Berwick Billy three-two

Also know as "Go to Berwick, Johnny" (or Billy)

SAnother great tune from the Bordersof No-one is quite sure whether Johnnywas being advised to head North from England or South from Scotland. Berwick is wierd and is the only English team to play in the Scottish Football league

This 2-part version appears in the minstrelsy and goes back at least as far as the 17th century. The 4-part version transcribed below was popularised in the early ’90s by Alistair Anderson with the release of the Syncopace album:

|:d2G2 G2d2 edcB|(3dedG2 G2d2 B2g2|d2G2 G2d2 edcB|{d}c2A2 A2B2 c2e2:|
|g3a .g2(G2 BcdB)|g3a .g2(d2 .g2.b2)|g3a .g2(G2 BcdB)|e2a2 a2(A2 c2e2)| g3a .g2(G2 BcdB)|g3a .g2(d2 .g2.b2)|g3a bagf gfed|e2a2 a2(A2 c2e2)||
|:d4 edcB edcB|{e}d4 edcB dgfg|d4 edcB edcB|{d}c2A2 A2B2 c2e2:|
|:d2ef .g2(B2 g2G2)|d2ef .g2(B2 a2A2)|d2ef gfed BcdB|e2A2 A2B2 c2e2:|

The William Vickers (1770) and William Dixon (1733) manuscripts have the title as "Berwick Billy" instead of Johnny. Tom Clough had a 5th part that goes in between the last 2 parts of the 4-part version:

|:dBdB ecec dBGB|dBec dBGB c2e2|dBdB ecec dBGB|c2A2 A2B2 c2e2:|

For Mark:

T: Go to Berwick, Johnny
M: 3/2
L: 1/8
R: three-two
K: Fmaj
c2 F2 F2 c2 dcBA|c2 F2 F2 c2 d2 f2|c2 F2 F2 c2 dcBA|B2 G2 G2 A2 B2 d2:|
fgfe f2 F2 ABcA|fgfe f2 c2 f2 a2|f2 c2 c2 A2 ABcA|g3 a g2 G2 B2 d2|f3g agfa f2 c2|f2 c2 c2 A2 d2 f2|f2 ga bagf agfe d2 g2 g2 G2 B2 d2||
c4 dcBA dcBA|c4 dcBA c2 f2|c4 dcBA dcBA|B2 G2 G2 A2 B2 d2:|

The setting I learnt off my teacher is a bit simpler in the B-part, and similar to Geoff’s posting. It appears in the minstrelsy from the late 1800s, and only has 2 parts:

d2G2 G2d2 edcB|d2G2 G2d2 B2g2|d2G2 G2d2 edcB|e2A2 A2B2 c2e2:|
g3a g2G2 BcdB|g3a g2G2 B2d2|g3a g2G2 BcdB|e2a2 a2A2 c2e2|
g3a g2G2 BcdB|g3a g2G2 B2d2|g3a bagf gfed|e2a2 a2A2 c2e2||

Having said that, the 3rd part is also quite common:

|:d4 edcB edcB|d4 edcB dgfg|d4 edcB edcB|c2A2 A2B2 c2e2:|

I still like the Syncopace version the best.

Yes, I got it from Robin Williams book…. Hopefully with that admission I shan’t be ostracized… ;)

The notes I have in front of me show the B part repeating, but I figured it would flow a bit better if I merely played it AABCC… Sort of like I play the King of the fairies AAB… ;)

Yeah I think the repeat signs are a mistake. If you play a setting that has that high bit at the end of the B-part you only do it once. What’s that Williamson book like - any good? Does it have any more Northumbrian stuff in it?

Umm…. I actually just copied off the pages and tunes that I wanted….

Here’s a list of things thaht I do have… that may come from the Borders area…

I’ll Gang Nae Mair Tae Yon Toun (this one would be dubious to me, but tis very nice.)
Dunse Dings A’
I’ll Get Wedded in My Auld Claes
Turpin Hero (?)
Cam Ye Ower Frae France (3/2)
Boban John (3/2)
All in A Garden Green (not from the borders, but from Playford’s Dancing Master)
Newcastle (2/2, GMaj)
The Broom of Cowdenknowes

Version from Lowland and Border Piper’s society Session tunes booklet for the pipes…

This seems to be close to what Chris Norman plays on the Caledonian Flute CD. And what I am working on on the pipes too. Should be no problem for the rest of my sesson to learn it in A too.

T:Go to Berwick, Johnny
M:3/2
L:1/8
R:three-two
K:AMix
|:eA Ae f/e/d/c/|eA Ae ca|eA Ae f/e/d/c/|dB Bc df:|
a>g aA c/d/e/c/|a>g aA ce|a>g aA c/d/e/c/|fa aB df:||!
ee f/e/d/c/ f/e/d/c/ | ee f/e/d/c/ ea | ee f/e/d/c/ f/e/d/c/ | dB Bc df:|
a>g aA c/d/e/c/|a>g aA ce|a>g aa a/g/f/e/ | fa aB df:||!

Time Signature: 9/8
Key signature: D Major
Submitted on October 3rd 2007 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/7815

Submitted on the 9th December 2008 by Geoff Thomas
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/9149/comments

Crackpot’s X: 6 with corrections…