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The Northamptonshire march

Also known as The Northamptonshire, The Northamptonshires.

The Northamptonshire has been added to 1 tune set.

The Northamptonshire has been added to 3 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: The Northamptonshire
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:D2|G>F G>A B2 A>G|E<G E<G [dD]>[BB,] [G2G,2]|E<G E<G [dD]>[BB,] [GG,]>[BB,]|[A2A,2] [AA,]>[AA,] [A2A,2] D2|
G>F G>A B2 A>G|E<G E<G [dD]>[BB,] [G2G,2]|E<G E<G D>B A>F|G2 G>G G2:|
|:G>A|B<d B<d e2 d>B|d<B d<B A2 G>A|B<d B<d e>d B>G|A2 A>A A2 G>A|
B<d B<d e2 d>B|d<B d<B A2 G>A|B<d B<d e>d e>f|g2 g>g g2:|
# Added by JayN .
2
X: 2
T: The Northamptonshire
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A2|d>c d>e f2 e>d|B<d B<d A>F D2|B<d B<d A>F D>F|E2] E>E E2] A2|
d>c d>e f2 e>d|B<d B<d A>F D2|B<d B<d A>f e>c|d2 d>d d2:|
|:D>E|F<A F<A B2 A>F|A<F A<F E2 D>E|F<A F<A B>A F>D|E2 E>E E2 D>E|
F<A F<A B2 A>F|A<F A<F E2 D>E|F<A F<A B>A B>c|d2 d>d d2:|
# Added by JayN .

Two comments

The Northamptonshire

This tune was transcribed by ear, transposed and adapted to be folk friendly by myself, based off the slow march of the (now defunct) Northamptonshire Regiment, and the Royal Anglian Regiment.
(source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTrlPAka2Vw )


When I started getting into traditional folk music I was perturbed to discover that the county of my birth had no surviving tunes or songs of its own (save for a clone of ’The Lincolnshire Poacher"). I found the aforementioned military marching tune on youtube but failed to find any further information or sheet music anywhere online (save a reference to a book about the regiment that might have maybe contained notation for the tune). So I decided to write it down myself, while also transposing it so I could bring it to my local English session and finally introduce a Northants tune into the tradition. The original is written in Bb major for marching band, but his version in G major is both D/G melodeon and D whistle friendly – I include the octave of the notes too low for a D whistle.

In my search for info, I was unable to find a reference to who composed it, if anybody knows do let me know so I can credit them properly.

The original runs at about 140bpm, but I play it at around 120bpm, as I pair it with the Northumbrian tune ‘Old Drove Road’ (they have a similar feel). Apparently in the regiment, they used to pair it with ‘Speed the Plough’.

I’m happy this can be my first humble contribution to the session, and I hope it’s unorthodox origin story doesn’t lessen the interest it might spark. If you try it out, do let me know!

Posted by .

The Northamptonshire, X:2

Here is a revised version, in the key of D. I find this version is truer to the recording on youtube of the marching band playing the tune. When played on a Bb whistle this matches it almost perfectly, and doesn’t mean you need to do any octave jumping like in G. Still learning as growing, still love playing this tune.

Posted by .