Annotation:Morpeth Rant (1)
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MORPETH RANT [1]. AKA- "Morepeth Rant." AKA and see "Morpeth's Hornpipe," "Ivy Leaf Hornpipe," "Jim Clark's Hornpipe," "Clark's Hornpipe (1)," "New Sailor's Hornpipe (The)," "Prince of Wales' Hornpipe," "Princess of Wales' Hornpipe," "Shield's Hornpipe," "West's Hornpipe," "Wood's Hornpipe." English (originally), Scottish, Irish, New England; Reel. England; North-West and Northumberland. D Major (Barnes, Brody, Hall & Stafford, Karpeles, Kennedy, Miller & Perron, O'Neill, Phillips, Raven, Sweet): G Major (Knowles): B Flat Major (Phillips/1995). Standard tuning (fiddle). ABB' (Hardie): AABB (most versions): AA'BB' (Phillips/1994).
The composition is often attributed to William Shield [1] (1748-1829), a popular 18th century musician and composer originally from Swalwell, near Gateshead, Northumberland. However, as Barry Callaghan (2007) and others have pointed out, Shield often appropriated traditional or folk melodies, and "Morpeth Rant" may not be original to him. The town of Morpeth is in Northumberland, a market center on the River Wansbeck serving the surrounding rural areas and the villages of the Northumbrian coalfield (Graham Dixon). It evolved around a Norman fortress called Morpeth Castle, one of several guarding the east coast routes to Scotland.
A special dance specifically to this tune has been performed for over almost two centuries, and the dance itself is called the Morpeth Rant. Like many such dances numerous tunes could be used as the vehicle for the steps. One version is also used as a morris dance tune. The title appears in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes ("The Northern Minstrel's Budget"), which he published c. 1800. "Older versions of the tune are generally in B Flat, sometimes G, and have a wider range in the 'B' part than the version usually played nowadays" (Seattle)-see note for "Morpeth Rant [2]" for more on these. Callaghan notes that the Kerr publication (c. 1880's) of the tune (generically titled "Hornpipe") includes the 'new' version of the 'B' part, and it is perhaps from this source that the version most often heard today came from. This version, explains Callaghan, was picked up in the EFDSS's Community Dance Manual No. 1 in 1949, and cemented with subsequent recordings, such as the by Jack Armstrong in 1950.
It was one of the "missing tunes" from William Vickers' 1770 Northumbrian manuscript. The older form of the tune can be found in the music manuscript collections of C.J. Surtees (Tyneside, 1819), Joshua Jackson (north Yorkshire, 1798), Rev. Robert Harrison (Brampton, Cumbria, c. 1815, as "Princess of Wales' Hornpipe"), John Moore (Shropshire, 1830, as "New Sailor's Hornpipe"), and in a manuscript by an unknown hand in the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library (as "West's Hornpipe" with an added eight bars).
Source for notated version: Alister Anderson (England) [Brody]; Ned Pearson (Northumberland) [Hall & Stafford]; William Hardie Jr. of Methlick {c. 1856-1944} (Scotland) [Hardie]; Benny Thommason (Texas) [Phillips]; John Moore (Shropshire) [Callaghan]; Rev. Robert Harrison (Cumbria) [Callaghan]; Joshua Jackson (Yorkshire) [Callaghan]; C.J. Surtees (Gateshead) [Callaghan]. Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes), 1986; Alan Block [Phillips].
Printed sources: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 197. Callaghan (Hardcore English), 207; pp. 95-96 (includes several versions). Carlin (English Concertina), 1977; p. 30. Hall & Stafford (Charlton Memorial Tune Book), 1956; p. 50. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1986; p. 12. Karpeles & Schofield (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs), 1951; p. 6. Kaufman (Beginning Old Time Fiddle), 1977; p. 42 (includes a harmony part). Kennedy (Fiddler's Tunebook), vol. 1, 1951; No. 19, p. 10. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1875; p. 26 (appears as "Hornpipe"). Knowles (Northern Frisk), 1988; No. 113. Laybourn (Köhler's Violin Repository of Dance Music, Book 1), 1885. MacDonald (A Third Collection of Strathspey Reels), c. 1792; p. 8. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddlers Repertoire), 1983; No. 73. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No. 363, p. 175. Petrie (2nd Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1796; p. 17. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; p. 157. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 209. Preston (Twenty-Four Country Dances for the Year 1793). Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pp. 162 & 76. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 300 (listed as a hornpipe), Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1965/1981; p. 67. Wilson (Companion to the Ball Room), 1816.
Recorded sources: EFDSSCD13, Our Northern Branch - "Hardcore English" (2007. Various artists). Firebird FBR01, Phoenix - "After the Fire." Folk Legacy FSI-74, Howard Bursen - "Cider in the Kitchen" (1980). Front Hall 08, Alister Anderson- "Traditional Tunes" (1976). June Appal 014, John McCutcheon- "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (1977). Meadowlands MS1, "Allan Block and Ralph Lee Smith." Rounder Select 82161-0476-2, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley: Hammered Dulcimer Music" (reissues, orig. released 1977). Topic TSCD 669, Jim Rutherford (et al) - "Ranting and Reeling: Dance Music of the north of England" (1998. Fiddler Rutherford was born in 1892 and lived near Rochester, Northumberland). Wild Goose WGS 320, Old Swan Band - "Swan-Upmanship" (2004).