The Morpeth Rant

reel

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on January 8th 2003 by sven.

This tune has been added to 78 tunebooks.

Also known as Morpeth Rant, Pibddawns Morfudd.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A North Country Barn Dance by The Morpeth Ranters
• English Fiddle Tunes by Pete Cooper
• Hardcore English: 50 Tunes From Manuscript, Recorded And Aural Sources by Various Artists
• Harthope Burn by Joe Hutton, Willy Taylor & Will Atkinson
• Northumberland Collection by Kathryn Tickell Band
• Proper Job: Melodeon Playing From Dartmoor by Bob Cann
• Ranting And Reeling: Dance Music Of The North Of England by Various Artists
• The Miller's Jig by Magnetic North
• The Road Out Of Town by The Itinerant Band

X: 1
T: Morpeth Rant, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
|:A|d2AG FDFA|BGBd cAce|d2f2 gfed|c2e2 e2Ac|
d2AG FDFA|BGBd cAce|d2f2 gfec|A2d2 d3:|
|:A|dfaf dfaf|gfef g2ef|gfed cABc|defg f2A2|
dfaf dfaf|gfef g2ef|gfed cABc|d2f2 d3:|

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

# Posted on January 8th 2003 by lazyhound

The Morpeth Rant

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

# Posted on January 13th 2003 by noelbats

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:|

# Posted on March 29th 2004 by Dow

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:|

# Posted on April 5th 2004 by Dow

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

# Posted on May 14th 2007 by Dow