Far from Home
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Far From Home", in Gaelic "Slan Beo Leat" or "Fad Ua Baile" is an Irish, English,<br> Shetland and American reel in G Major. The parts are played AB (O'Neill/1850 & 1001) or<br> AABB (Cranitch, Frets Magazine, Miller & Perron, O'Neill/Krassen, Raven).<br> <br> Bayard (1981) collected a version in Pennsylvania called "The Butcher's Row".<br> Many have pointed out the similarity to the popular hornpipe<br> "Off to California",<br> especially in the first four measures of the 2nd strain, which are quite similar,<br> as is the return to the 1st strain theme for the finish of the 2nd (i.e. AA'BA form).<br> <br> Nigel Gatherer remarks that "many people think of this tune as a Shetland reel; I've<br> even seen it on CD's as 'Far Frae Home'!" He attributes this to its being included in<br> sets of Shetland tunes by the Boys of the Lough on their albums<br> Good Friends, Good Music (1977) and Far From Home.<br> <br> Francis O'Neill learned his version of the tune in the San Joaquin Valley, California,<br> when he was aged 19 in the 1870's "from the whistling of a companion while herding a<br> flock of 3,000 sheep on the plains at the foot of the Sierra Nevada range".<br> Presumably the title appealed to the young O'Neill, who left Ireland in his mid-teens<br> or was his own invention).<br> <br> It was printed in Cranitch's The Irish Fiddle Book (1996),<br> "Boys of the Lough" Frets Magazine, October 1980,<br> Kennedy's Fiddler's Tune-Book, vol. 2 (1954),<br> Miller & Perron's New England Fiddler's Repertoire (1983),<br> O'Neill (Krassen) (1976),<br> O'Neill's Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies (1903),<br> O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907),<br> Raven's English Country Dance Tunes (1984),<br> Silberberg's Fiddle Tunes I Learned at the Tractor Tavern (2002) and<br> Songer's Portland Collection (1997).<br> <br> It was recorded by Boys of the Lough on Good Friends, Good Music (1977) and<br> Far From Home (1986).<br>
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