strathspey@strathspey.org:45388

Anselm Lingnau

Re: Reels and Hornpipes

May 26, 2006, 2:05 p.m. (Message 45388, in reply to message 45385)

Alan Paterson wrote:

> Is there a scientific method of identifying a Hornpipe?

No. There is a widespread misconception that hornpipe phrases always end with 
a pom-pom-pom but it turns out that there are lots of hornpipes that don't as 
well als non-hornpipes that do.

>From an RSCDS-style dancer's point of view the difference between reels and 
hornpipes is about as important as the number of angels that can dance on the 
point of a pin, as the steps and tempo are 100% identical. For an RSCDS-style 
musician, the matter becomes somewhat more important, as when making up sets 
of tunes you usually want to combine hornpipes with other hornpipes, but one 
can usually go by the titles or by gut feeling (I know I do).

Then again, there's the dance, Kendall's Hornpipe, which is a jig.

Anselm
-- 
Anselm Lingnau, Frankfurt, Germany ..................... xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
                                                          -- Soren Kierkegaard