• Home
  • About Vi
    • Bio
      • Short Bio
      • Full Bio
    • Resume
    • Testimonials
    • Fiddle Lessons
    • Workshops
  • Projects
    • Fritto Misto
    • The Band
    • Fiddle Whamdiddle
    • String Theory Project
    • New Tune Challenge
  • Blog
    • Fiddle Tune a Day
    • Quick Tip of The Week
    • Videos
    • Workshops
  • Shop
    • Albums
    • Singles
    • Digital Downloads
      • Armadillo On a Hot Tin Roof
      • Fiddle Tune a Day
      • I’d Love to Live in Loveland – Digital Download
      • Long Time Comin’
      • Old School Old Time
      • Someone Like You
      • ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
    • Books
    • Sheet Music
    • Tickets
    • Violins
  • Calendar
  • Contact
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Twitter

Vi Wickam

Champion Fiddler, Inspired Performer

You are here: Home / Fiddling / Fiddle Tune a Day / Bee’s Wings Hornpipe – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 170

June 19, 2012

Bee’s Wings Hornpipe – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 170

There’s really nothing in life quite like pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, and fiddle tune a day has been a great way for me to do this. We got today’s tune in just under the wire. It was recorded at 11:46PM with me, Lydia, Terry Ludiker, and Bob Gardner. We pulled it off just under the wire, thanks to Megan Lynch’s amazing video camera work. It was cold and late, so what better way to expand the boundaries of my comfort zone than to play one of the hardest Bb Hornpipe’s that I know. So we played Bee’s Wings Hornpipe, which is a beast, if I do say so myself.

I first heard Bee’s Wings as part of a medley on a Danita Rast (now Gardner) cassette tape. The other tune in the medley was Good for the Tongue. Danita really rocked these tunes, and I am pretty sure that this medley was the beginning of my fascination with Bb hornpipes.

 

 

Bee’s Wing according to Fiddler’s Companion

BEE’S WING HORNPIPE. AKA ‑ “The Bee’s Wing.” English (originally), Scottish, Canadian, Irish; Hornpipe or Clog. Canada, Cape Breton. B Flat Major. Standard tuning. AABB (Brody, Cole, Cranford/Holland, McNulty): AABBCCDD’ (Hunter). Composed by the 19th century Gateshead (near Newcastle), northern England, composer James Hill, originally born in Dundonia, Scotland (nicknamed the “Newcastle Paganini”). The “Bee’s Wing” has become in modern times one of the most popular Scottish fiddle hornpipes. It is attributed to Hill in Kohler’s Violin Repository and was named after a famous Newcastle racehorse, a mare. Bee’s Wing was foaled in 1833, sired by Dr. Syntax (1811-1838), a champion in his own right, and was bred by William Orde, a former Member of Parliament who had inherited an estate at Nunnykirk, near Morpeth, Northumberland.  Bee’s Wing won the Newcastle Gold Cup six times, the Doncaster Gold Cup four times, and the Ascot Gold Cup in 1842—in her career she started 64 times and won an astounding 51 races. So great was her fame that when she retired in 1842, to be put to pasture as a broodmare at Nunnykirk, Northumberland, the whole town of Morpeth turned out to greet her on her return.  A local pub was renamed in her honor (and it is possible the tune was named with the pub in mind, as well as the racehorse). [Ed: for more on Bee’s Wing see http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/BeesWing.html]. A note in Ryan’s/Cole’s indicates the tune “can be used as a clog.” “The Bee’s Wing” is one of the tunes sometimes requested of Shetland fiddlers because “anything composed in a flat key is considered to be a real test of a fiddler’s ability” (Cooke, 1986). Irish fiddler Sean Maguire composed a famous set of variations to Hill’s melody. See also O’Neill’s related “Southern Shore.” Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 39. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 91. Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 55, pg. 23. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 337.Kohler’s Violin Repository (Edinburgh), 1881-1885. McNulty (Dance Music of Ireland), 1965; pg. 23. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; pg. 126. Olympic 6151, Arthur Robertson‑ “Scottish Traditional Fiddle Music” (1978). Rounder 7005, Carl Mackenzie‑ “Welcome To Your Feet Again.” Rounder RO 7023, Natalie MacMaster – “No Boundaries” (1996. Learned from Dave MacIsaac). Viva W103, Sean McGuire – “Irish Jigs and Reels” (c. 1960’s, a reissue of “Sean Maguire Plays,” the first recording of McGuire that Josephine Keegan accompanied on piano). Voyager 320‑S, Frank Ferrel‑ “Fiddle Tunes.”

Article by Vi Wickam / Fiddle Tune a Day, Fiddling, Videos / bb hornpipe, cape breton, Day, fiddle, fiddle tune, Scottish, scottish fiddle, tune, video camera work, Wings 9 Comments

online fiddle lessons

Featured Products

  • Old School Old Time Book - Fiddle Whamdiddle Old School Old Time - Book/eBook Combo $59.90 $44.95
  • Fast Fiddle Fitness Violin eBook Fast Fiddle Fitness - Violin Book $19.95
  • Master Scale System - Violin Book/eBook COMBO $35.90 $29.95
  • Old School Old Time Book - Fiddle Whamdiddle Old School Old Time - Book/CD Combo $49.95 $44.95
  • Master Scale System - Violin eBook with Audio $11.95

Comments

  1. Joan says

    September 28, 2013 at 1:28 am

    I love this! I’ve been replaying it over and over!

    Reply
    • Vi Wickam says

      September 30, 2013 at 4:45 pm

      Thank you Joan! You just made me smile.

      Reply
  2. Patrick Dooley says

    January 25, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    Really nice Vi…and Lydia playing with her coat on sounded great…the only thing I didn’t like was when your eyes glowed in the dark- I had to look away.

    Reply
    • Vi Wickam says

      January 27, 2014 at 8:34 am

      Haha. It was really starting to cool off, but we had to get the tune in before midnight. I must have really been crazy to attempt Bee’s Wings with cold fingers. I hope I didn’t scare you too bad. 😉

      Reply
  3. Michael Friedman says

    June 1, 2014 at 1:46 pm

    Excellent musical performance !

    Reply
  4. Vi Wickam says

    June 25, 2014 at 8:19 pm

    There's no minute like the last minute. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Francis Meador says

    July 18, 2014 at 3:52 pm

    Nice!

    Reply
  6. Vi Wickam says

    July 28, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    It's a tricky one, eh?

    Reply
  7. Vi Wickam says

    July 28, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    It's a tricky one, eh?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Swinging at the Savoy

Get Swinging at the Savoy NOW.

Cart

Keep Up with Vi

    (Fiddle Tune a Day and Quick Tip Subscribers will also get periodic blog updates)
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

  • Colorado Music (28)
  • Fiddling (676)
    • Contests (13)
    • Fiddle Tune a Day (367)
    • Free Fiddle Lessons (15)
    • Musician's Round Table (8)
    • New Tune Challenge (21)
    • Workshops (52)
  • Music (144)
  • Musings (13)
  • Videos (609)
    • eGreetings (4)
    • Quick Tips (124)

Popular Posts

  • Fiddle Tune a Day
  • The Difference between a Violin and a Fiddle
  • How to Put on a Fiddle Contest Successfully
  • Play any Song You’ve Ever Heard
  • Binaural Beats Music Technology of the Future
  • Home
  • About Vi
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Vi "The Fiddler" Wickam | Genesis Website by Wickam Group, LLC