I love this reel, “The Boys on the Hilltop”. I think I first learned it from Gavin Whelan’s album “In Full Flight”. It is played quite regularly in Doolin, I particularly enjoy playing it my friend JB Samzun on fiddle.
X:1
T:Boys on the Hilltop, The
R:reel
M:4/4
K:Ador
A2Ac B2AG|EGGF G2AG|E~A3 BABd|egdB BAAG|
A2Ac BGAG|EGGF G2AB|c2cA B2Bc|dBGA BAAG||
A2 (3Bcd egdB|GABc defg|a2fd egdB|GBdB BAA2|
a2fd egdB|GABc defg|afge fdef|gbaf gedB||
I first heard this tune on John Williams’ first album, on which he calls it “The Tidy Woman” and plays it more like a jig. It is more common as a slide though, under the name “Behind The Bush In The Garden”. I learned if from the Doon Ceili Band.
“The Coachman’s Whip” is a composition of flute player Vincent Broderick from Co. Galway. I learned it from my friend fiddle player Thierry Masure, with whom I have enjoyed sharing tunes for several years.
“The Green Fields of Woodford” is the last jig of the set recorded by Alan & John Kelly that is quite popular around Doolin. The first tune of the set is “Ned Coleman’s” and the second one is “Old Joe’s”.
