There is 1 recording of this tune.
Magpie Lane has been added to 1 tune set.
Magpie Lane has been added to 3 tunebooks.
Magpie Lane’s a street in Oxford. In the late 18th century artist and musician John Malchair heard a man whistling the tune in said street and wrote it down (he liked collecting folk tunes). The Oxford group Magpie Lane play it not surprisingly.
I just found Magpie Lane’s version of this song and it’s so beautiful, with an amazing bass with headphones as well. It would be really interesting to know how the original whistler of this tune came up with it… it doesn’t sound like any other slip jig I know.
Perhaps the whistler made it up as he went along. Or it could have been s’thing well known in Oxford in the 18th C. I’d guess it was already popular as it is a catchy tune.