Key signature: Eminor
Submitted on April 27th 2002 by Will CPT.
This tune has been added to 64 tunebooks.
Also known as The Burning Of The Piper's Hat, Burning The Piper's Hut, The Defaulter's March.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Burning Of The Piper's Hut, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
|:EFGA B4|BABd B2 AG|F2 D2 A2 D2|FGAB A2 GF|
EFGA B3 B|BABd B2 AG|F2 D2 B2 AG|F2 E2 E3 D:|
|:EFGA B~E3|d~E3 B2 AG|F2 D2 A2 D2|FGAB A2 GF|
EFGA B~E3|d~E3 B2 AG|F2 D2 B2 AG|F2 E2 E3 D:|
Burning of the Piper's Hut
I play this as a slow reel, almost at "air" pace, but I've also heard more forcible versions, played as a march or even just a notch below typical session speed (whatever that is) for a reel.
I've also played this in Am and in Bm, depending on what other instruments are joining in. I like Em for solo fiddle or D whistle or flute.
This is a bare bones setting. There are lots of places to put cut notes, rolls, even triplets, but the basic melody stands alone just fine. Learn it this way first and it will never let you down.
I've heard stories that this tune comes from the mid 1700s when England was actively stomping out the culture of the Scottish Highlands. Piping was illegal for a time. And I've heard bad jokes that the tune title came from a fiddler's wishful thinking....
# Posted on April 27th 2002 by Will CPT
thanks, will! i'd only heard the tune once & didn't want to learn one of those weird versions that happen when i only half-remember a tune i've heard.
your remark about the title being a fiddler's wishful thinking is very apt. that's the first thing that a fiddler friend said when i told her the title of the tune ...
sarah cardin
# Posted on April 27th 2002 by eleyne
Piper's hut
This tune is actually a 2/4 bagpipe march which has 4 parts and was originally set in the piping equivalent of Bm. It also appears in one collection under the title of "The Defaulter's March"
# Posted on April 29th 2002 by Kenny
The burning of the piper's hut
This is an old (mid 18th century?) Scottish reel that I have played for years on the fiddle in B minor. I have seen it notated in two books...Robin (Incredible String Band) Williamson's English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Fiddle Tunes and The Well Travelled Fiddler's Collection by Christine Martin and Anne Hughes. Williamson's setting is two parts which, according to the uillean piper in the band I play in, is pushing it a bit as the B tune is (according to him) identical to the A part from the odd random triplet: and the second setting is in four!! parts which reduced him to hilarity.
Perhaps they were right about pipers.
If you want to hear a recording check out the website of Siansa (the band I play in in London)...www.siansa.com. and there is a 60 second sound bite of this tune played as an air and then a reel. It is a great tune and always gets feet tapping at gigs.
# Posted on May 14th 2002 by Geoff Pollitt
The Burning of the Piper's Hat
I've heard a slightly different version of this tune on a recording by a group called "tiompan" (recorded in Gretna Green), which was actually called "the burning of the piper's HAT" instead of "hut". I'll try to put this variation on the site asap. It's mainly different in it's second part, but is a fantastic tune. The recording begins very slow and simple with only a hammer dulcimer and slowly builds up adding more chords and instruments and speeds up more and more. I usually play it preceded by an Israeli tune called "Hatikvah", and followed by the melody of "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy"...
# Posted on April 27th 2005 by Killakee
"The Burning of the Piper's Hut" ~ march
One of Nigel Gatherer's many appreciated offerings:
http://www.nigelgatherer.com/whistle/tut_8/8-4.html
# Posted on February 16th 2006 by ceolachan
4 parts
"ceolachan" has asked me about the other 2 parts of this tune, and I will post them in abc form in the next week or so.
The 4-part version can be found in the Willie Ross Collection Vol.4 or thecollection by the Royal Scottish Piper's Society. It is called "The Defaulter's March" in "The Glendaruel Collection" by W.Norris.
# Posted on February 16th 2006 by Kenny
Thanks Kenny ~ more pertinent and valued information... I look forward to giving that 4-parter a go...
# Posted on February 17th 2006 by ceolachan
P.S. ~ what's the earliest date you have for this tune?
# Posted on February 17th 2006 by ceolachan
Willie Ross
ceolachan - I tried to find out when Willie Ross's books were published, using "Google" , and although I haven't found out yet [ I do have 3 of his books at home, and will check ] - I came across this:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/rja14/music/
Haven't time to check it out at the moment , but looks promising.
The first time I heard this tune was on an LP recorded live at a Breton traditional music festival, possibly Lorient ,in the early 70s, but it's a good deal older than that. I seem to remember they called it "Marche de la Pluie", which I think was a name made up on the spot because it was raining when they did the live recording.
I'll try to get on the transcription this weekend.
# Posted on February 17th 2006 by Kenny
Basic abcs
Here’s the basic “abcs” for the 4-part version, known as the “Defaulter’s March”. I haven’t bothered to put in the “>” marks to show dotted notes. The additional third and fourth parts don’t really add much to the basic tune, as they’re only minor variations on the first two bars, but it nevertheless may be of interest to some of you.
Bcde f4 | f2 a2 f2 ed | c2 A2 e2 A2 | c2 ef eAcA |
Bcde f4 | f2 a2 f2 ed | c2 A2 f2 c2 |c2 B2 B4 :|
Bcde f2 B2 | a2 B2 f2 ed | c2 A2 e2 A2 | c2 ef eAcA |
Bcde f2 B2 | a2 B2 f2 ed | c2 A2 f2 c2 | c2 B2 B4 :|
Bcde fBce | aBce f2 ed | c2 A2 e2 A2 | c2 ef eAcA |
Bcde fBce | aBce f2 ed | c2 A2 f2 c2 | c2 B2 B4 :|
Bcde fBBB | aBBB fBBB | cAAA eAAA | c2 ef eAcA |
Bcde fBBB | aBBB f2 ed | c2 A2 f2 c2 | c2 B2 B4 :|
# Posted on February 26th 2006 by Kenny
Much appreciated Kenny, thanks again. I look forward to anything on the date for it you might dredge up. My curiosity is because this was one of the first tunes I was ever taught, and just my usual unending curiosity and frustration, like not being able to remember who taught it to me or the 'where' of it.
# Posted on February 26th 2006 by ceolachan
Your 4-part transcription struck a memory ~ I'd first learned this from a piper...
# Posted on February 26th 2006 by ceolachan
"Ross's Music Page & the 'Pastoral Pipes of the 18th Century"
WOW! ~ What a link, as offered by Kenny above, what a treasure trove... Kenny! ~ no, I won't get all soppy and sentimental here, just another thanks...
# Posted on February 26th 2006 by ceolachan