The Foxhunter's
The scordatura setting, known as “The Foxhunter’s”, which was played in Munster, used the upper octave alone for the Donalbane section, but played those two parts in reverse order, and placed a totally extraneous part between them,* creating a five-part setting, which can be described as ABDEC, and in general the text of the tune is not as faithful to the original as the settings from Leitrim, Longford and Fermanagh. Versions of “The Foxhunter’s” transposed to G are also played without the use of scordatura. Strangely, Breathnach also found in Galway a two-part setting in G of “The Foxhunter’s”, where the parts played are the Reel of Tulloch section, but played in reverse order. He called it “Rogha an Táilliúra”, as Stephen Moloney, from whom he got it, was a tailor.
* This part seems to be taken from an old reel, which Séamus Tansey plays under the title, “Alfie Joe Denning’s”
Titles
- Parts
- ABDEC
Breathnach says that, while Seán Keane, who supplied the tune to him, used ae’a’e’’ tuning, Patrick Kelly, from whom Keane got it, used gd’g’d’’ tuning. Keane himself says that Kelly used both tunings, gd’g’d’’ and ae’a’e’’. (Seán Keane, interview, April 2012, Rathcoole, County Dublin).
- Parts
- ABDEC
- Parts
- ABDEC
