The Session >> Tunes >> Far From Home (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Far From Home

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on November 29th 2002 by lazyhound.

This tune has been added to 194 tunebooks.

Also known as Far Frae Hame, Johnny Todd, Patsy Hanley's, Tom Billy's, The Windy Gap .

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Far From Home
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|:GEDE G3A|B2BA Bcd2|GEDE G3B|AGAB AGE2|
GEDE G2GA|B2BA Bcd2|edef gedc|BGAF G4:|
|:g3e f3d|edef edB2|gedB G2GB|AGAB AGE2|
GEDE G2GA|B3A Bcd2|edef gedc|BGAF G4:||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
Far From Home sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

From a New England collection. This is one of those beguiling reel tunes that is spoiled by too much speed.

# Posted on November 29th 2002 by lazyhound

There is also a slightly ornamented version in O'Neill (#1261), apparently credited to Francis O'Neill.

# Posted on November 29th 2002 by lazyhound

This is the first tune I ever learned. It remains one of my favorites. The tune is usually played at an even pace, but the Chieftains kick it up on Water From The Well with the Kilfenora Ceili Band. Laurence (Larry) Nugent plays this tune slowly with a Bb flute on The Windy Gap album. He also calls this tune The Windy Gap.

# Posted on November 29th 2002 by SPeak

Origins

I was always under the impression this was a Shetland tune. Does anyone know for sure?

# Posted on November 29th 2002 by Dow

Dow - I can't say I'm any surer than you are, but as far as I know it does originate from shetland. Like a number of other Shetland tunes, it has become integrated into the repertoire of many Irish players, but it is surprising that it was being played by Irish musicians - and Chicago Irish musicians, at that - as early as Francis O'Neill's time.

# Posted on November 30th 2002 by OrganicPeatCreature

Recorded Version

I first heard this tune paired with a song called Johnny Somethingorother (the chorus starts "Weep nae more, my own sweet Jeannie/Lay your bairn upon your knee") performed by Ossian. The song has a similar melody, which they sing, and then kick up the tempo to perform "Far From Home." I looked it up in O'Neil's, and was pleased to find it there in more or less the same version as the record.

# Posted on May 28th 2004 by Ailin

It's Johnny Todd

it's Johnny Todd, peformed by Ossian, with additonal words by the late Tony Cuffe

# Posted on December 16th 2004 by allan21

Set

This tune goes great with the Banshee, too.

# Posted on August 13th 2005 by paratroopers

PJ Hernon plays the tune as Patsy Hanley's

PJ Hernon plays this tune on his B/C button accordion instruction video under the name Patsy Hanley's.

# Posted on September 1st 2005 by nemethmik

Also played in A.
Isn't it a shetland tune?

# Posted on September 1st 2005 by gian marco

Far From Home

There is an impression that this tune is from Shetland, but as far as I can see there is no evidence for that. I think there are two reasons for this misconception: 1) The Boys of the Lough and Tom Anderson recorded it in a set of Shetland reels, and 2) it SOUNDS like a Shetland tune. In my research, its origin is O'Neill.

# Posted on December 15th 2005 by nigelg

"New England Fiddler's Repertoire"

by Randy Miller and Jack Perron, first published in 1983.

http://www.randymillerprints.com/fiddletunebooks.htm

Page 86: "Far From Home"

# Posted on March 10th 2006 by ceolachan

Far from Home

Always liked this tune and I find it hard to play it without throwing in The Green Fields of America after it

# Posted on July 17th 2007 by Free Reed

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