third tune of 'Bank'}. Green Linnet SIF-1110, Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds - "My Love is in America: The Boston College Irish Fiddle Festival" (1991). Outlet 1031, Sean McGuire- "Ireland's Champion Traditional Fiddler." Philo 2001, "Jean Carignan" (third tune of 'Banks Medley'). Philo 2019, Tom Anderson and Aly Bain- "The Silver Bow". Rounder 7001, Joe Cormier - "Scottish Violin Music from Cape Breton Island" (1974). Shanachie 29009, "Andy McGann & Paul Brady" (McGann learned the tune from Lad O'Beirne). Topic 12T280, J. Scott Skinner- "The Strathspey King."
X:1
T:Banks
T:Banks of the River
T:Mrs. Taff
C:Parazotti
B:The Caledonian Companion, Alastair J. Hardie
N:as played by J. Scott Skinner
R:hornpipe
M:4/4
L:1/16
K:Eb
(3B,CD|E2 G4 (3BGE D2 F4 (3AFD|A,2 c4 de =ABcB _AGFE|
G,2 B4 c2 A,2 c4 de|DEFG AFDF E2[B,2G2][G,2E2]:|:{a}g>^f|
g2[G,2E2][G,2E2] (3gbg f2[B,2D2][B,2D2] (3fgf|
e2 c4 fe dcB=A {A}B2{=e}f2|
(3DBf (3fBD (3DBf (3fBD (3EBg (3gBE (3EBg (3gBE|
=ABcd ecAc BABc B_AGF|[EG,]GBG eGFE DFBF dFED|
CEAE cBAG FGFE DCB,A,|
(3G,EB (3BEG, (3G,EB (3BEG, (3A,Ec (3cEA, (3A,Ec (3cEA,|
DEFG AFDF E2[B,2G2][G,2E2]:|
X:2
T:Banks
T:Banks of the River
T:Mrs. Taff
C:Parazotti
N:transposed from Eb
R:hornpipe
M:4/4
L:1/16
K:G
(3DEF|G2 B4 (3dBG F2 A4 (3cAF|E2 e4 fg ^cded =cBAG|
B,2 d4 e2 C2 e4 fg|FGAB cAFA G2 B2 G2:|:b>^a|
b2 G2 G2 (3bc'b a2 F2 F2 (3aba|g2 e4 ag fed^c d4|
dfaf dfaf dgbg dgbg|^cdef gece dcde d=cBA|
Bded bgdB Adfd afdA|EGcG edcB (3ABA (3GFE D2C2|
B,DGD B,DGD CEGE CEGE|FGAB cAFA G2 B2 G2:|
X:3
T: The Banks
S: McGann / Conway
Q: 300
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: G
(3DEF|G2 B2 B2 (3dBG|F2 A2 A2 (3cAF | C2 e2 e2 fg | ^cded =cBAG |
B,2 d2 d2 ef | C2 e2 e2 fg | FGAB cAFA | G2 B2 G2 :|
ba | b2 g2 g2 (3bab | a2 f2 f2 (3aba | g2 e2 e2 ag | fed^c d2 D2 |
Fdad Fdad | Gdgd Gdgd | ^cdef gece | d^cde d=cBA |
GBdB gdAG | FAdA fAGF | EGBG edcB | ABAG FEDC |
B,GdG B,GdG | CGeG CGeG | FGAB cAFA | G2 B2 G2 :|
W:
P: original key Eb
K: Eb
(3B,CD|E2 G2 G2 (3BGE|D2 F2 F2 (3AFD|A,2 c2 c2 de| =ABcB _AGFE |
G,2 B2 B2 cd | A,2 c2 c2 de | DEFG AFDF | E2 G2 E2 :|
gf| g2 e2 e2 (3gfg | f2 d2 d2 (3fgf | e2 c2 c2 fe | dcB=A B2 B,2 |
DBfB DBfB | EBeB EBeB | =ABcd ecAc | B=ABc B_AGF |
EGBG eBFE | DFBF dFED | CEGE cBAG | FGFE DCB,A, |
G,EBE G,EBE | A,EcE A,EcE | DEFG AFDF | E2 G2 E2 :|
DEAN BRIG/BRIDGE O' EDINBURGH, THE. AKA and see "Miss Gray of Carse." Scottish, Air or Slow Strathspey. E Flat Major. Standard. One part (Bain): AB (Hunter, Skinner). Composition credited to Airchie, or Archibald, Allan (1794-1831) of Forfar (who was thought to have been a fiddler in Nathaniel Gow's band for a time, and who, according to Alexander Lowson, played "neat and powerful especially in the Strathspeys"), though Alburger (1983), seemingly alone, believes he is unlikely to have written it--"Compilers at least from the time of Skinner (including Emmerson, 1971) have written that Allan originally published this as 'Miss Gray of Carse;' however, the tunes have nothing in common." Hunter (1988) and Hardie (1992) both agree that the tune was originally "Miss Gray of Carse," and say Peter Milne took it up, made it a specialty and played it into popularity under the present title. Honeyman (1898) falsely identifies another source for the melody: "This lovely melody is given in some collections as a composition of Peter Milne's, but that is a mistake. It was written by the Rev. Mr. Tough, but improved by Peter Milne, who raised the first half of the second part an octave higher, though by doing so it is make to challenge comparison with the second part of 'Lady Mary Ramsay,' which Mr. Tough seems to have wished to avoid. It must be played with long sweeping bows, and makes a capital solo, followed with 'Bank's Hornpipe,' and finishing with the 'Trumpet Hornpipe.'" The first ascription to the Rev. Tough of Kinnoul as composer of the tune was in Davie's Caledonian Repository, where it appeared first under the "Dean Brig" title. Bain (50 Fiddle Solos), 1989; pg. 18. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992; pg. 67 (with variations by J.F. Dickie). Honeyman (Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor), 1898; pg. 35. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 181. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist), pg. 40.
T:Dean Bridge of Edinburgh, The
L:1/8
M:C
S:Honeyman - Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor
R:Slow Strathspey
K:E_
E/F/G/A/|B>c B<e B<G G>=F|E>FG>F E<B, B,2|C>EB,>E A,>E G,2|
C>F F>_E D/E/F/D/ B>G|B>c B<e B<G G>=F|E>FG>F E<B, B2|
C>AB,>G A,>F G,>c|B>cB>D (E2 E)||f|g>e e>g f<d d>f|e<c c>^a b<B B>_d|
c<A A>c B<G GB|c<F F>_E D/E/F/D/ B,>F|G<E E>G F<D D>F|
E<C C>=A _B<B, B,>E|C>AB,>G A,>F G,>c|B>cB>D (E2 E)||
MISS AUSTIN. Scottish, Slow Strathspey. G Minor. Standard. AAB. Composed by Archibald Allan of Forfar (1794-1831), described in J. Scott Skinner's "Harp and Claymore" collection as "one of the very best players and composers of his day." His most famous composition is "The Dean Brig o' Edinburgh." Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1986; pg. 40. Stewart-Roberson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 302.
T:Miss Austin
L:1/8
M:C
R:Strathspey
B:The Athole Collection
K:G Minor
^f|g<d d>c B>AG>A|B>c dc/B/ A2 D>^f|g<d d>c B>cd>c|BA/G/ AG/^F G2 G,:|
A|B>df>b A>cf>a|B>c dc/B/ A2 D>A|B>df>b A>cf>a|BA/G/ AG/^F/ G2 G,>A|
B>df>b A>cf>a|B>c e/d/c/B/ A2 D^f|ga/b/ a>g ^fg/a/ d>c|BA/G/ AG/^F/ G2 G,||
MISS GRAY OF CARSE/CORSE. See "The Dean Brig (O' Edinburgh)." Scottish, Strathspey. G Minor. Standard. AAB. The piece was thought to have been originally written and published by Archibald Allan (d. 1831) under this title (though unlikely, says Alburger), and compilers "at least since the time of Skinner" have linked it with "Dean Brig o'Edinburgh," however, Alburger (1983) maintains they have nothing in common. Allan is said to have played in Nathaniel Gow's band for a time, and his playing was characterized by Alexander Lowson as "clean and neat, and characterized by immense power, especially in strathspeys" (Emmerson, 1971). Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 200.
T:Miss Gray of Carse
L:1/8
M:C
R:Strathspey
B:The Athole Collection
K:G Minor
F|D<G G>A B>cd>B|A<fc<f A<F A/B/c/A/|D<G G>A B>cd>g|
f>c d/c/B/A/ BGG:|
d|~g>ag>d g>a ba/g/|f<ac<f A>F A/B/c/A/|g<a g>d g>a ba/g/|
f<a A/B/c/A/ B<G G>f|~g<a g>d g>a ba/g/|f<ad<f A<F d/c/B/A/|
B<G G>A B>cd>g|fd/f/ d/c/B/A/ BG<G||