The Morpeth Rant reel

Here is a Welsh version in G ("The Morpheth Rant") of this old tune. Note that the Welsh version is played as a hornpipe, but the distinction between hornpipes and reels is sometimes vague.
K:G
DF|G2DC B,G,B,D|ECEG FDFA|BGcA dBAG|FGAB cBAG|
G2DC B,G,B,D|ECEG FDFA|BGcA BGAF|G2G2 G2:|
|:df|gdBG FAce|dBAG GFED|cAcA BGBG|F2D2 D2GF|
ECEG cBAG|FDFA dcBA|dgfg ecAc|B2G2 G2:||

trevor

This is a truly great tune and originated in Northumberland sometime before 1800. It is not a reel, but a rant.The rant is the National Dance of Northumbria and has specific footwork. There is actually a longways dance called the Morpeth Rant, though we believe that there were originally a whole collection of dances referered to by this name. Certainly if you go through the manuscripts, you find several versions of the tune. Matt Seattle has produced a book (called the Morpeth Rant) where he looks at the various source versions of the tune. Up here, players distinguish between versions of the tune as listed (Morpeth Rant or New Morpeth Rant) and the version which owes much to the fiddling of New Pearson (Old Morpeth Rant). Kathryn Tickle plays both but perhaps too fast for dancing.

The definitive version, for me, is on a recording by Alastair Anderson, Willy Atkinson and others called Good Old Boys and made at Whitby Festival. It is slower than a reel and less dotted than a hornpipe but swings nicely and goes like a train. I would strongly advise players to try and listen to Northumbrian players ranting before getting too fixed in the way they play it.
Noel Jackson
Angels of the North

Here is a setting from Willy Taylor, Joe Hutton and Willy Atkinson.
K: D
|:(3ABc|d2AG FDFA|BGBd cAce|dfaf gfed|cdec Agfe|
d2AG FDFA|BGBd cAce|dfaf gfec|A2d2 d2:|
|:A2|dfaf dfaf|gfga g2g2|gfed cdeg|fefg f2f2|
dfaf dfaf|gfga g2g2|gfed ceag|f2d2 d2:|

Here is a setting of the "Old Morpeth Rant" that Noel mentioned:
K: G
|:DF|G2DB, G,B,DB,|G,CEC G,B,DG|B2AB cBAG|F2A2 AcBA|
G2DB, G,B,DB,|G,CEC G,B,DG|B2AB cBAG|D2G2 G2:|
|:Bd|gfed B2GB|cBAG F2D2|E2CE cBAG|F2D2 D2GF|
E2CE cBAG|F2DF dcBA|Ggfg ecAF|A2G2 G2:|

For more settings of the Old Morpeth Rant, go here https://thesession.org/tunes/7198.

The tune Morpeth Rant is well known and has many other names, including Morpeth’s Hornpipe, Ivy Leaf Hornpipe, Jim Clark’s Hornpipe, Clark’s Hornpipe and The New Sailor’s Hornpipe. This English tune is also well known in the Scottish, Irish and New England repertoires. The melody was composed by William Shield, a Northumbrian musician of the 18th century (the town of Morpeth has long been an important market town in Northumberland). The dance associated with this tune, which shares the same name, has been performed for over almost two centuries. One version is also used as a morris dance tune. The title appears in Henry Robson’s list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes ("The Northern Minstrel’s Budget"), which he published c. 1800. Older versions of the tune are generally in B Flat, sometimes G, and have a wider range in the ‘B’ part than the version usually played nowadays.

The version that I’ve added above is played on the Isle of Man, where it is known as Car Juan Nan (Jimmy Nan’s Tune). It is connected to the fiddler Jimmy Skillicorn on the Island, and it is likely that it was named after him as it was his favourite tune.

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol, UK.

Composed William Shield
(born Swallwell, Gateshead but buried in Westminster Anbbey..
Master of the Queen’s Music.
Best known tune the Merry Ploughboy.
Wrote tune for the most popular version of Auld Lang Syne but never creditied)
I’m not saying no but I’ve NEVER heard him suggested as the c,mposer of Morpeth Rant,.
Any evidence for this?
Noel

Morpeth Rant, played on English Concertina, Mandolin & Hammered Dulcimer!

I wonder if this is like any of the versions above? 😉

N.B. I’m playing in a Northumbrian Pipe friendly key!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NKA9ZQ5Ldk

play video

Cheers,
Dick

Sometimes played in central Appalachia (West Virginia) as Morning Fair or Fair Morning Hornpipe. It does appear in Ryan’s Mammoth Collection as Fair Morning HP.