Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Showman's Fancy

hornpipe

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on June 23rd 2003 by LH.

This tune has been added to 79 tunebooks.

Also known as City Life, The Londonbridge , O'Keefe's, Rogha An Ealaíontóra, Showman's Fancy, The Showman's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Showman's Fancy, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Dmaj
FG|:AFAB A2fd|B2gf edcB|AFAB AFDF|EDEF E2DF|
AFAB A2fd|B2gf edcB|Adfa gece|1 d2dc d2FG:|2 d2dc d2cd||
|:e~e2f gece|dcde fdAd|(3gag (3fgf (3efe (3ded|c2 (3BcB AGFG|
AFAB A2fd|B2gf edcB|Adfa gece|d2dc d2cd:|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Showman's Fancy sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Showman's Fancy, The

I found this on the request list, hope this helps!

# Posted on June 23rd 2003 by LH

The Showman's Fancy

I saw more comments are wanted on posted tunes. Ok, I had this tune from Mike Rafferty. I really like it alot. At our house session one of the members joined in to play it on whistle and they 'slided', or whatever its called, up to the high f and the high g, things like that. It made it sound so soulful that way, I liked it even more. This is a great old tune. Is anyone else playing it?

# Posted on September 28th 2003 by LH

There is also a nice recording of this tune by accordionist Mike Shaffer on his "Mike and Merv" disk.

# Posted on July 1st 2005 by pbassnote

The Londonbridge Hornpipe

This tune can also be found in Johnny O'Leary's book - Of Sliabh Luachra.

Tune no. 106, on page 62, where it is called The Londonbridge Hornpipe.

It is also known as the 2nd of two O'Keefe Hornpipes.

# Posted on October 27th 2005 by Ptarmigan

Showman sandwiched in

Eugene O'Donnell, on his classic "Slow Air & Set Dances" recording, plays "Showman's Fancy" (though not identified as such) as 2 parts of "The Derry Hornpipe."

# Posted on February 12th 2010 by terencepatrick

"The Showman's Fancy" ~ but not the take on it given here...

The given transcription is not any version I've known for it, though close, suggestive.

Much closer to how I've had it and played it is to be found in the lovely little collection known as "Allan's Irish Fiddler", one of the earliest collections I ever acquired, and valued, as all the transcriptions, as dots to, are decent ones, unlike some other collections I won't mention. You can find an online version of it here ~ but avoid the shight ABCs that 'Noteworthy Composer' spits out, which you'll also find here ~

http://www.oldmusicproject.com/
http://www.oldmusicproject.com/allans.html
& dots for "The Showman's Fancy" - hornpipe
http://www.oldmusicproject.com/AAAllans/GIF/084-showmansFancy.gif

Here are ABCs for the same, not processed through the mangle of 'Noteworthy Composer'. ;-) This is a good approximation of the basics I play, though I have some quirky takes on it, and throw in the occassional snap, possibly borrowings from others of the lovely family of swung tunes ~

X: 2
T: The Showman's Fancy Hornpipe
B: “Allan's Irish Fiddler”, Mozart Allen, Glasgow, date ?, page 21, tune #84
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: DMaj
|: (3FG^G |\
A>^GA>B A>df>d | B>dg>f e>dc>B | A>^GA>B A>FD>F | E>^DE>F E2 (3FG^G |
A>^GA>B A>df>d | B>dg>f e>dc>B | A>df>d g>ec>e | d>ed>c d2 :|
|: (3cd^d |\
e>^de>f g>ec>A | d>cd>e f>dA>f | (3gag (3fgf (3efe (3ded | (3cdc (3BcB A2 (3FG^G |
A>^GA>B A>df>d | B>dg>f e>dc>B | A>df>d g>e (3cBA | d2 d>c d2 :|

Some folks avoid the accidentals in the lead-ins, for example ~
|: (3EFG |\ ~ instead of ~ |: (3FG^G |\ ~ and ~ |: (3Bcd |\ ~ instead of ~ |: (3cd^d |\
I have given some gentle variations for the last two bars, which are options for either the A or the B part, which can be played any number of ways, including as given ~

~ | A>df>d g>ec>e | d>ed>c d2 :|
~ | A>df>d g>e (3cBA | d2 d>c d2 :|
~ | A>d (3fed (3gfe (3cBA | (3ded c>e d2 :|
~ | A2 f>d g2 c>B | A>dd>c d2 :|

Though I tend to finish the tune here, I find I tend to play a higher variation on a number of the bars, but suspect they are a borrowing from elsewhere, one I'm trying to remember...

# Posted on August 8th 2010 by ceolachan

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