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Current ownership and whereabouts unknown
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of ABC Transcription
Go to PDF image file of original
manuscript at Internet Archive (external website)
Original transcription into ABC by Andrew Kuntz for his website The
Traditional Tune Archive
Edited for the Village Music Project with permission
Labelled by the author "John Burks, 1821"
A music manuscript containing 116 tunes, a photocopy of which was
given to Andrew Kuntz in North America some years ago.
Nothing of its history is known other than what can be gleaned
from the manuscript itself.
The start date is almost certainly 1821, explicit on the author’s
label. There are also the dates 1822 alongside three tunes, and
1823 alongside one more. Nothing in the tune-body would suggest
any dates later than the mid eighteen-twenties.
The book gets as far as “The Gloucester Waltz”, where it comes up
against the upside down “The Procession March To St Paul’s”, the
final tune of a series which has been coming in the other
direction from the other end of the book. The Procession March
referred to was probably the accession of George IV in 1820. I
have restarted the transcription at that point from the other
endpaper and hence back to the middle.
It is not very likely that any citizen of the USA at the time
would be celebrating the British monarch, so the assumption is
that the author was British, and probably English despite the
number of Scottish tunes, as they were the height of fashion in
England in that period.
There is at least one other (illegible) name on the endpapers, the
handwriting of both titles and tunes randomly vary between at
least two distinct styles, throughout the book and even within
pages. However, if there were multiple authors they were immediate
contemporaries, so I am satisfied to consider the author/s as a
single entity that we can call “John Burks”.
By 1868, according to a partly illegible later inscription, it had
somehow found its way from England to Williamsport, a city in
northeast Pennsylvania, USA.
The photocopied pages have become disordered at some point in the
past. I made an attempt to reorder them but undoubtedly made
some wrong guesses.
Index of Tunes:- ("aka"="Also Known As" - alternative titles where
known from other sources)
Admiral Strathspey Reel JBrk.07
Alexander's Hp,aka JBrk.39
Arklow Lasses,aka JBrk.82
Bank's Hp,aka JBrk.50
Bath Minuet (2 voices) JBrk.64
Battle of Trafalgar, (2 voices) JBrk.109, The
Belfast Lasses JBrk.19,aka
Bengall Minuet JBrk.91
Black Joke, with V(ariations) JBrk.115
Blackling Races JBrk.86
Blackling Races,aka JBrk.47
Blanchland Races,aka JBrk.86
Bon Gow,aka JBrk.20, Le
Bonny Charley JBrk.89
Braes of Marr JBrk.83
Briar Bush,aka JBrk.100
Bridlington Ladies JBrk.18
Brunswick Waltz JBrk.80
Buonapartes Waltz JBrk.23
Byrne's Favorite,aka JBrk.39
Captain MacIntosh,aka JBrk.04
Captain O'Kane,aka JBrk.99
Captain Pugwash,aka JBrk.56
Captain Sinclair's Reel JBrk.11
Cheshire Rounds JBrk.62
Cuckoow Minuet JBrk.54
Culloden Fight (2 voices) JBrk.63
Cumberland Reel,aka JBrk.97
Damoselle Cotillon JBrk.15, La
Duchess of Athol's Slipper,aka JBrk.101, The
Duchess's Slipper JBrk.101, The
Edward's Hp,aka JBrk.113
Exit by Mistake JBrk.21
Favorite March from Oscar and Malvina,aka JBrk.100
French Air JBrk.51, A
Glengarry,aka JBrk.29
Gloucester Waltz JBrk.69
Gosseberry Hp,aka JBrk.113
Grand March (2 voices) JBrk.65
Greenland Hornpipe JBrk.41
Grimaldi's Hp,aka JBrk.39
Hasttons Hornpipe JBrk.114
Hearts of Oak JBrk.16
Hexham Races,aka JBrk.36
Hornpipe JBrk.46, A
Hornpipe JBrk.47, A
Hornpipe JBrk.85, A
Humors of Castlecomer JBrk.19,aka
I Say Mind Missey What You Do: More So When You Are Tipsey JBrk.04
I('ll) Gang no more to yone toun JBrk.72
I'll Owe You One JBrk.111
Irishman in London JBrk.02, The
Isle Of France,aka JBrk.94
Jeney Set The Kettle On JBrk.88
Jesey JBrk.05
Jessie the Flower of Dunblane,aka JBrk.05
Kenmures on and awa,aka JBrk.36
King George the 3s Minuet JBrk.53
King George's Welcome to Ireland JBrk.35
King Of The Cannibal Islands,aka JBrk.97
Kings Return from Ireland JBrk.28, The
Kinmures on and awa JBrk.36
Kinnegad Slashers,aka JBrk.02, The
Kiss my Lady,aka JBrk.87
La Bellatier, Favurt JBrk.79
Lads Of Bonny Town,aka JBrk.20, The
Lads of Dunce JBrk.90
Lads Of Duns,aka JBrk.90
Lady Granthams Delight,aka JBrk.82
Lariett's Fancy,aka JBrk.20
Laura & Lenza JBrk.31
Leglasses Hornpipe JBrk.84
Little Fannys Love,aka JBrk.100
Lord Cathcarts Favorite,aka JBrk.107
Lord Cathnine [sic] Favorite JBrk.107
Lord Cochrane JBrk.26
Lord Donalds Reel JBrk.106
Lord Eglington's Hornpipe,aka JBrk.113
Lord MacDonald,aka JBrk.106
Lord St. Vincent's Hornpipe,aka JBrk.58
Lurietta's Fancy JBrk.20
Malcolm Graham JBrk.96
Malden Hornpipe JBrk.49
March JBrk.61, A
Medal,aka JBrk.113, The
Miller of Drone,aka JBrk.102, The
Miller of the Drone JBrk.102
Miner's Hp,aka JBrk.113
Minuet JBrk.52, A
Minuet to the Cuckoo,aka JBrk.01, A
Minut to the Cuckoow JBrk.01, A
Miss Bain's Reel JBrk.10
Miss Baird of Newbyths Strathspey,aka JBrk.22
Miss Bannister's Hp,aka JBrk.84
Miss D. Bridges Reel JBrk.13
Miss Drummond of Perth,aka JBrk.105
Miss Drummond of Pusey JBrk.105
Miss Helen Grand's Reel JBrk.08
Miss Helen Grant's Reel,aka JBrk.08
Miss Jane Sherrif's Reel JBrk.09
Miss Jane(?) Robertson's Reel JBrk.12
Miss Jean Robertson's Reel,aka JBrk.12
Miss Jean Sherrif's Reel,aka JBrk.09
Miss Johnsons Waltz JBrk.68
Miss Taylor's Reel JBrk.112
Moon Beams JBrk.38, The
Morgan's Hp,aka JBrk.50
Morgay (??) Hornpipe JBrk.67
Moss Rose JBrk.45, The
Mr. D. Bridges Reel,aka JBrk.13
Mrs Baird of Newbyths Strathspey,aka JBrk.22
Mrs. Green's Hornpipe JBrk.92
Mrs. Newbys Strathspey JBrk.22
My Dearest Ellen JBrk.14
My Little Peggy Love JBrk.100
My Own Dear JBrk.57
Nautical Hp,aka JBrk.48, The
Nautical Hp,aka JBrk.85
Neu(v?)ets Hornpipe JBrk.59
New Dash,aka JBrk.30, The
New Opera Hat,aka JBrk.110, The
Newcastle Short Troop,aka JBrk.20
Niel Gow's Second Wife JBrk.34
O Betsy will thou gang with me JBrk.98
O Nanny Wilt Thou Gang With Me (2 voices) JBrk.06
Oh Nanny Wilt Thou Gang With Me,aka (2 voices) JBrk.06
Oh! Then dearest Ellen,aka JBrk.14
Opera House or Hat JBrk.110, The
Orange and Blue JBrk.70
Palermo Hp,aka JBrk.46
Patrick O'Niel [sic] JBrk.25
Paysanne JBrk.95, La
Peacock Feathers JBrk.40
Perrys Hornpipe JBrk.71
Peter Street,aka JBrk.47
Peter Street,aka JBrk.86
Polly Put The Kettle On,aka JBrk.88
Pop My Lady JBrk.87
Poule, La JBrk.104
Poule, La JBrk.93
Pretty Peg,aka JBrk.42
Procession March to St. Pauls (2 voices) JBrk.116
Prunoble's Hornpipe JBrk.39
Queens New Minuet (2 voices) JBrk.66
Quick Step JBrk.76, A
Quick Step JBrk.82
Recovery JBrk.17, The
Regent Waltz JBrk.60
Rick's Hp,aka JBrk.43
Rixis (??) Hornpipe JBrk.43
Robinsons Hornpipe JBrk.50
Roxborough Castle Hornpipe JBrk.55
Royal Irish Quick Step,aka JBrk.82
Rusher's Hp,aka JBrk.113
Sailor's Hornpipe JBrk.48
Sailor's Hp,aka JBrk.85
San Martin JBrk.27
Scotch Lady JBrk.44
Scotch Reel JBrk.19, A
Scots Wha Hae Wi Wallace Bled JBrk.33
Sicilian Dance JBrk.103, The
Siege of Algiere [sic] JBrk.24, The
Siege of Algiers,aka JBrk.24
Sir David Hunter Blair JBrk.29
Smiling Dick(i)es Hornpipe JBrk.113
Snuff Box JBrk.42
Street Waltz JBrk.81
Sweet Jessie the Flower of Dunblane,aka JBrk.05
Telegraph,aka JBrk.100, The
Time Is A Tell Tale JBrk.108
Tompools Hornpipe JBrk.56
Trip To Matlock,aka JBrk.110, The
Trumpet Hp,aka JBrk.56
Tyrolese Dance,aka JBrk.94
Tyrulin [sic] Dance JBrk.94
Vincent's Hornpipe JBrk.58
Vulcan's Cave JBrk.97
Waltz JBrk.73, A
Waltz JBrk.74, A
Waltz JBrk.75, A
Waltz JBrk.78, A
Waltz, JBrk.77 A
When the Rosebud of Summer,aka JBrk.14
White Snowdon JBrk.37
Whites Snowden,aka JBrk.37
Wilson's Hp,aka JBrk.46
Wood Picker JBrk.32, The
Woodpecker,aka, JBrk.32, The
Wood's Hp,aka JBrk.46
Worsbro Hp,aka JBrk.113
Wounded Hussar JBrk.99, The
Yellow Goat,aka JBrk.87
Yo- Heave ho-- JBrk.03
Zodiack JBrk.30, The
Chris Partington, 2024
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