Annotation:Little Benton

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LITTLE BENTON, OR CUDDY SPLUTTER. AKA and see "Cutom Spruitty," "Cut 'em sprightly," "Poor of Purse but Routh o' Credit." English, Reel (cut time). England, Northumberland. G Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. The tune under the "Little Benton or Cuddy Splutter" title appears in the large music manuscript collection compiled by Northumbrian musician William Vickers around the year 1770. Researcher Matt Seattle explains that the title "Little Benton" probably refers to a farm outside Newcastle, Northumberland, while the alternate title ("Cuddy Splutter") may refer to "a farmyard detail." The name "Cutom Spruitty" for the tune is from the music manuscript collection of Northumbrian musician Lionel Winship; it may be a garbled version of Vickers' "Cuddy Splutter" or may have another, unknown meaning, says Seattle. As "Cut 'em sprightly" it was entered into the music copybook of Joseph Crawhall (1821-1896), but whether it is a real title or Crawhall's attempt to make sense of Winship's earlier title, Seattle is undecided. Glasgow musician James Aird published it as "Poor of Purse but Routh o' Credit" in his 1785 collection.

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