Annotation:Fox in the Dumps (The)
Tune properties and standard notation
FOX IN THE DUMPS, THE. AKA and see "Cooper's Hornpipe," "Exciseman's Hornpipe (The)," "Swan's Hornpipe." English, Reel or Hornpipe. F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody appears [1] in the 1770 music manuscript collection of Northumbrian musician William Vickers, about whom unfortunately little is known. Vickers gives the alternate title "Exciseman's Hornpipe (The)." "Fox in the Dumps", like numerous other tunes from the Thompson's 1773 collection, was entered into the 1788 music copybook of fiddlers Johan and William Pitt Turner (Norwich, Conn.).
Source for notated version: William Vickers' 1770 music manuscript (Northumberland) [Seattle].
Printed sources: Seattle (Great Northern/William Vickers), 1987, Part 3; No. 549. Thompson (Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3), 1773; No. 143.
Recorded sources: