"Often associated with sailors and seafaring, a 'hornpipe' was actually a wind instrument that used a reed. The term was then applied to the dance and tune forms usually played by that instrument..."
This is from "Fiddler's Philharmonic Encore!"
I think the author must be thinking of a concertina-- although there's little fact of them being 'seafaring' instruments (more than other popular instruments of the day) other than they are portrayed that way by popular culture.
I couldn't imagine a concertina's reeds staying in good shape at sea, although I think Melville mentions someone (maybe Pip?) playing on a hornpipe in Moby Dick.
The bellows fall apart long before the reeds go. Of course you also get corrosion of metal and electrolysis at any unlike metal contact. Sea water is nasty stuff.
The attractive thing about hornpipes on a ship is that they have no glue joints or metal parts. The horn and reed are simply bound on with a bit of pitch coated string; and you can live without the horn if you have to.
As an ex-seaman I take exception to the above remarks. I have had several horns fall apart due to electrolysis and the corrosive effects of seawater and can live perfectly well without them, provided I keep myself occupied learning tunes and staring at the ceiling between times.
Ha! I can't believe this is real. Acutally, there are accounts and perhaps pictures(?) according to my concertina maker that concertinas were taken to sea during (I want to say) the America Civil War. Where are you Bob to back this up?
I found while researching for a paper that concertinas were popular with German sailors on U-Boats. From one of the books I have a photo of a seaman playing one on the bridge with the watch, of all places. Seems like a precarious idea for many reasons. . .
But could your average work-a-day sailor from the age when the term 'hornpipe' was coined, actually afford a concertina to bring to sea, if it could ruin so easily?
And I also remember reading (from an introduction to Tomas O Canainn's Traditional Music in Ireland, or maybe the introduction of the Athole Collection -- I'll have to check if it was one of those, sometimes it all seems to blend together) that ordinary shepherds originated the hornpipe, the particular rhythm stemming from a shepherd's steps as he went about his work in the hills, to play while he was stepping along.. I had never heard that before. I'll have to look up the source for sure.
I was told by someone-- maybe Sean O'Driscoll ? that concertinas were *very* cheep in the late 1800's. That's why they were popular in Ireland for dance music amoungst common people.
People could by them at fairs-- they were also very cheeply made and when yours wore out, you threw it away and got a new one.
Mark - I take heart from your seafaring experiences. Two ex naval types I associate with speak of the horrors of losing their horns due to sea water electrolysis, and having to resort to other occupations to while away their off-watch hours, such as rum and baccy.
Love the picture Owell. I notice that they have already put the Hurdy Gurdy player into the longboat, and the guy in the middle of the picture is about to hand the instrument to him before they cast him adrift.
"Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
"Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Check this out:
"Often associated with sailors and seafaring, a 'hornpipe' was actually a wind instrument that used a reed. The term was then applied to the dance and tune forms usually played by that instrument..."
This is from "Fiddler's Philharmonic Encore!"
I think the author must be thinking of a concertina-- although there's little fact of them being 'seafaring' instruments (more than other popular instruments of the day) other than they are portrayed that way by popular culture.
The bottom line: any fact in the above quote?
# Posted on December 20th 2005 by fiddle_around
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Yes.
http://www.highlandhornpipe.com/background.html
KFG
# Posted on December 20th 2005 by KFG
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Hinder thigh-bone of a sheep - check.
Common highland cow's horn - check.
Oh, oh... Can anybody spare an oaten reed?
# Posted on December 20th 2005 by grego
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
It's got a nice mellow sound
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by Dow
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
It wasn't a concertina.Here are some hornpipes.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/h1/hornpipe.asp
http://www.pibydd.fsnet.co.uk/pibgorn.htm
http://www.mochpryderi.com/letter2.html
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by dafydd
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
I couldn't imagine a concertina's reeds staying in good shape at sea, although I think Melville mentions someone (maybe Pip?) playing on a hornpipe in Moby Dick.
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by gravelwalks
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
The bellows fall apart long before the reeds go. Of course you also get corrosion of metal and electrolysis at any unlike metal contact. Sea water is nasty stuff.
The attractive thing about hornpipes on a ship is that they have no glue joints or metal parts. The horn and reed are simply bound on with a bit of pitch coated string; and you can live without the horn if you have to.
KFG
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by KFG
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
"you can live without the horn if you have to"
- not if half the things I've heard about sailors are true.
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
As an ex-seaman I take exception to the above remarks. I have had several horns fall apart due to electrolysis and the corrosive effects of seawater and can live perfectly well without them, provided I keep myself occupied learning tunes and staring at the ceiling between times.
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by Ottery
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Ha! I can't believe this is real. Acutally, there are accounts and perhaps pictures(?) according to my concertina maker that concertinas were taken to sea during (I want to say) the America Civil War. Where are you Bob to back this up?
Thanks for the links!
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by fiddle_around
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
I found while researching for a paper that concertinas were popular with German sailors on U-Boats. From one of the books I have a photo of a seaman playing one on the bridge with the watch, of all places. Seems like a precarious idea for many reasons. . .
But could your average work-a-day sailor from the age when the term 'hornpipe' was coined, actually afford a concertina to bring to sea, if it could ruin so easily?
And I also remember reading (from an introduction to Tomas O Canainn's Traditional Music in Ireland, or maybe the introduction of the Athole Collection -- I'll have to check if it was one of those, sometimes it all seems to blend together) that ordinary shepherds originated the hornpipe, the particular rhythm stemming from a shepherd's steps as he went about his work in the hills, to play while he was stepping along.. I had never heard that before. I'll have to look up the source for sure.
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by gravelwalks
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
I was told by someone-- maybe Sean O'Driscoll ? that concertinas were *very* cheep in the late 1800's. That's why they were popular in Ireland for dance music amoungst common people.
People could by them at fairs-- they were also very cheeply made and when yours wore out, you threw it away and got a new one.
# Posted on December 21st 2005 by fiddle_around
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Concertina is as concertina does.
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/graphics/french06.jpg
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by Owell Mabee
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Mark - I take heart from your seafaring experiences. Two ex naval types I associate with speak of the horrors of losing their horns due to sea water electrolysis, and having to resort to other occupations to while away their off-watch hours, such as rum and baccy.
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Love the picture Owell. I notice that they have already put the Hurdy Gurdy player into the longboat, and the guy in the middle of the picture is about to hand the instrument to him before they cast him adrift.
# Posted on December 22nd 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: "Hornpipe" the wind instrument?
Hey, Owell, was that picture taken on the Texaco Cardiff in 1977? I'm sure that's me third from the left in the back row ....
# Posted on December 23rd 2005 by Ottery