Annotation:Crossing the Minch
X: 1 T: Crossing the Minch T: McNabb's Hornpipe R: hornpipe, reel Z: 2004 John Chambers <jc:trillian.mit.edu> M: C| L: 1/8 K: D A>d|"D"f>A ~A2 f2 e>f |"G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g |"D"f>A ~A2 "Bm"f2 E>F|"Em"g>B e>d "A7"d>c d>e | | "D"f>A ~A2 f2 e>f | "G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g | "D"fg a>f "A7"g>e c>d | "D"e2 d2 d2 :| |:A>d|"D"f>A ~A2 "D7"f>g a>f|"G"g>B ~B2 g>a a>g|"D"f>A ~A2 "Bm"f>g a>f|"Em"g>B e>d "A7"d>c d>e | |"D"f>A ~A2 "D7"f>g a>f|"G"g>B ~B2 g2 a>g| "D"fg a>f "A7"g>e c>d|"D"e2 d2 d2:|
CROSSING THE MINCH. AKA and see "McNab's," "McNabb's Hornpipe." Scottish, Canadian; "Pipe Hornpipe." D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD. The Minch is the wide strait separating the Isle of Lewis from the Inner Hebrides and Scottish mainland. "Traditional," states Aly Bain in his collection, though Christine Martin credits it to Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsey, while Paul Cranford credits it to Pipe Major Donald MacLeod (1917-1982, born in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis). The melody was known as "McNab's" or "McNabb's Hornpipe" by Cape Breton fiddlers until quite recently, explains Cranford, due to an influential recording by Winston Fitzgerald. He called the tune "McNabb's Hornpipe" on the 78 RPM release, pairing it with "Farmer's Daughter (1)," and it proved to be one of his most popular recordings, making it onto the Canadian 'hit parade' of the time.
