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James Hill
The James Hill composition 'Bottle Bank'
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James Hill is considered to be one of the most talented fiddler players and tune writers of the 19th Century. He is believed to have been born in Scotland in 1811 and to have died from consumption in Westmoreland Lane, off Westgate, Newcastle in 1853 making him 42 years old. He lived on Bottle Bank in Gateshead near the "Hawk Pub" with his wife Sarah, who was born in County Durham, for most of his life where he composed fiddle tunes from the 1830s onward.
Hill produced some of the most popular fiddle tunes for example, Hawk, Beeswing and the High Level Hornpipe, which are recognised internationally and still remain popular today. He is often referred to as the "Paganini of hornpipe players" and has left behind a legacy of between 40 and 50 tunes. Many of these tunes were played in functions after requests from customers. Many of his tunes were named after local pubs, racehorses and events reflecting the spirit of the area during the 19th Century.
Alistair Anderson, Artistic Director of Folkworks at The Sage Gateshead has said "Hill’s tunes have spread round the English-speaking world and his best known composition, the High Level Hornpipe, written for the opening of the High Level bridge in 1849, is viewed as a test piece in fiddle competitions from Texas to Seattle from Shetland to the West of Ireland. You cannot underestimate Hill’s importance"
The Sculpture
Contemporary artist and stone carver Peter Coates was commissioned in 2005 by Gateshead Council to produce a sculpture to celebrate the life of James Hill. The artwork is built and carved from Blaxter stone the same stone as the Tyne Bridge Wall abutment and has been taken from the same quarry. It is sited on Bottle Bank and overlooks the High Level Bridge and the Swing Bridge (known as the Low Level Bridge), which feature in the High Level Hornpipe.
The sculpture takes the form of a six-foot fiddle ’leaning’ against the Tyne Bridge wall and incorporates a bench, inscribed with Hill’s song titles including Beeswing, Bottle Bank and The Hawk. Bronze elements are included in the design which includes raised and incised lettering. The artist deliverately chose to work on a large scale so the work is not just about producing a replica fiddle, but has its own contemporary interpretation. The scale is also in keeping with the Tyne Bridge.
The sculpture is located opposite the Hilton Hotel just next to The Sage Gateshead and is part of Gateshead Council’s Public Art programme. You can learn more about public art in Gateshead on the Gateshead Council website under Learning and Culture.
The Artist
Peter Coates is a sculptor and stone carver, who predominately works with limestone, sandstone and slate, employing traditional techniques. He is based in North Yorkshire and his work ranges from highly crafted robust sculpture to more intimate text pieces. Peter has worked in collaboration with artist and poet-gardener Ian Hamilton Finlay to produce numerous sculptures for both public and private collections.
Education Programme
The commission has an extensive education programme, which has two strands to cover both music and the visual arts. Gateshead Council has worked in collaboration with The Sage Gateshead to develop an exciting programme including learning fiddle tunes, creating fiddle tunes, violin teacher training sessions and clog dancing. The visual arts programme includes stone carving, story telling, and drawing workshops with local artists. During the development of the sculpture a group of students from Gateshead College were taken to see the work in progress, watch carving demonstrations and try carving techniques.
Search the archive
The FARNE archive contains over 40 items composed by James Hill. To see more go to Search the Archive.
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 Musicians at Peter Coates' James Hill sculpture |
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