Irish Tune Category: Hop Hornpipes

(Hornpipes with occasional extra 5/4 or 6/4 bars which hop the beat)

The Mystic

An unusual, atmospheric tune in a style I call a hop-hornpipe. Similar in rhythm to a regular 4/4 hornpipe but with some odd beats along the way which ‘hop’ the rhythm.

Wither Hills Vines

The third tune I composed the day I got the vaccine. This is more melancholy, perhaps reflecting the dusk in the vines around Wither Hills, Blenheim, where I was during NZ Lockdown level 4. (Not locked down in the vineyard unfortunately!)

The Frosty Vales of Milton

The Frosty Vales of Milton (Hop-Hornpipe)

A tune composed in Milton, Otago, New Zealand during the NZ Winter. Milton is a rural area with beautiful rolling hills which light up with the early morning frost in winter.

This melancholy tune came out of me one day when staying in the area and looking out at the frosty vales.

I call this a hop-hornpipe because of the extra beats in the second half of the tune.