The Session >> Tunes >> Hammy Hamilton's (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Hammy Hamilton's

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on December 23rd 2003 by whistlemanhimself.

This tune has been added to 48 tunebooks.

Also known as The Ould House, Paddy Fahey's, Paddy Fahy's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Hammy Hamilton's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
BG~G2 BdcA|~B3d cAFG|AGGF GBdg|fgaf gedc|
BG~G2 BdcA|~B3d cAFG|AGGF GBdg|1fgaf g3c:|2fgaf gfga||
|:bg~g2 dg~g2|fdcA FGAc|dggf gedc|dgfa gfga|
bg~g2 dg~g2|fdcA FGAc|dggf gedc|1dgfa g3a:|2dgfa gedc||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
Hammy Hamilton's sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

This is how tunes get named after people

According to Cathal McConnell in his Pennywhistle Tutor, if someone teaches you a tune, and that person doesn't know the name of it, and you don't have a name for it and nobody around you has a name for it, you name it after the person that taught it to you.

This tune is pretty popular here in Los Angeles. Hammy Hamilton taught the tune to Frank Simpson, who then taught it to a small handful of others and so forth. Nobody knows the name, so we just call it "The Reel of Hammy." It's a tasty little tune that's best served at a medium tempo with a creamy dollop of lilt to sweeten it up. It's a little tricky on the flute (at least it is for me, with the B rolls and those cross fingered c-naturals), but it's just such a happy little tune, that it's well worth the practice.

# Posted on December 23rd 2003 by whistlemanhimself

Fahy's

This looks to me like a version of one of Paddy Fahy's reels. I have an RTE recording of Gary Hastings playing it - he called it "The Ould House". Nigel de Boullier, from Belfast, told me it was written in F. It's been recorded several times recently, by Kevin Crawford, for one. I've just looked through the database for "Fahy's". This tune is already in it twice - submitted by Zina, in E, and by Josh Kane, in D. Seems to be popular in any key. Flute players - including Gary Hastings , prefer it in G.

# Posted on December 23rd 2003 by Kenny

Re: Fahy's

I found it on Kevin Crawford's CD "In Good Company," just like you said. Thanks for the info, Kenny!

# Posted on December 24th 2003 by whistlemanhimself

The Kane Sisters

This was also recorded as the first track on the Kane Sister's eponymous CD

# Posted on December 28th 2003 by Conán McDonnell

More info

if you visit this link you can see the sheet music for the tune and hear (confusingly) another Paddy Fahey tune.

# Posted on December 28th 2003 by Conán McDonnell

Erm... the link!

http://www.thekanesisters.com/hear.htm#paddy1

# Posted on December 28th 2003 by Conán McDonnell

Other versions in D and E are @ http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/492 & http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/968

# Posted on May 30th 2005 by Dr. Dow

see interesting comment by slainte on this and The Fairy reel in G at: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2944

# Posted on May 24th 2010 by birlibirdie

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