James Hill (folk musician)
Encyclopedia
James Hill was a British
fiddler-composer and publican who lived in Newcastle and Gateshead for most or all of his short life. He is famous as the composer of many fine common-time hornpipe
s for fiddle, including The High Level Bridge, The Beeswing, The Hawk and The Omnibus. He was sufficiently well-known that many other tunes by others, such as Blaydon Flats, were also mistakenly attributed to him.
He was of much more than local importance. The Newcastle style of hornpipe, of which he was the best-known exponent, became the model for many later 19th century examples. Many of his tunes, particularly The High Level Bridge and The Beeswing became well-known wherever hornpipes were played - both of these were published in Ryan's Mammoth Collection, which was first published in Boston in 1884.
A book, The Lads like Beer, published by Graham Dixon of Wallace Music, contained all his known tunes, but is now out of print. The Fiddle Music of James Hill, (ISBN 0-902510-27-4), a collection of Hill's compositions and other tunes, transposed into keys suitable for Northumbrian smallpipes
, has recently been published by the Northumbrian Pipers' Society. Some of the early manuscript sources for his music may be viewed in facsimile on the FARNE archive.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
fiddler-composer and publican who lived in Newcastle and Gateshead for most or all of his short life. He is famous as the composer of many fine common-time hornpipe
Hornpipe
The term hornpipe refers to any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain and elsewhere from the late 17th century until the present day. It is said that hornpipe as a dance began around the 16th century on English sailing vessels...
s for fiddle, including The High Level Bridge, The Beeswing, The Hawk and The Omnibus. He was sufficiently well-known that many other tunes by others, such as Blaydon Flats, were also mistakenly attributed to him.
He was of much more than local importance. The Newcastle style of hornpipe, of which he was the best-known exponent, became the model for many later 19th century examples. Many of his tunes, particularly The High Level Bridge and The Beeswing became well-known wherever hornpipes were played - both of these were published in Ryan's Mammoth Collection, which was first published in Boston in 1884.
A book, The Lads like Beer, published by Graham Dixon of Wallace Music, contained all his known tunes, but is now out of print. The Fiddle Music of James Hill, (ISBN 0-902510-27-4), a collection of Hill's compositions and other tunes, transposed into keys suitable for Northumbrian smallpipes
Northumbrian smallpipes
The Northumbrian smallpipes are bellows-blown bagpipes from the North East of England.In a survey of the bagpipes in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University, the organologist Anthony Baines wrote: It is perhaps the most civilized of the bagpipes, making no attempt to go farther than the...
, has recently been published by the Northumbrian Pipers' Society. Some of the early manuscript sources for his music may be viewed in facsimile on the FARNE archive.
See also
- Beeswing (horse), the ThoroughbredThoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse after which the hornpipe was named