Homeward Bound

Kind of Tune
reel

Homeward Bound is played by fiddlers all across PEI, but particularly favored by those in the Eastern half of the Island. I find that the Queens County versions of Leonard McDonald, Stephen Toole, and Elliott Wight, have a particularly nice swing to them.

Homeward Bound is often played in medley with another reel in the key of D called Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar.

Cape Breton fiddler-composer Dan R. MacDonald is often credited with having composed Homeward Bound, but it seems that this was not the case. MacDonald did cut a version of the tune for Celtic Records that was released in 1939, but in the introduction to The Heather Hills Collection: The Music of Dan R. MacDonald Vol. 1, the tune is attributed – not to Dan R. – but to another Cape Breton fiddler named Little Rory MacDonald. Complicating matters still further is that a tune called Gem of Ireland from Ryan's Mammoth Collection, aka 1000 Fiddle Tunes (1882) is identical to Homeward Bound in almost every detail. This suggests that the tune may have been circulating in the region prior to the Dan R. recording.

Notation for this tune as played by "Young Peter" Chaisson is in Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island.

Tune Selections

Homeward Bound / Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar Musician: Merlin Quinn, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: John Webster, gtr Central Kings info
Homeward Bound / Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar Musician: Joe MacDonald, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: Heather Mary MacDonald, pno Central Kings info
Homeward Bound / Ste. Anne's Reel Musician: Stephen Toole, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: Margaret Ross MacKinnon, pno Western Queens info
Lord Gordon / Homeward Bound Musician: Joe Conway, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: Ken Perlman, bjo Northeast Kings info
Road to the Isles / Homeward Bound / Maid Behind the Bar Musician: Fr. Charles Cheverie, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: Ken Perlman, bjo Northeast Kings info
Homeward Bound / Liberty Two-Step Musician: Carl Webster, Musician: Jackie Webster, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: John Webster, gtr Central Kings info
Homeward Bound / Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar / Maid Behind the Bar / Jenny Dang the Weaver Musician: Leonard McDonald, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: Margaret Ross MacKinnon, pno; Claire McDonald, gtr Western Queens info
Homeward Bound Musician: Elliott Wight, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: Judy Lowe, pno; Norman LeClair, gtr Eastern Queens info
Homeward Bound Musician: Roland Jay, Recordist: Ken Perlman, Musician: Angus McPhee Accompanied by: Cynthia Jay Crane, pno Eastern Queens info
Homeward Bound / Jerome's Farewell to Gibraltar Musician: Angus McPhee, Recordist: Ken Perlman Accompanied by: Cynthia Jay Crane, pno Central Kings info