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Description: | This tune seems to be derived from the old Scottish tune Johnny Cock Thy Beaver - the structure is displaced by two bars but much of the melodic material is shared. It has become thoroughly Northumbrianised over the last two centuries and more, and as Fenwick O' Bywell it remains a staple of the smallpipe repertoire.The alternative title Fenwick Of Bywell Goes To Newmarket has been written into one of the surviving copies of the book, and the Northumbrian Minstrely relates that this refers 'to a ballad once sung to the tune, celebrating a match at Newmarket between a mare called Duchess, belonging to the then Fenwick of Bywell, and a celebrated Newmarket racehorse. Tradition states that the north country horse won the race (which was run in heats), but with nothing to spare. We have heard the ballad sung by an old jockey about forty years ago, but it is now lost, and we can only recall to memory the first two lines - Fenwick o' Bywell's off to Newmarket He'll be there or we get started.' A little disappointing lyrically, then. As for the tune, it can be viewed as essentially a three-strain melody, strains opening on the 5th or 6th, low tonic and high tonic in turn. Modern versions have 6 strains and follow this pattern in the variations, but Peacock's strain 6 seems to be an extra or 'spare' (which the present writer has used as the first of an additional three after the other 6).The tune forms part of 'Peacock's Tunes' a collection originally entitled 'A Favorite Collection of Tunes with Variations adapted for the Northumberland small pipes, violin or flute' and was 'Printed by W. WRIGHT at His Music Shop, High Bridge'. John Peacock's name does not appear as editor or author, but the book includes 'A Compleat Drawing of J. Peacock's New Invented Pipe Chanter', and it is accepted that, as one of the best smallpipers of his time, Peacock is responsible for the music, or most of it. - It has been plausibly argued that Wright may have contributed some of the shorter tunes. No date appears in the book, but c. 1800-1805 is generally agreed. To read more about the rest of the collection click the link below. To read more about the collection click the link below. ; Early nineteenth century tunebook, arranged and composed by John Peacock | Rights holder: | rights holder : Society of Antiquaries | Temporal: | start=1801;end=1840; | Source: | Folk Archive Resource North East | Identifier: | farne:K0102201 | Go to resource |
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