Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on October 12th 2002 by Trevor Jennings.
This tune has been added to 13 tunebooks.
Also known as Pete's Peerie Boat, Peter Peerie's Boat.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Peter's Peerie Boat
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
d2d D2D|EFG ABc|d2d Bed|cAA ABc|
d2d D2D|EFG ABc|d2d AGE|FDD D2A:|
|:d2d f2d|c2c e2c|B2B dcB|A3 F2F|
GFG BAG|F2A d2z|E2G B2z|C2E A2z|
dcd fed|cBc edc|B2B dcB|A3 F2F|
GFG BAG|F2A a2g|fed Adc|d3 D3:||
Peter's Peerie Boat (jig)
I came across this delightful little jig recently in a workshop. I believe it was composed by Tom Anderson. It is unusual in that it is one of the few tunes I didn't have any problems in learning! I think it would be an ideal tune for a children's workshop. The first 4 bars in part 2 remind me of a children's song - "Nellie the Elephant"(?).
Someone in the workshop suggested the effective little rests in bars 6-8 of part 2.
# Posted on October 12th 2002 by Trevor Jennings
Peter Peerie Boat
Yes,its a good Shetland jig.
Noel Jackson
Angels of the North
# Posted on October 12th 2002 by noelbats
You can find a version of this played on "Straight from the Fingers" by the Bursledon Village Band. (WGS 301 CD). It's paired with "The Piper's Poodle".
# Posted on April 29th 2010 by Innocent Bystander
Peter Peerie's Boat
@Trevor - this is a tune that I've known for years - although I haven't played it recently.
I'm fairly certain that "Peter Peerie's Boat" the correct title of it - particulary as when I submitted the latter as an "alt title", it threw up three session.org recordings!
# Posted on March 2nd 2012 by Mix O'Lydian
Correction
Sorry - my mistake - just one additional recording (Alistair Anderson).
So I guess that either title might be correct.
# Posted on March 2nd 2012 by Mix O'Lydian
Peerie = small (peedie in Orkney). I've not come across anyone with the surname "Peerie" - but "Pirie" is common up north. Anyway, it is a Tam Anderson tune, apparently written about a particular boat Peter Leith, a member of his band, was selling.
# Posted on March 2nd 2012 by Weejie
Thanks for setting the record straight, Weejie. I stand corrected,
The Alistair Anderson recording (submitted by session.org member Nikita Pfister) is available from this Internet supplier:
http://www.alistairanderson.com/cds/1987-grand-chain.htm
... and in the track list it does say: "Peter's Peerie Boat"
So it rather looks like Nikita made a typo when submitting the recording. At least I wasn't the only one to get it wrong!
Interesting article in the Internet version of the Caledonian Mercury on the meaning of the word "Peerie":
http://heritage.caledonianmercury.com/2012/02/01/useful-scots-word-peerie/003468
A second Scots meaning of "peerie" is given as "a child's spinning top"
I suppose that a small boat on a rough sea could be likened to a spinning top - although that seems less likely.
But - either way - Peter's Peerie Boat it is!
# Posted on March 3rd 2012 by Mix O'Lydian
We were having a conversation in a Norwegian language class about the origin of the Orcadian variant "peedie". A Danish friend of mine had suggested previously that it might be linked to the word "bitte" - which is generally used alongside "liten" [norsk] or "lille" [dansk] to describe something extra small. The pronunciation in Danish is close to "bidda". It certainly became food for thought. "Peerie" as a variant makes it a little more questionable, but doesn't write it off.
# Posted on March 3rd 2012 by Weejie
-ie
This is something that has passed over into general use in English, but which we just take for granted, as in names ~ Mick-ie, Sall-ie, Jul-ie, Dann-ie, etc... Meaning 'small'...
# Posted on March 3rd 2012 by ceolachan
Sehr gut, Ceolchen.....
# Posted on March 3rd 2012 by Weejie