The Morris Book Part 2

"Shakespeare and Music." London, Dent and Co., 1896. Edward W. Naylor, M.A., Mus. Bac.

"Kemp's Nine Daies wonder, performed on a journey from London to Norwich." Edited from original. Privately printed, Edinburgh, 1884. E.

Goldsmid.

"The Literature of National Music." London, Novello, Ewer and Co., 1879.

Carl Engel.

"The Abbot." (Note to chap. 14.) Sir Walter Scott.

"The Fair Maid of Perth." (Note to chap. 20.) Sir Walter Scott.

"Shakespeare." (Note to Henry IV., Part I.) Steevens.

"Notes and Queries."

"Dictionary of Music and Musicians." Four vols. London, Macmillan and Co., 1879-1899. Edited by Sir George Grove.

"The Transactions of the Folk-Lore Society." Vol. 8, 1897.

"A Treatise on the art of dancing." By Giovanni-Andrea Gallini. London, 1792.

"Dancing in all Ages." London, 1879. Edward Scott.

"A Lytell geste of Robin Hode, &c." Two vols. London, Longmans, 1847.

MORRIS DANCE TUNES.

There is not much information about Morris tunes to be gathered from books. Chappell, for instance, in his "Popular Music of the Olden Time,"

I., pp. 125 and 130, gives but two Morris dance-tunes, "The Staines Morris Tune" and "Trip and Go"; while Mr. Edward Naylor, in the appendix to his "Shakespeare and Music," only prints the same number--"An English Morris, 1650" (a variant of Chappell's "Staines Morris Tune"), and an Italian Moresca by Claudio Monteverde, 1608. In Grove's "Dictionary of Music" (old ed.), II., p. 369, three Morris tunes are recorded: Arbeau's "Morris Off," a Yorks.h.i.+re melody founded on that of "The Literary Dustman," and a Ches.h.i.+re Morris to words beginning:--

Morris Dance is a very pretty tune, I can dance in my new shoon;

In an interesting and most instructive paper on "Morris-dancing in Oxfords.h.i.+re," read by Mr. Percy Manning before the Folk-Lore Society, and printed in their "Transactions" for December, 1897, five tunes are given: "Green Garters," "Constant Billy," "Willow Tree," "Maid of the Mill," and "Bob and Joan." Mr. Manning also quotes the names only of the following Morris dances and songs: "Handsome John," "Highland Mary," "Green Sleeves," "Trunk Hose," "c.o.c.key Brown," "The Old Road," "Moll o' the Whad," "The Cuckoo," "The Cuckoo's Nest," "White Jock," and "Hey Morris."

The first three of these, as well as the tunes previously mentioned, were sung or danced by the men of Bampton; the remainder by the Morris men of Field a.s.sarts.

Our own investigations enable us to add very materially to existing knowledge of this branch of the subject. We have noted down between twenty and thirty Morris tunes, and have collected the names of several others, which no doubt we shall eventually acquire as well. The list given below consists almost entirely of tunes which are still in constant use by Morris-men in Gloucesters.h.i.+re, Worcesters.h.i.+re, Oxfords.h.i.+re, and Derbys.h.i.+re.

The figures in brackets record the number of times we have collected the same tune, or variants of it, from different Morris sides.

Laudnum Bunches.

Bean Setting.

Constant Billy (3).

Blue-Eyed Stranger.

The Rigs o' Marlow (2).

Old Mother Oxford.

The old Woman tossed up in a blanket (2).

Jockie to the Fair.

Rodney.

How d'ye do?

Trunkles (4).

Country Gardens.

Brighton Camp (The Girl I've left behind me) (2).

Shepherd's Hey (3).

Bluff King Hal.

We won't go home till morning.

Princess Royal (2).

Heel and Toe.

Morris Off.

Green Sleeves.

Hey Morris.

The Cuckoo's Nest.

Swag and Boney.

The Gallant Hussars.

The British Grenadiers.

The Vicar of Bray.

The Sherborne Jig.

Belle Isle's March.

Two Derbys.h.i.+re tunes ("This is it, and That is it.")

It must be remembered that our investigations have up to the present been confined within a limited area, and that we have not yet attempted to deal with the northern counties of England. The experience, however, that we have already acquired is enough to prove that there are a much larger number of traditional Morris tunes still to be found in country districts than most people would imagine. Unfortunately, many Morris sides have been disbanded within the last two or three decades, and our field of work is therefore becoming more and more restricted; for it is difficult, and in many cases impossible, to acquire accurate information unless the Morris side is actually in being. We intend, however, to continue our inquiries without pause, in order that we may collect all the existing tunes and other information upon this most interesting subject before it is too late.

We append some notes on the tunes which we are publis.h.i.+ng in connection with this volume, with the exception of "Bean Setting," "Trunkles," and "Laudnum Bunches," about which we know nothing.

NOTES ON MORRIS TUNES.

"HOW D'YE DO?"

Compare "Blowzabella, my bouncing Doxie," in d'Urfey's "Pills to purge melancholy," I., p. 190 (Ed. 1719).

"RIGS O' MARLOW."

This air is printed in Burke Thumoth's collection of Irish Airs (1720), in Holden's "Old Irish Tunes" (1806), and in "Songs of Ireland," p. 164 (Boosey).

T. Crofton Croker quotes the words of the original song in "The Popular Songs of Ireland" (1839), of which the first verse is as follows:--

AIR--"Sandy lent the man his Mull."

Beauing, belling, dancing, drinking, Breaking windows, d.a.m.ning, sinking, Ever raking, never thinking, Live the rakes of Mallow.

Mr. Kimber, the leader of the Headington Morris, could only give us the first verse of their song, which, however, is quite different from the Irish words:--

When I go to Marlow Fair With the ribbons in my hair, All the boys and girls declare, Here comes the rigs o' Marlow.