The Session: Tunes - Knole Park (polka)

English Country Dance

Knole Park is originally an English Country Dance which dates to 1788, about 50 years before polkas burst out upon the European dance scene. The orignal set dance pattern to this tune is lovey and has been a favorite in the E.C.D. community in my area.

The structure of the tune's melody does fit the duple metric pattern that makes for a good polka. I can see how that would work.

The version printed appears to be identical to one found in Peter Barnes book of English Country Dances, copywrite Revised 1996. Peter got it from some original source and add chord symbols to it, which are not shown here. There may be a copywrite issue here. I'd suggest getting a second opinion on this point.

# Posted on March 31st 2007 by troisrive

Peter is pretty good at sticking to the sources he drew from, however, the choice of chords is an issue of copyright, but he's not a jerk in that sense, but I would give full credit if you have just swiped this out of the book, rather than transcribing it from a source like your local English Country Dance group or from your own mind and way of playing it...

"Bare Necessities" ~ group
http://www.sover.net/~marylea/bnhome.htm
Peter Barnes
http://www.sover.net/~marylea/bnmems_p.htm
http://home.comcast.net/~peterbarnes/personal.html
Recordings
http://www.sover.net/~marylea/bn_recs.htm

"The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes"
Expanded and revised by Peter Barnes

"A collection of 436 of the most commonly used English traditional dance tunes for all instruments, with chords included for piano or guitar accompaniment." (& "Knole Park")

"The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes, Volume 2"
Compiled and edited by Peter Barnes

"Collection of 413 more English traditional dance tunes, for all instruments. Many recent reconstructions, discoveries and compositions are presented, making a good set with Volume One. Includes chords for piano or guitar accompaniment, and extensive cross-referenced indexes including a master index for Vols. I & II."

# Posted on March 31st 2007 by ceolachan

"Knole Park" ~ another way with it

K: D Major
|: dc/B/ |
A>B AF | Ad fd | Be/f/ ge | d/e/d/c/ BA |
AA/B/ AF | Ad fd | B>g f/e/d/c/ | d2 :|
|: d/e/f/g/ |
a>f Aa/f/ | ge Ag | fd g/f/e/d/ |
[1 cB Af/g/ | a>f Aa/f/ | ge Ag | fd f/e/d/c/ | d2 :|
[2 c>B AG | Bg Af/f/ | Ge Fd/d/ | Eg f/e/d/c/ | d2 ||

# Posted on March 31st 2007 by ceolachan

I don´t remember

I can honestly not remember where I got this tune from. I might have copyed it from a book, from the internet or transcribed it from a record. It must be at least two years ago in any case. But if the tune itself is from 1788 the issue of copywright must be far fetched. Knole Park is by any standard in the public domain region. There is ofcourse the issue about the arrangement which ofcours is subject to copywright legislation. Many of the tunes I have submitted to The session I have transcribed from records. Such is for example the case with the Rob Gordon tunes. These transcriptions are very close to Gordons own playing - are these transcriptions infringing on Gordons copywright? Where does one draw the limit. I think one has to be open minded, and I think most people in the folk music community are - sharing with other musicians the music we all love and cherish is a way of life. However, I would not upload compositions which clearly falls in the copywright domain, such as "Women of Ireland".

# Posted on April 1st 2007 by Falkbeer

Copyright & Courtesy ~

Sorry Falkbeer, but copyright does cover arrangements. Those chords are classic for the compiler of the collection, and it seems to be pretty obvious that your notes and chords originated with that book, which was the hard work and labour of another person ~ who compiled and edited it and chorded it with the intention of sharing it with others, not hiding it under his mattress. I doubt he'd care, he's a nice person, a great musician and workshop leader, but basic courtesy and credit extended I'm sure would be appreciated, which I've done.

It is easy to drop tune after tune after tune from the endless collections available in print and online ~ what I look forward to, and I can only speak for myself, is the unique take that occurs when someone likes a tune enough to have played it long enough to have added their own way with it, however slight that might be, rather than just ripping it off from some pre-existing source, though it is nice to know if such exists, for example, "I first learned "Knole Park" from ~ " ~ another musician, a band, a recording, a printed source, online ABC's, whatever, so that a comparison might be made, such as giving the notes for the tune from one of those many early sources ~ which do not have chords... And also appreciated is when someone likes the playing of another musician to have transcribed from that to share with the rest of us, as you say you have ~ great! But that isn't what this is on either count...

# Posted on April 1st 2007 by ceolachan

Copyright & Courtesy ~

Ok, in principal you are quite right ceolachan, but who can keep track of all the hundreds of tunes many of us know by heart or have scribbled down. It´s pretty easy when you ar playing, let say, "Imagine" by John Lennon or som other well known tune. But I´ll keep you comments in mind, it´s always a good idea to mention the source!

# Posted on April 1st 2007 by Falkbeer