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.

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