Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Madame Bonaparte

hornpipe

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on January 4th 2004 by Aidan Crossey.

This tune has been added to 185 tunebooks.

Also known as Bonaparte's Advance, Madam Bonaparte.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Across The Waters - Irish Traditional Music From England by Various Artists
Back To The Hills by Kathryn Tickell
Ceol Rince by Sean Maguire
Ceolta Seisiún Na HÉireann / Irish Session Tunes: The Red Book by Matt Cranitch And Friends
Down The Ivory Stairs by Padraic O'Reilly
Drops Of Brandy by Sean McAloon And John Rea
Fire In The Kitchen by The Chieftains
Flagstone Memories by Andrew Mac Namara, Orla Harrington And Jim Higgins
Fonn Le Fonn by Tomas O'Ceannabhain
Irish Madness by Kierah
Irish Piano Magic by J.J. Sheridan
Irish Traditional Pipe Music by Finbar Furey
Jiggin' The Blues by Frankie Gavin, Rick Epping And Tim Edey
Just For Gordon by Gordon Duncan
Just For Seumas by Gordon Duncan
Millhouse Measures by The Raw Bar Collective
Mouthorgan by Will Atkinson
My Love Is In America by David Power
New Century - Irish Music by Ronan Le Bars And Nicolas Quéméner
Piper's Dream by Jack Brennan
Reunion Concert: Fleadh Nua 2001 by All-Ireland Céilí Band Champions
Short Stories by Grainne Murphy
Songs Of The Irish Whistle 2 by Joanie Madden
Take A Bow by Matt Cranitch
The Best Ever Traditional Irish Pub Session Volume Two by Various Artists
The Border Minstrel by Billy Pigg
The Daisy Field by Claire Keville
The Floating Bow (Traditional Fiddle Music From Donegal) by John Doherty
The Gallowglass Ceili Band by The Gallowglass Ceili Band
The Irish Fiddler by Sean Maguire
The King Of The Pipers by Leo Rowsome
The Master Pipers Volume 2 by Tommy Kearney
Tom McHale: All Ireland Whistling Champion At Boyle by Tom McHale
Traditional Irish Dance Rhythms by Various Artists
Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 2 by Sean Ryan And Peter Carberry
Troublesome Things by Brendan Ring
Where Old Ghosts Meet by Aidan Crossey
Whistle Wizardry by Vinnie Kilduff

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Madame Bonaparte

This is a very basic setting of a set dance - commonly played in hornpipe time - but also played as a reel. It's also commonly played in Amajor. Two cracking versions - among many - are Finbar Furey's highly ornamented pipe version (a recording I want played at some point during my funeral!), essentially the "hornpipe in G" and John Doherty's which follows "The Spirits Of Wine" and is the "reel in A" version.

# Posted on January 4th 2004 by Aidan Crossey

Madam bonaprte -reel

brendan RIng has a snippet of this played as a reel on his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/brendanring

# Posted on June 25th 2007 by spindizzy

Didn't like

# Posted on June 25th 2007 by Dr. Dow

M. Bonaparte

Dow, I always play the hornpipe version and had never heard it any other way - so at least this is an example of the reel version - would you say this isn't typical - as said I've no idea what it should sound like?

Chris

# Posted on June 25th 2007 by spindizzy

There's a vid of Simon Thoumire playing it as a reel on YouTube too, so I don't think it can be that uncommon to play it that way. I personally think it sounds horrible like that, but that's just my personal taste.

# Posted on June 25th 2007 by Dr. Dow

yeh Aiden I know that version by Finbar Furey..makes the hair stand up on the back of the neck..

# Posted on July 27th 2007 by hakanozel

Finbar Furey's Version

X: 1
T: Madam Bonaparte
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
|: d^c=c | B2 BA (3Bcd BG | c2 cB cdcA | GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
(3Bcd BG (3Bcd BG | cBcd eFFE | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
|: B2 BA (3Bcd BG | c2 cB cdcA | GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
(3Bcd BG (3Bcd BG | cBcd ef (3gfe | (3gfe dB cAFA | G2 GA G2 BA ||
|: GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA | GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd ad (3Bcd ad | (3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd fd fd fd |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | cBcd ef (3gfe | (3gfe dB cAFA | G2 GA G2 BA ||
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd ad (3Bcd ad | (3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd fd fd fd |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | cBcd eFFE | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
|: B2 BA BdBG | c2 cB cdcA | GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
B2 BA (3Bcd BG | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
B2 BA BdBG | c2 cB cdcA | B2 BA BdBG | A2 AG AcBA |
B2 BA BdBG | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
|: GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA | GA (3Bcd b2 (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd ad (3Bcd ad | (3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd Fd Fd Fd |
(3Bcd (3Bcd (3Bcd (3Bcd | cBcd egge | (3gfe dB cAFA | G2 GA G2 BA ||
GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA | GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd ad (3Bcd ad | (3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd fd fd fd |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
|: BB Gd BB Gd | cc Ad cc Ad | BB Gd BB Gd | A3G AcBA |
BB Gd BB Gd | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
|: BB Gd BB Gd | cc Ad cc Ad | BB Gd BB Gd | A3G AcBA |
BB Gd BB Gd | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
B2 BA (3Bcd BG | c2 cB cdcA | GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
(3Bcd BG (3Bcd BG | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
B2 BA BdBG | c2 cB cdcA | B2 BA BdBG | A2 AG AcBA |
B2 BA BdBG | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA | GA (3Bcd gd (3gfe | d2 fe dcBA |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd ad (3Bcd ad | (3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd fd fd fd |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd ad (3Bcd ad | (3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | (3Bcd fd fd fd |
(3Bcd gd (3Bcd gd | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
|: BB Gd BB Gd | cc Ad cc Ad | BB Gd BB Gd | A3G AcBA |
BB Gd BB Gd | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||
|: BB Gd BB Gd | cc Ad cc Ad | BB Gd BB Gd | A3G AcBA |
BB Gd BB Gd | cBcd egge | dB B2 BA A2 | AGGA G2 dc ||

# Posted on September 24th 2007 by JACKB

Madame Bonaparte

I love the version of this tune played by the Canadian group Leahy on the CD "Fire in the Kitchen". I find it to be a very haunting melody.

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by newfiegirl

Madame Bonaparte - is there a "standard"

I've known a version of this tune for years, but several things have struck me. Firstly, there seem to be at least 2 different versions of the "B" music. One version locked into the Irish tradition and the other seemingly favoured by Northumbrian musicians - am I right? Secondly, is it played as a Hornpipe or a set dance - in terms of its structure? Are there any oracles out there that can confirm / dismiss my thoughts?

# Posted on October 15th 2010 by ormepipes

Re: Madame Bonaparte - is there a "standard"

All of the above.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2344

# Posted on October 15th 2010 by oldstrings

Re: Madame Bonaparte - is there a "standard"

think its a set dance

# Posted on October 15th 2010 by banjo'd

Re: Madame Bonaparte - is there a "standard"

http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/653
Recommend the above version - track 4.
"The Chieftains" also do a fine version on the "Bonaparte's Retreat" album, as I recall.

# Posted on October 15th 2010 by Kenny

Re: Madame Bonaparte - is there a "standard"

PS - the Chieftains version, might be "standard", Finbar's certainly isn't - it's a virtuoso showpiece.

# Posted on October 15th 2010 by Kenny

Fantastic (addictive) version

Check out Millhouse Measures http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/3937 with Conal O'Grada on flute. Their treatment of this tune is as addictive as candy corn at halloween. Just such tasty, pulsy music. They play a higher key than what's here, but it's not too hard to mentally transpose on whistle, once the melody has burned indelibly into your memory. What great stuff.

# Posted on October 10th 2011 by the mad greek