This tune had been on my radar for some time after first hearing Tessa and Chance McCoy’s barn-burner recording a few years ago, crediting Clark Kessinger for the source. It came to mind again recently and I decided to learn it. At the time their recording dropped, I was unable to locate an audio recording of Clark, only finding it was included on his album “Sweet Bunch of Daisies” (Clark Kessinger Vol. 2, County 747) from 1966. But, I couldn’t find audio online, and didn’t have access to a physical copy. Looking the tune up again the other week, I was surprised to find that his 2nd-great nephew, DJ, had uploaded the album in its entirety to YouTube three months ago (full album playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8IwvTaGccBlwiDYjqsdAy6Yo0fPS9gYk&si=aVqqvEd9IdqhGKux)

Clark was featured in the Fall 1997 issue of Goldenseal Magazine with an article by Charles Wolfe, which you can read here (starting page 10): https://goldenseal.wvculture.org/goldenseal-archive-goldenseal-vol-23-no-3/

That article is followed by Bobby Taylor’s reminiscences (starting page 18), and again followed by an article starting page 20 on the Kessinger family from Clark to his nephew Bob and his sons Robin and Dan. 

I reached out to DJ regarding the origin of this tune as there doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there about it, and he suggested that I contact his dad, Dan, but I’ve yet to hear back from him. DJ mentioned that he had always heard Clark composed the tune, but wasn’t able to confirm it, and I can see it likely being the case as I can’t seem to find anything predating Clark’s recording of the same or similar tune. There is another tune by the same name, but a different melody with 3 parts and changing key with each (example here: https://youtu.be/eY2RA0FuWCk?is=eEniwhLZycxaf-q8).

Clark Kessinger’s recording of West Virginia Hornpipe from Sweet Bunch of Daisies: https://youtu.be/7unUW9cIbD4?is=gG5uikUbsF9DLdF1

The State Birds (Tessa and Chance McCoy): https://youtu.be/W9VeVcWgIvc?is=9rJegZ3Vi0RDwylC

Raistlin Brabson on fiddle, Jared (?) on guitar, and Margo MacSweeney on banjo: https://youtu.be/MLEx-CcVwOs?is=odvZYf9mFrH2adZ_

My recording with fiddle and banjo: https://youtu.be/BGYe0ociYeM?is=bgrjMF6_dbDwSVlL

My banjo arrangement in aEAC#E tuning is pretty straightforward almost matching the fiddle melody note for note, with the exception of the low A-B-C# string of notes the fiddle catches on the G string, but I play the same notes in a reentrant fashion on the third (A) and second (C#) strings with a second fret hammer-on (B) on the third string, blending pretty well. Or, you might hear where I bounce a bit on the fourth string open with a couple hammer-ons on the second fret while the fiddle makes its way back to the open A string. I worked out an up-the-neck arrangement so all notes were in order (and same range as the fiddle), but found that it just wasn’t where the meat and potatoes were at for the tune. 

Feel free to share your thoughts and recordings, and any additional info regarding this tune and the Kessinger family.