The Bagpipe Society

Solved at Last

Sometimes one spots something, a tune title in this case, actually a missing tune title, and it sticks with you, nags you, makes you wonder what it was and why. Sometimes it is a stain on a page, sometimes a page has been excessively trimmed before binding into the book, sometimes written over. In this case the page was torn, and half the title was missing.

I am referring to a tune in Thomas Marsden’s ‘A Collection of original Lancashire Hornpipes, Old and New’ c 1705. It appears as …..Jenny, A new hornpipe, with the first section or words torn away. John Offord hazarded a guess at ‘Spinning Jenny’ in his work ‘John of the Green, ye Cheshire Way’, even though the spinning jenny had not been invented at that time, though it might possible be a dancing reference. Originally given in G minor, ie 2 flats, transposed, overleaf, by myself, for ease on my pipes.

I had not seen it reproduced in any contemporary publication….unitl now. On the death of John Playford, John Walsh took over the publication of ‘The Division Violin’ with a sixth edition in c 1705. Subsequently, Daniel Wright published a completely revamped edition containing books one and two, but omitting a publication date. I would guess at pre 1726, as it contains a 3/2 version of Lastum’s Pony, entitled ‘Lostrum Ponia’. This tune first appears in print up to now in Neal’s Collection, Dublin 1726 as Lastrum Pone, a 6/8 jig.

Hiding at the bottom of page nine is ‘Whistling Jenny’. While not an exact match, it contains most of the elements of our tune, and is given in the correct key signature, two flats. The tune is truncated to four sections, each one having elements of several motifs found in the original. This might reflect the way it had been shortened over the years, or just be some musical shorthand, cramming things together, to be unravelled by the player. A modern example of this happening is the tune Jacky Layton as recorded by Duo Macke-Bornauw on their CD ‘Curly Music’ (Tr1) CD MB04, 2020, where they do not play repeats on the variations, move on after just one time through each variation.

For me, the case is compelling, this is the missing title of our tune. A mystery solved. You, dear reader, may feel differently, and if you have the time and energy to prove your case, I will give it a sympathetic ear.