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Watter, Rossendale, East Lancashire.
Present Location of MS is Rossendale Museum, Whitaker Pk,
Rawtenstall, East Lancs..
Transcribed into ABC Music Notation for The Village Music Project
by Chris Partington
Go to ABC file
Go to PDF
file of the transcription
The manuscript would pass for the work of a professional copyist.
It is a leather bound volume, 9.1/2″ x 12″, portrait.
There are 104 items in this ABC transcription, including all the
Primo, Secundo and bass parts.
21 pages dance tunes and airs, another 10, which I have not
transcribed, of Mozart and Handel, oratorios etc.
The date is uncertain, probably mid 1830s, based on the presence
of Quadrilles and Paganini pieces (Paganini at the first
Manchester Music Festival, reported in the Guardian, January 14,
1832) and the absence of Polkas.
It is interesting in its very sophisticated (for the vernacular)
use of harmony theory for the 2nd and bass parts, evidently due to
the known history of the Nuttall family in the thriving musical
life of the Rossendale area, in their case at least, based on the
Baptist Chapels, which they had been instrumental in founding.
See The
Larks of Dean for further information in this connection.
A transcription of some of the parts, in melodeon friendly keys,
was made by the late Jim Mainland, whose widow kindly donated them
to Manchester Morris Men.
An ABC file of this was passed to us by Howard Mitchell of the
MMMen. (who did the abc? Howard?).
I have compared this with the MS in Rossendale Museum and restored
the original keys and the missing tunes and parts.
The Manuscript sits in a glass case next to an 18thC consort of
violin, clarinet and cello belonging to the Larks, presumably the
very instruments the parts were written out for.
Introduction by Chris Partington, Feb.2001
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