The Hills Of Glenorchy

jig

Key signature: Edorian

Submitted on July 16th 2002 by slainte.

This tune has been added to 96 tunebooks.

Also known as Hills Of Glen Orchy, Hills Of Glenorchy, The Hillside, The Jolly Corkonian, Over The Hills, Wild Hills O'Wannie, The Wild Hills O'Wannie, Wild Hills O'Wannies, The Wild Hills O'Wannies, Wild Hills Of Wannies.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

40th Anniversary 1946 - 1986 by The Tulla Ceili Band
A Cape Breton Piper by Barry Shears
Atlantic Fiddles by Various Artists
Back To The Hills by Kathryn Tickell
Birlin' Fiddles by J. Wrigley, A. Henderson, J. Legge, And S. Wright
Crosswinds by Capercaillie
Harvest Home by Filska
Hi (TM) How Are You Today? by Ashley MacIsaac
Milestone At The Garden by Irish Fiddle Masters From The 78 RPM Era
Overland by Randal Bays And Daithi Sproule
Strange But True by Kathryn Tickell
The Border Minstrel by Billy Pigg
The Heart Of Cape Breton by Various Artists
The Northumbrian Small Pipes by Various Artists
The Tap Room Trio by Tap Room Trio
Under The Diamond by Liz And Yvonne Kane
Up In The Air by Jonny Hardie And Gavin Marwick With Davy Cattanach

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Hills of Glenorchy

This is a fine traditional Scottish jig and popular especially among fiddlers. I'm not sure if it's already been introduced to Irish musicians, but it seems equally appealing to them.

# Posted on July 18th 2002 by slainte

I've just found this tune is being played in Ireland as "Over the Hills." I heard it in Galway just a few weeks ago and just before now noticed it is on Tap Room Trio album. I'm just listening to the sample through the web page of Claddagh Records but will get the CD soon. Really sounds great.

It seems the fiddlers in Scotland and Cape Breton often play this jig in A dor.

# Posted on January 16th 2004 by slainte

Over the Hills: the Irish Setting in Ador

I've just learned the Irish version of this great Scottish jig off the recording of the Tap Room Trio. Here it is:

X: 1
T: Over the Hills
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Ador
efe ABA|ede g2e|ded G2G|BGB d2g|
efe ABA|ede g2b|age dBG|A3 A3:|
a3 a3|agb age|g3 g3|gef gfe|
a3 a3|agb age|gfg dBG|1. ABA efg:|2. ABA g2f||
"Variation"
efe ~A3|ede gfe|ded ~G3|BGB dgf|
efe ~A3|ede gab|age dBG|1. ~A3 ABd:|2. ~A3 A2g||
~a3 age|agb age|~g3 ged|gfg bag|
~a3 age|agb age|~g3 dBG|1. ~A3 A2g:|2. ~A3 ABd||

Harry Bradley informs us that the tune "Over the Hills" comes from the playing of Donegal fiddler Cornelius Boyle and is a variation on the song air "The Rollicking Boys of Tanderagee."

The variation below is my own, somewhat influenced by the original Scottish setting. (The Edor version posted here is also my own, though.) The Edor version is a little melancholic, but the Ador one is cheerful and more fun to play, especially Harry Bradley's version. Well, we can choose. Maybe it's nice to play both settings in one and the same set with Gmaj or Dmaj tune in between.

# Posted on April 10th 2004 by slainte

The Tap Room Trio Version

Here is the more accurate transcription of the Trio's playing of the tune. More accurate, I mean it may not be exactly the same.

K: Ador
efe ABA | ede g2 e | ded GAG | BGB d2 g |
efe ABA | ede g2 b | age dBG | A3 A3:|
a3 a2 b | agb age | g3 g2 a | gef gfe |
a3 a2 b | agb age | gfg dBG |1 ABA efg:|2 ABA g2 f||

# Posted on June 14th 2004 by slainte

Also known as 'The Wild Hills O'Wannie(s)'

This tune appears as "The Wild Hills O'Wannie" on the CD "NOrthumbrian Small Pipes", and as "The Wild Hills O'Wannies" on Bob Ballantine's whistle CD "Northumbria Down Under".
Bob, now residing in Victoria, Australia notes in his CD liner notes:
"My father (Billy Ballantine 1891-1971) made this tune popular in the 1940s-50s on "Wot Cheor Geordie"... and "Barndance",... regular radio shows in Northumbria in the 1940s and 50s. The Wannies are a group of hills in central Northumberland, and words were written to this tune by a homesick Northumbrian living in Canada. My father possessed these words, lent them to a group of Serenaders, and never saw them again."

# Posted on January 27th 2005 by GraemeO

The Hills of Glenorchy (aka. Over the Hills)

According to Harry Bradley, this tune is related to the melody of the song "The Rolling Boys of Tanderagee": http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/1392 I suspect "The Apples in Winter" is a variant of it and found an interesting setting of the well-known tune in this site: http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/1395

There are numerous versions of the tune even in Scotland. It seems pipers usually play simpler settings in Ador. The Donegal version Harry Bradley recently recorded with Jesse Smith is very similar to the Cape Breton version recorded by Ashley MacIsaac and Buddy MacMaster.

As said above, the setting posted here is my own, but it's mostly based on the Shetland group Filka's playing.

# Posted on February 1st 2005 by slainte

P.S.

Kane Sisters recently recorded the tune as "The Jolly Corkonian." You can listen to them playing it: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thelatesession/rams/17october.ram The set starts around 31:00.

# Posted on February 1st 2005 by slainte

"The Rigged Ship" ~ duplication

Key signature: e minor
Submitted on June 9th 2005 by Gallopede.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/4580

# Posted on December 27th 2005 by ceolachan

"Ellen O'Dwyer's Slide" ~ a shared beginning, the A-Part

Key signature: A Dorian
Submitted on November 7th 2005 by Ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/5164

# Posted on January 13th 2006 by ceolachan

Similar to this USA tune I submitted....

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5860

# Posted on October 20th 2006 by Sean MacOda Criobhan

Quickstep, not a Jig

I think the earliest source is James S Kerr, who may even have wrote it. Anyway, the important point is it's listed as a quickstep, not a jig. Does anyone know how traditional quicksteps used to be danced, and whether faster/slower, jerkier, or whatever?

# Posted on September 24th 2007 by Fingerpicker

3's ~ basically ~ you could do a tune search here on site, just enter 'quickstep' and then you could compare the results... As the quickstep came into favour a lot of jigs were put the the business, but frankly, Mr. Kerr aside, who I doubt had anything to do with this tune aside from putting it in his collection, ain't a great quickstep. It makes a much better jig... 'Quickstep' refers to the steps and the dancing, and jigs weren't the only thing put to the purpose of accompanying this form...

# Posted on September 24th 2007 by ceolachan

"The Hillside" ~ another duplication rescued?

The Hillside ~ Don't know where it is from or if anyone plays it but it's a nice little tune. I think it's Irish. In the second part I thinks its got a dotted rhythm but I don't know where. Hope you like it.

# Posted on September 23rd 2007 by Nicky.B

According to the Fiddler's Companion it's in Mike Raven's book of English dance tunes (by this title).

# Posted on September 23rd 2007 by Dow

# Posted on September 26th 2007 by ceolachan

Close Match Here

This is very similar to "The peeler's away with my daughter"

That tune is in A minor

Here it is:

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6541

# Posted on October 17th 2007 by D.J.F.

The Hills of Glenorchy

Have just listened to a great rendition of this tune on a CD my mum just sent me for Xmas from Scotland: Best of Scottish Fiddle, by Arc Music. Fiddlers Gavin Marwick (The Iron Horse band) and Jonny Hardie (Old Blind Dogs band). The tune is played as an air but is usually a jig.

# Posted on December 26th 2007 by jinksy