Annotation:Rusty Gulley (2)

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RUSTY GULLEY [2]. AKA and see “Jock and Tam,” “Lady Susan Montgomery's Hornpipe,” “Punchinello (1),” “Three Case Knives,” “Three Sharp Knives,” “Three Rusty Swords.” English, Old or Triple Hornpipe. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Vickers clearly wrote “Risty” for the first word of the title for this tune (instead of “Rusty”), and the very next tune below it in his manuscript is “Rusty Gulley.” So, the ‘Risty’ title may be deliberate on his part. Matt Seattle remarks that the meaning of 'risty' may be 'moldy'. a 'gulley' is Borders and Geordie dialect for a large knife.

Seattle points out that poet Robert Burns reworked traditional words to the tune in his lyric "Wee Willie Gray."

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - William Vickers' 1770 music manuscript collection (Northumberland).

Printed sources : -

Recorded sources: - Fellside FECD 107, Sandra & Nancy Kerr - "Neat and Complete" (1996), Fellside FECD 161, John Spiers & Jon Boden – “Through and Through.” Topic TSCD 529, Cut and Dry Band - "Wind in the Reeds: The Northumbrian Smallpipes" (1976).