Same photo twice in a row? This is because today's tune is named after the hat in the photo above.
Back in July I received a wonderful gift of a new hat. This would be the first new hat with a brim that I have ever owned. It's become my go-to head covering for summer outdoor gigs and works great.
The night after I received the hat this tune came to me in a dream. This never happens. Once in a while I might remember a snatch of a tune when I wake up but this was a vivid memory of a complete, albeit simple, tune.
The dream itself involved our Contratopia band relaxing at the house of a generous host after playing a dance somewhere. As we were sitting around, unwinding from our labors, another band arrived coming back from their gig. This was a group of young Irish players (no one in particular) who were a little more wound up than we were at this hour of night.
The Irish group was very friendly and we were all thrilled to meet other musicians and share stories. After a minute or two one of the newcomers, who was out of sight, down the hall from the living room where we sat, began playing a tune on a whistle or flute. By it's simplicity we all perceived it as an invitation to join in and we began unpacking instruments. A fun jam session ensued.
When I woke up, before dawn, the dream was very clear and the tune was insistent. After a while I figured I'd better get up and write it down. I resisted any urge to "improve" the tune as I transcribed it from my dream memory and this is what we have here. (The harmony part didn't appear in the dream but was composed later.)
Even though there were no hats in the dream that I can remember I still knew right away what the title of the tune should be.
Hope you enjoy it.
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