The Roman Wall

Another fine tune from Willie Taylor.

# Posted on July 31st 2005 by geoffwright

It's basically the Eavesdropper isn't it?

# Posted on July 31st 2005 by Dow

I don't know who Willie Taylor is but he certainly didn't write this tune (if that is what is being implied), which as 'Dow' has pointed out is clearly a version of the Eavesdropper

# Posted on August 1st 2005 by prouse

Not Willy taylor

I've always known this tune as Roman Wall but got it from Adam Grey, policeman and fiddler from Haydon bridge way in the wildest part of the Tyne Valley. He was a local copper in the middle of the last century and an important link with the Tynedale fiddle tradition that links back to Whinham.

Its a great tune for longsword dancing.

Pete Coe lke this tune and puts a nice harmony to the falling pattern in the b part..

Noel

# Posted on August 1st 2005 by noelbats

Noel, did you notice that Geoff's abc is *exactly* the same as the transcription you posted on the net yourself, complete with the same errors? Someone's cut & pasting someone else's work here, a-la-zombie-mindlesse, unless you are, in fact, both the same person existing in parallel universes and playing for different bands.

Anyway, regardless of your source, I'm surprised you didn't recognise this as the Eavesdropper, which is one of the most common Irish jigs, and one of those tunes that spread all over the place, including to America, where it appeared in Ryan's under a different title. I assume "Roman Wall" is simply a title some English person gave the tune so that it wouldn't go nameless on his band's set lists :-) [/irony]

# Posted on August 1st 2005 by Dow

In other words, it's a lovely romantic notion that this tune might somehow have sprung organically from the beautiful wilderness of the Tyne Valley like the fresh, pure source of a bubbling waterfall, played by locals steeped in the aural tradition and unnoticed by would-be transcribers of ancient, dusty manuscripts, but, basically, it's just the Eavesdropper.

# Posted on August 1st 2005 by Dow

I will be the first to admit, I cut & pasted it into my directory of Willie tunes as it sounded similar to others of his, and never gave it another thought.
After seeing the Kerry posting, I posted the Wall with Lemonville as the pair were both assimilated by him (for want of a better word than Northumbrianise), and neither was on the posted list of his tunes.
Silly of me not to notice the Eavesdropper similarities - and I still think it is a fine "variation" or whatever, when kept in context with his other tunes.

Evidently, English tunes are allowed to become Irish but not vice-versa.

# Posted on August 1st 2005 by geoffwright

So if I learn Cooley's Reel at a session in Yorkshire, does that mean that Cooley's is a traditional Yorkshire tune? Or does it just mean that I learnt an Irish tune at a session in Yorkshire?

# Posted on August 2nd 2005 by Dow

The Roman Eavedropper

It sounds very Northumbrian if you play it like pete Coe / Adam grey.
Played as an Irish jig, I'm not so keen. There are lots of tunes which get different names depending on how one plays them.
The North East has been assimilating tunes from scotland and Ireland for centuries. Its not a straight copy but a process we call Northumbriation. The Irish and Scots also adopt and adapt tunes into their own traditions.

Its the absorbtion and alteratioin which makes a living tradition.

I'm proud to be part of one and make no appologies for claiming the Eavesdropper as our own. iPlagiarisation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Noel
Angels of the North

# Posted on August 19th 2005 by noelbats

The Eavesdropper" ~ for which this transcript is a version

Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on November 23rd 2001 by Jdharv.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/389

# Posted on December 29th 2005 by ceolachan

The Roman Wall

Geofwright, "Evidently, English tunes are allowed to become Irish, but not vice-versa", I agree with you all the way there. I've seen stashes of English (particularly Northumbrian) tunes and a good few Shetland pieces being ripped off and declared as 'Irish' by some unscrupulous or ignorant players. An example of this that I've witnessed myself is The Chevy Chase being claimed as Irish, despite the fact that the composer has it included as his own in a biography at a northumbrian museum. And that its verses are about a massacre that took place in northumberland. Has it not occured to anyone that some folk music does, in fact, originate in England?

# Posted on March 15th 2006 by Rheged