The Trumpet Hornpipe

Author(s): Wilf Darlington

Reviewed work(s):
Source: Folk Music Journal, Vol. 6, No. 3 (1992), pp. 276-298
Published by: English Folk Dance + Song Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4522409 .
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The Trumpet Hornpipe
WILF DARLINGTON

ONE OF THE MAJOR DOGMAS of folk musicology is that the increasing,

unrelentinginvasion of mass media into the lives of ordinary people
has killed off or tended to cause the extinction of their own music,
and has substituted a centralized, standardized,aesthetically inferior
type of music. Certainly, in trying to arrive at a definition of folk
music or folk song one inevitably has to call up a comparison
between the genre one is trying to define and a national mainstream.
There are many referencesin Thomas Hardy's works to the idea of
metropolitan music and popular songs invading rural communities.
The Mellstock quire is replaced by a harmonium in Under the
Greenwood Tree1and the Longpuddle quire is similarly disposed of
in 'A Few Crusted Characters'.2In Tess of the D'Urbervilles we are
told that 'No ditty floated into Blackmoor Vale from the outer world
but Tess's mother caught up its notation in a week'.3 Jocelyn Pier-
ston, the hero of The Well-Beloved,observed that Avice was taught
to 'forget all the experiences of her ancestors; to drown the local
ballads by songs purchased at the Budmouth fashionable music-
sellers'.4 In Hardy's biography we are told that the coming of the
railway to Dorchester was instrumentalin effecting this change; 'the
orally transmitted ditties of centuries being slain at a stroke by the
London comic songs that were introduced'.5But more recently, we
have come to accept that the effect of such culturally centralized
forces is more subtle than a mass extermination.
Michael Pickering,in 'Recent Folk Music Scholarshipin England:
A Critique', discusses the relationship between vernacular music-
making and mass culture. 'The boundary lines between lived and
I wish to acknowledge the generous help I have received from the following: the BBC
Sound Archives; the BBC Gramophone Library (London), the BBC Recorded Materials
Library (Manchester), the BBC Film and Videotape Library (Brentford), Meg Burdon of
the County Library at Morpeth (Northumberland), Tom Edmondson, Angus Fitchet,
the Hardie Press (Edinburgh), KPM Music, Ken Mutch of BBC Radio Scotland, the
National Library of Scotland, Tony Nish, Johnny Pearson, John Ryan, and the Vaughan
Williams Memorial Library.

Folk Music Journal, Volume 6, Number 3, I992

ISSN 053I-9684
The Trumpet Horn pipe z77

mass-marketcultures. . . becomeprogressivelyhazy,particularlyin
Westernsocieties'.6But an attemptat studyingthe effect on tra-
ditionalmusic-makingof the purveyingby the mass mediaof part
of tradition'spropertymightwell provefruitless,unlesssomechange
in that traditioncould be causallylinkedto the mediathemselves.
What is certainlytrue is the tendencyof the influenceof radio,
television, and commercialdiscs to deprive traditionalmusic of
variety.Wherea playerlearneda tunefroma live performancethere
always remainedthe possibilitythat he or she might forget some
part of it and improvise in its place, or remember some part of it
inaccurately. Where a player learned a tune from a disc he or she
could keep replaying it until the recorded version was learned, note
for note. (I shall provide an example below in support of this idea
from the playing of Tom Edmondson.) The teacher of a tune is
hierarchically superior to his student, and this superiority seems
emphasized when the tune is learned from a recording.
The 'Trumpet Hornpipe' is probably one of the best known of
traditional dance tunes - certainly among the general public -
through its use as an introduction to the animated television series,
Captain Pugwash. The first of these ten-minute animated cartoons
was transmitted on BBC Television on 8 October I957. Over eighty
Captain Pugwash adventures were made and broadcast during the
next eighteen years. Many of them have been given repeat trans-
missions both in the United Kingdom and abroad. Captain Pugwash
has been seen in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany,
Iran, and Hong Kong. Many of the programmes which were made
in colour are available as videos from BBC Enterprises.The origin
of the tune which introduced Captain Pugwash, more particularly
of bars 5 and 6 of the B section and the harmonic problems they
pose, has been a matter of interest to me for many years. The tune
is generally played as in Figure i. (For the purpose of comparison
musical references and transcriptions will be given in the key of G
irrespectiveof their original key.)
The chronology of the tune, so far as I have been able to
ascertain, is as follows. The 'Trumpet Hornpipe' appears in hand-
written collections of tunes from about the beginning of the nine-
teenth century, although it may be older. It appears in a number of
commerciallypublished collections towards the end of the nineteenth
and beyond the turn of the present century. With the upsurge of
Z78 WILF DARLINGTON

10 I; I_T= ' r *1r,1_Tr I Mt T lIIrr ll

.~~~~~~~~~~~J

e) e3 J liL.

A; ii' 3 * _@ _

f___F
ig i I__ w we

'rmpet orpie'

commercial recording after

-_, World War the tune was recorded by
many bands and solo musicians. It was used as the signature tune
of Captain Pugwasb from the late I950s, and remains a popular
hornpipe.
The way in which the tune is played has changed in several ways,
particularly in bars 5 and 6 of the B section. As a solo-instrument
tune found in the handwritten sources I shall cite, bars 5 and 6
consist of the tonic note, repeated in rhythm. In the published
anthologies the repeatednote is decorated in several ways. Of course,
it is highly likely that the published decorations were noted down
from the playing of musicians whose own handwritten books might
well not include any decorations; each musician might jot down the
'basic' tune and have a number of improvisations and embellish-
ments in his or her head from which to choose. At any rate, the
handwritten tunebooks do not include any decorations, and the
commercially published books generally do. By the time the tune
emerged in the I950S as a popularly recorded tune, it had generally
acquired a descending chromatic bass run under bars 5 and 6, and
the single repeated tonic note had returned, ousting the variations.
(A list of recordings is given in the Appendix. Each recording is
numberedand prefixedin the text with a letter 'R' for easy reference.)
From the I96os, the descending chromatic figure increasinglytended
The Trumpet Hornpipe 279

to be found in the tune. Finally, a newer bass figure began to emerge

which is, or ought to be, harmonically compatible with the de-
scending figure and the repeated single tonic note. However, in my
experience a satisfactory harmony which is compatible with these
three figures has not generally been adopted and I shall finish by
offering one.
The tune has been in circulation for a long time; certainly since
the early nineteenth century, and possibly since hornpipes ceased to
be only in three-in-a-bar. The first question suggested by the tune
is: has it any connection whatever with the trumpet? It is true that
the first few bars of the A section are possible on a natural trumpet
(that is, one without valves or keys), because the melody is confined
to an arpeggio; as is, incidentally, the 'Trumpet Waltz', which is
noted in tune books of the same period.7The trumpet is traditionally
the instrument by which signals-are communicated in the cavalry.8
Some of the rudimentary modifications to the natural instrument
which had begun to appear late in the eighteenth century would
have made it possible for at least the first part of the tune to be
played. Even where melodies contain parts of the harmonic series,
one has to go to considerable lengths in order to make a credible
piece of music.
About eight years ago I heard a town band playing at an Easter
fete in La Chapelle des Marais, Loire-Atlantique.I cannot remember
the name, nor the exact line-up; and I wish I had jotted down the
piece which they were playing, because it struck me then that it
would be relevant in discussions such as these. The band consisted
of about six (valveless) bugles which I took to be in Bb, an equal
number of natural horns which I took to be in F, some fully chro-
matic instruments, and some percussion. The piece was a rousing
march. The tune was carried first by the bugles for a couple of bars,
and was, as one would expect, restrictedto the harmonic series. The
horns then answered with the same theme in the dominant key. It
will be seen from Figure i that the first two bars of the 'Trumpet
Hornpipe' could be played by a valveless instrument in G, the next
two by a valveless instrumentin D, and the next by the G instrument.
How one could proceed beyond this point is another matter.
Early in the nineteenth century some manufacturers started to
add keys to bugles and cavalry trumpets. These instruments were
found to be very inferior to the valved saxhorns developed in the
28o WILF DARLINGTON

I84os by Adolphe Sax. The Great Exhibition of I85I iS said to have

been a finalizing influence in the introduction of saxhorns into brass
bands in Britain.9Before these perfected instruments took hold, the
keyed instruments were the only brass instruments capable of pro-
ducing something approachinga diatonic scale in their lower register,
let alone a chromatic scale in any register.In Bands, edited by Trevor
Herbert, there is a great deal of information regardingthe develop-
ment, and more importantlythe distributionthrough the population,
of brass instruments.10The chromatic run in bars 5 and 6 of the
B section would not have been feasible until the introduction of the
three valve trumpet. Credit for having added a third valve to brass
instruments is given to C. A. Muller of Mainz in i830," but a
general distribution of fully chromatic brass instruments would not
be found until some time after the Great Exhibition.
One final point must be made about the playing of music at this
time. We are accustomed to imagine that instrumentalistsare con-
fined to activity in certain categories. In Reg Hall's biography of
Scan Tester,'2 it is pointed out that musicians were not restrictedto
one genre of music as perhaps they are today. Hall mentions a man
nicknamed 'Trombone Billy' who was a trained bandsman and a
teacher of the trombone, who also played hornpipes on this instru-
ment for step dancing.13
In the light of the evidence provided by the sources to which I
have referred, it is my conjecture that the similarity of part of the
tune to the harmonic series indicates a practical connection between
the instrument and the tune 'Trumpet Hornpipe'. This being so, I
do not think that the descending chromatic figure was a feature of
the tune at that time, nor at any time during the nineteenth century.
There is the possibility that the tune, rather than being played
on a trumpet, merely imitated the instrument. In The Caledonian
Companion, by Alastair J. Hardie, the author has quoted the 'Trum-
pet Hornpipe' in the version played by his father, Bill Hardie, and
has added the following comment: 'The broken-chord writing and
the quasi-triple tongued triplets suggest that this fine hornpipe was
inspired by the trumpet fanfare'.'4 I am not sure that the triplets
indicate anything, as this rhythmic figure is a feature of the hornpipe
generally. However, Hardie's comment about the arpeggio figure is
certainly valid. The melody of Cohan's song 'Over There' written
in World War I was allegedly an imitation of a bugle call.'s
The Trumpet Hornpipe 28i

Written evidence of the 'Trumpet Hornpipe' is fairly scant, al-

though I have found the tune in several handwritten tunebooks. It
would seem that the owners of these books usually played solo, or
at least if not solo, in company with others who also played only
the melody; there is no indication of harmony. Some books give
variations of tunes, but not of the 'Trumpet Hornpipe'. In John
Moore's book the tune is called the 'Trumpet Hornpipe',"6but in
John Roose's book it is called 'LascellesHornpipe',"'and in Anthony
Metcalfe's book it is called the 'Baloon Hornpipe'."8It is quoted in
a few of the published collections of the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, for example in Kdhlers,19Kerr,20Honeyman,2'
and O'Neill (two versions of the tune).2 Some modern anthologies,
for example Martin (of which more later),23Hunter,24and Hardie
include it,25 but only in Martin's book have I found the tune printed
with the descending chromatic figure. This book sets out to 'reflect
the present day repertoire of the Highland fiddler and accordionist'
and was published quite recently. So where did the chromatic figure
come from? It is quite unusual for traditional tunes to do this; they
are far more likely to stay on the note G throughout these bars. In
Hunter's book, the tune is quoted with the single note G throughout
the two bars, although another version is quoted with some decor-
ation. The variant quoted in Hardie is clearly in the tradition noted
in Honeyman. Similarly, in O'Neill, K6hlers, and Kerr the tune is
noted with what is a decoration of the single G with a downward
moving figure. Although none of these is compatible with the tune
as generally played with the chromatic figure, it is possible that the
chromatic variation may have evolved in the following way. If we
take one of the O'Neill quotations and rewrite it slightly so as to
unravel a bass line, we might get from Figure z to Figure 3, and the
bass line might eventually become that in Figure 4.
Angus Fitchet, who played fiddle in Jimmy Shand'sband, believes
that the bass line was invented by a pianist in one of the bands

AA
ut -
T
J~J.
_
~ ~~~id~JT. 12 W2.
i OH '^_

Figure 2
O'Neill variant, Bars S and 6, B Section.
Z8Z WILF DARLINGTON

A -

Figure 3
Bass Part Derived from Figure 2.

Figure 4
Bass Part Derived from Figure 3.

earlier in the century, largely to make a more interesting bass. He

is of the opinion that the advent of pianists in bands led to the
introduction of more complex harmonies and bass lines, and conse-
quently more interestingwork for bass players;otherwise they would
have been restrictedto what he terms 'doh-soh' parts. He remembers
that every band seemed to be playing the 'Trumpet Hornpipe' in
the I95os, and all used the chromatically descending bass run. He
thinks it likely that Shand learned the tune from Bobby McLeod but
is not sure of this. Bobby McLeod's band certainly employed the
descending bass figure. Tom Edmondson thinks it possible, but
unlikely, that Shand learned the tune from McLeod. At the age of
about fourteen, Edmondson heard Shand playing the 'Trumpet
Hornpipe'. At this time, Shand would be about forty and McLeod,
although a well established musician, about twenty-two. It is still
possible that Shand learned the tune first, later heard someone
harmonize it with the descending figure, and incorporatedit into his
version. Equally Shand may have invented the descending bass figure
himself.
Angus Fitchet's theory of the origin of the descending bass run
is very convincing. Firstly, it is true that solo players seldom give
much attention to harmony, whereas there is a need for bands to
give it a high priority. Secondly, of the three solo fiddle players,
James F. Dickie, Hector MacAndrew, and Arthur Scott Robertson,
whose recordings (respectively Ri, C. I950, RIO, I963, and Rzz,
I975) I have checked, all play the tune with a decoration incom-
The Trumpet Hornpipe 283

patiblewith the descendingchromaticharmony.In fact, thesethree

soloistsplay the tune as printedin Honeyman.6It could be the case
that Dickie was playingthis tune at the time Honeymanpublished
his book; Dickie was born in i886, and beganfiddlelessons when
he was ten yearsold. Honeyman'sbook was publishedwhenDickie
was twelve.It seemslikelythattherewas a styleof playingthe tune,
currentat the time Honeymannoted it, whichhas beenperpetuated
by fiddle soloists since, despite another style having been developed
by bands since I900.
There is, however, the objection that solo accordionists have
tended to adopt the descending bass harmony, Will Starr (R3,
C. I952) is an example. But the point here is that the accordion is
an instrument capable of sophisticated harmonic self accompani-
ment, whereas the fiddle is not. Once the newer harmony took hold,
accordionists tended to adopt it. Accepting Angus Fitchet's expla-
nation for the reason that the chromatic figure was invented, from
where did it come, and when? It is reasonable to suppose that it was
adopted in the early years of this century, well before I950. Let us
consider the trends in popular music during the first twenty years
or so of the twentieth century.
Of the many influences upon music, the style which we have
come to call 'ragtime' was very important. Although 'ragtime' is
thought to be primarily a rhythmic style (after all, its very name
refers to its generous use of syncopation), the harmonic sequences
of 'ragtime' music were also very influential and long lasting, if not
permanent. The harmonic sequence which found its way into bars
5 and 6 of the 'Trumpet Hornpipe' can be found in. many of Scott
Joplin's rags: compare, for example, 'Elite Syncopations',27'The
Cascades',28and 'The Entertainer' (see Figure 5).2 Many popular
songs of the period also employ this little harmonic phrase or one

A-
. '-t, - e i'Dll, G

Figure 5
'The Entertainer',
Bars13 and I4, A Section.
284 WILF DARLINGTON

verylike it, as an introductionto the cadenceof a section,as in fact

Joplin used it. For example, 'Over There',30to which I referred
above and to the harmonyof which I shall return,has the same
sequence, as 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' almost does;31and, as I
shall discuss later, the harmonic progression which is found in
'Alexander's Ragtime Band' (see Figure 6) is often used by guitar-
ists - erroneously in my view - to accompany the section of the
'Trumpet Hornpipe' in question.
At this stage I would like to be more specific about the harmony
of the descending chromatic figure, and in particularof the flattened
submediant, which in my quotations is an Eb. If we widen the field
of our investigation of popular music and look for instances of this
note, we will see that it is used increasingly in popular music of the
early part of this century, in both the melody and the accompaniment
of popular songs. The flattened submediant can belong to a number
of chords (see Figure 7). First is the diminished seventh, a discussion
of which I shall not undertake as this chord is unsuitable at the
point in the 'Trumpet Hornpipe' in question. Second is the subdom-
inant minor (Cm in the case of the 'Trumpet Hornpipe'), to which
I shall return, and which is given in Martin's book.32 Third is the
chord known as the augmented sixth, which has three common
forms. The augmented sixth has been widely used in musical com-
position from the sixteenth century. A whole chapter is dedicated
to its historical use in The Oxford Harmony,33with quotations from
Lassus, Byrd, Monteverdi, Wilbye, Gibbons, Blow, Purcell, Kuhnau,

FN Ij I ^.

and if you care to hear the Swan-ee Riv - er played in rag-time-

I IA m W_ u _ _ _ ____

Figure 6
'Alexander's Ragtime Band'.
Quotationusedby permissionof International
MusicPublishing.
The Trumpet Hornpipe 285

DIMINISHEDSEVENTH SUBDOMINANTMINOR AUGMENTEDSIXTH

A I
D 1- , vo 1

ITALIANSIXTH FRENCH SIXTH GERMAN SIXTH

A

Figure 7
Harmony of the Flattened Submediant.

Weldon, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert,

Wagner, Verdi, Franck, Brahms, Borodin, Grieg, Elgar, Wolf, and
Sibelius. The chord is most commonly based upon the flattened
submediant. As harmony manuals tend to indicate, the chord is most
often used to introduce a half or full close.34
However, for all the examples in musical compositions referred
to above, I have found neither the augmented sixth, nor its cousin
the subdominant minor, used in popular music before about I9oo;
after this date its use blossomed, and the evidence tends to indicate
that the trend was set by American popular music. Incidentally, the
introduction of the augmented sixth into popular music could be in
itself the subject of a considerable amount of research, and I do not
wish to delve too deeply into the matter here. However, it is interes-
ting to speculate on the candidacy of Scott Joplin for having done
this; he rather saw himself as the inheritor of classical European
tradition, to which he believed his compositions belonged; and he
was very influential in popular music. In Ragtime: A Musical and
Cultural History, Edward A. Berlin gives a thorough analysis of
Joplin's use of flattened submediantharmony during the bars leading
to the end of a section.35In the absence of any firm evidence, Berlin's
view seems to be, however, that Joplin was embellishing or refining
an existing popular contemporaryconvention. The facts remain that
Joplin was enormously influential at the turn of the century, that he
used this device extensively, and that there seem to be no examples
in the extant works of others prior to Joplin's compositions.
'Maple Leaf Rag' makes abundant use of a triad on the flattened
submediant.36'Oh You Beautiful Doll' employs a similar flattened
submediant in the melody.37'The Honeysuckle and the Bee' employs
a form of the augmented sixth called the German sixth, of which
z86 WILF DARLINGTON

more later.38 'Give my Regards to Broadway',39 'The Tiddle-Y

Pom',40'California, Here I Come',4' and 'Over There'42each incor-
porate an augmented sixth in a form called the Italian sixth (see
Figure 8).
'Blaze Away'43and 'Rock-a-bye your Baby with A Dixie Mel-
ody',44 both of which employ a German sixth, use the chord to
precede the perfect cadence in the manner described by Kitson (see
Figure 9).45 I shall show that this is how the chord may be used in
the 'Trumpet Hornpipe'.
'Pasadena'46 uses another form of the augmented sixth called the
French sixth. In addition, 'Who Were You With Last Night'47has a
flattened submediant in the melody, 'Nellie Dean'48 contains an

And we won't come back till it's o - ver o - ver there

Figure 8
'Over There'.
Quotation used by permission of International Music Publishing.

Rock-a - bye your rockabye ba- by with a Dix - ie mel-o - dy

_~~~~~~~~:
Ml 9

Figure 9
'Rock-a-bye your Baby with a Dixie Melody'.
Quotation used by permission of International Music Publishing.
The Trumpet Hornpipe 287

obvious descendingchromaticfigure in the accompaniment,and

'The Sunshineof your Smile'49has a subdominantminorharmony
(which contains the flattenedsubmediant)precedingits final cadence.
The many augmented sixths in 'They Didn't Believe Me';50are to
be expected in Jerome Kern's more adventurous use of harmony. I
have found many songs which include these harmonies in the ac-
companiment. Ironically, one feels, Percy Grainger's composition
based upon the morris tune 'Country Gardens'5' employs many
descendingchromatic figures,incorporatedin severalways, including
some on the flattened submediant. He wrote the work in New York;
I feel that too much could be made of this simple fact, but Grainger
was very influenced by American popular music, later, notably, that
of Gershwin. All the examples I give above are American imports.
Speaking generally, I have found little evidence of the flattened
submediant in any harmonic form as early in British popular music
as in American popular music.
However it happened, the chromatic figure was absorbed into
the tradition. A review of the list of thirty recordings given at the
end of this article yields the following information. I have dealt with
the three solo fiddle recordings (Ri, Rio, and Rzz). The two bars
in question consist of the decoration of a single note which I have
been quoting as a G (in fact, as all three of these musicians play the
tune in the key of Eb, the true note is an Eb). This decoration is
entirely incompatible with the descending chromatic figure.
In twenty of the remaining recordings (RX, R3, R4, R5, R7, R8,
RII, Riz, RI3, RI4, RI5, Ri6, RI7, RI8, Ri9, Rzo, Rzi, Rz3, R24,
and R30), the tune of the two bars in question is played as a G over
the descending bass figure (see Figure io). Will Starr (R3) decorates
the tune with an octave leap (see Figure ii). I have isolated the

~~it
3,
I~~i __
3
J,

Figure io
'Trumpet Hornpipe', Tune with Descending Bass Figure.
z88 WILF DARLINGTON

^
r

I
,W - 94 P+9 Fz-

Figure i i
Will Starr Variant of Figure io.

remainder as being in some degree irregular. Brendan Hogan (R6,

i959) sustains the note G throughout these two bars, but stays on
a G chord throughout, with no movement in the bass. Inis Fail (R9,
i96z) stay on the note G and a sustained chord of G over a rather
odd descending bass (see Figure iz). Tony Hall (Rz5, I977), whose
melodeon presumablylacks the more comprehensiveaccompaniment
facilities at the disposal of accordionists, ingeniously plays a rising
arpeggio of G (see Figure I3). In the 'Spirit of Adventure' recording
(Rz9, i986), of a solo accordion, the tune consists of a rising figure
over a harmony not used in any other recording reviewed here. Both
tune and harmony are compatible with the sustained note but this
note is not heard. It is almost as if the musician has been used to
playing the tune with another player who repeated the tonic note
throughout these bars. The descending chromatic run is not used.

Figure 12
Fall Variant of the DescendingBass.
Wis

Figure 13
Tony Hall Variantof Bars5 and 6, B Section.
The Trumpet Hornpipe z89
On the three remaining recordings, Bakerloo Junction (Rz6, 1978),
BrianGulland and RichardHarvey (Rz7, I982), and the Clydesiders
(Rz8, 1983),the descendingchromaticfigurehas been takenby the
tune. Thereis no real bass on any of them;two of them (Rz6 and
Rz8) have a harmonicallyuncertainguitaraccompaniment and two
tune players.One of them sustainsthe G, while the otherplays the
chromaticfigure.
It is not unknownfor accompaniment figuresto becomeabsorbed
into the tune. Compare,for example,the singingof 'GuideMe O
Thou GreatRedeemer',to the tune 'Cwm Rhondda'.s2Just before
the last line of each verse,the words 'Feedme now and evermore'
are sung to the dominantnote. Whilethe sopranoand tenor notes
are held on '-more'the altos and bassessing a risingarpeggioof the
chordto the word 'evermore'(seeFigure14). Butin popularsinging
of this hymn(at sportingfixtures,for example)it is commonto hear
everyonesingingthe tune;and insteadof holdingthe long dominant
note, the tendencyis to addthe arpeggiofigure.Anyonewho wished
to note down the tune from such singingcould not be expectedto
;eparatethe tune from the arpeggiowhich did not belongwith it.
It is the case that the untrainedear cannoteasily identifythe notes
of accompanimentparts under a melody; but when the melody
includesa long held note, or a repeatednote, such an ear is able to
pick out lower accompanimentparts. Anyone learningthe hymn
would do so as they heardit. The barsof the 'TrumpetHornpipe'
in questionare similarin the respectthat the tune containssuch a
repeatednote. It is a possibilitythat the downwardmovingchro-
maticfigurewas absorbedinto the tune of the 'TrumpetHornpipe'
in the same way.

feed me now and ev - er - more

fee
feed nwad
rme r r
me now and ev - er - more, ev - er-more

feed me now and ev - er - more, ev - er-more

Figure 14
'Cwm Rhondda', Bars ii and It.
290 WILF DARLINGTON

But what can be learned from the versions used in Captain

Pugwash?The programmewas originallya BBCproduction,with
drawingsand animationby the creatorof the character,JohnRyan.
Some of the early programmeswere live, the remainderwere tele-
recordings,and consequentlymadein black and white. John Ryan
was able to tell me that the tune 'TrumpetHornpipe'was chosen
by a 'geniusat the BBC',whose name he unfortunatelycould not
remember.This person recommendeda BBC Sound Archive re-
cordingby a button accordionplayerfrom Harbottlein Northum-
berland,called Tom Edmondson(R4). Later, with the advent of
colour television,it was necessaryto make CaptainPugwashon
colour film. From I973 the programmebecame an independent
productionof JohnRyanStudios,whichwas merelytransmittedby
the BBC.JohnnyPearsonwas commissionedto recorda new version
of the theme music (Ri9). When I inquiredabout his composition
and arrangementof the music, he could not remembervery much
about it, except that the instrumenthe borrowed to make the
recordinghurt his back! As I mentionedabove, Tom Edmondson
playsthe tunewith a repeatedG note overthe descendingchromatic
bass figure.JohnnyPearson'srecordingalso treatsthese barsin the
same way.
In both recordings,the descendingbass figureis veryprominent.
Tom Edmondsonsays that he learnedthe tune 'TrumpetHornpipe'
from the playingof JimmyShand.He adds that althoughhe had
manyJimmyShand78s in the early I95os, he did not thinkhe ever
had a recordingof the 'TrumpetHornpipe';he learnedthe tune at
danceswhichJimmyShandgave in Edmondson'sareaof Northum-
berland.I haveconsultedthe 78 rpmrecordingof JimmyShandand
his bandfrom I956 (R5),and againit does havethe descendingbass
figureundera repeatedG. The I956 recordingby Shandseems to
be his first recordingof the tune. Paradoxicallythen, Edmondson
learnt the tune from Shand,yet Shanddid not get aroundto re-
cordingit until two yearsafterEdmondsonhad recordedit.
I referredin my introductionto the differencesbetweenlearning
a tune 'perfectly'froma disc, andlearninga tunefroma live playing
of it at a publicevent.Assumingthat the learnerdoes not jot down
the tune in musicalnotation,and attemptsto commitit to memory,
the possibilityremainsthathe or she will not rememberit accurately.
This would be one factor, in a pre-mass-mediasociety, in the
 j

The Trumpet Hornpipe z9I

variationof traditionaltunes. Thereare two prominentdifferences

between the Edmondson recording of I954 (R4) and the Shand
recording of I956 (R5). One is that Tom Edmondson employs an
obscure, but nonetheless charming variant in bar 4 of the B part of
the tune (see Figure I5). This is not the way Shand played it. Tom
Edmondson could not tell me why he played it differently, and I
have assumed that he misremembered Shand's version. The other
difference is the harmonization of bar 6 of the A section, and bar 3
of the B section. Edmondson recordedthe 'Trumpet Hornpipe' again
recently (R3o). In this later recording, the descending bass figure and
its harmony are the same as in the recording he made some thirty-
eight years earlier. However, he has altered his harmonization of
bar 6 of the A section: this bar is now played as Shand played it in
both his 1956 and I973 recordings. But in neither of Edmondson's
recordingshas he adopted Shand's harmony of bar 3 of the B section.
In Figure i6 I indicate the chords used in the four differentrecordings.
But Edmondson has retained his peculiar melodic variant of bar 4
of the B section (see Figure I5). This variant does not appear in
Johnny Pearson's theme music for Captain Pugwash.

Figure 15
Tom Edmondson Variant of Bar 4, B Section.

G D

:
G
*4 ir-
JTJJ^i^. .
r'
Gt(R4) D
r
A
r;r
D
li:
^ ^cl~ Em(R5,R20R30)
3
15 3_

G C C (R4R30) D
Am (R5,R20)

Figure 16
Comparison of Shand's and Edmondson's Harmonization.
292 WILF DARLINGTON

Let us take stock of the evidenceso far. Of the manuscript

sourceswhich I have considered,all but two were noted in the last
century,or withinthe firstcoupleof yearsof this century.The other
two were publishedwithin the last decade. One of these recent
sources, quoting the tune as it is now played, gives the tune as
containingthe downwardmovingchromaticfigure.All otherwritten
sources,includingthe othermodernanthology,givethe tunewithout
the downwardmoving chromaticfigure,quoting instead either a
repeatedsinglenote or a decorationof it.
Beforegoing on to discussthe recordedsourcesof the tune, I
should at least draw attentionto the fact that over half of these
recordingsare Scottish.I have no reasonto supposethat the tune
originatedin Scotland.I have put the phenomenondown to the
Scotsbeingmoreinterestedin countrydancemusic,so encouraging
the record industryto produce more country dance recordings.
Comparisonsare difficultto justify,but it would seem reasonable
to comparethe outputsof, say, JimmyShand(for Scotland)with
the CountryDance Band, led by Nan Fleming-Williams (for Eng-
land). The E.M.I. cataloguefor I95s83 gives I07 entriesfor Shand
comparedwith only 8 for the CountryDanceBand.
The thirtyrecordedsourceswhichI haveconsideredfall roughly
into three categories.One categoryincludesthose musicianswho
employ a version of the tune which is closest to the majorityof
written sources, and which is incompatiblewith the descending
chromaticbass. It is the solo fiddleplayerswho, duringthe conten-
tious couple of bars, employ a decorationof the repeatednote,
incompatibleharmonicallywith the descendingbass figure.I also
include in this categorythe band (R6) which does not employ a
descendingchromaticbass,althoughthe way the tuneis playeddoes
not forbidit. Also in this categoryI groupthe solo melodeonplayer
(Rz5) and the playeron the 'Spiritof Adventure'recording(Rzg).
The secondcategory,by far the largest,includesthe bandsand solo
playerswho performthe tunewith a singlerepeatednote throughout
the two barsin questionovera descendingchromaticbassrun,with
compatibleharmony.I have also includedthe band (Rg) which
employsan obscuredescendingbass, becauseI take the view that
this bass line is a poorly rememberedvariantof the standardde-
scendingbasspart. The thirdcategoryhas but threemembers(Rz6,
Rz7, and Rz8), which are recordingsof the tune as playedby most
The TrumpetHornpipe Z93
players today, employing the downward chromatic figure in the
tune.
The fiddle recordings employ the least progressive harmonic
devices; the majority of the accordion recordings employ the repeated
note over the chromatic bass up to about the middle of the I970S.
After this date the chromatic figure starts to appear in recordings of
the tune. This in itself is a slight distortion; I have been playing the
tune since the I960S and I have always known it to be played in
sessions with the descending chromatic figure in the tune. I first
made commercial recordings of country dance tunes in I97I; I never
recorded this tune, but if I had I would almost certainly have used
the version with the chromatic figure in the tune. Clearly, sometime
in the first half of this century the tradition arose, probably suggested
by popular musical influences, of playing a descending chromatic
bass under these two bars. From I957 Captain Pugwash brought the
tune before a wider public, in a version which featured the de-
scending chromatic bass very prominently. The tradition of playing
it as before persisted with recording artistes who had learned the
tune 'pre-Pugwash' and who for reasons of either aesthetics or habit
did not alter their playing of the tune. A comparison between the
I956 (R5) and the I973 (Rzo) Shand recordings yields very little
difference in the way the tune is played. Recordings made towards
the end of the I970S tend to show the more general adoption of the
'post-Pugwash' chromatic figure in the tune.
What generalizations are safe in the light of the evidence I have
thus far exposed? Certainly the view expressed by Hardy - that
the printed publication of popular songs (and presumably, by exten-
sion, commercial recordings, radio, television, and so on) caused the
extinction of the music indigenous in rural communities - is too
simple.
But to return to the practical problem, admitting such a chro-
matic figure into the tune raises the further problem of how to
harmonize it best. The chords given in Christine Martin's book are
a good choice (see Figure I7). However, I have heard in sessions, a
tendency for bass players, guitarists, and others, to want to use a
rising bass figure (see Figure I8). In fact, this figure is used as a kind
of descant last time through by Andrew Rankine (RI7) and Stuart
Anderson (Rz3), although neither seems to have altered the harmony
to suit. It may be possible to avoid harmonic alteration if such a
figure is heard high up in the arrangement, but I feel that some
294 WILF DARLINGTON

jji,i i I 11rr
G G7 c Cmin

Figure 17
Chords Given in Ceol na Fidhle.

_L~~~~~~ I

Figure i8
Rising Bass Part Commonly Used.

modification is necessary if the bass is to have it. Conversely, the

musician (who is not clearly identified) on the 'Spirit of Adventure'
compact disc (Rzg) plays this rising figure in the tune without the
descending bass figure, using a harmony incompatible with that
descending figure (see Figure I9).
To return to an accommodation of the repeated G, the de-
scending chromatic figure and the rising bass, it is clear that the Ct
would clash with the C of a C minor chord. Furthermore, the
diminished seventh chord (Eb, Ft, A, C) which I have also heard
used in place of C minor is equally unsuitable; but it is possible to
use a chord which contains Ct, Eb, and G. This is the chord of the
augmented sixth, to which I have referred extensively above. The
interval is nominally between Eb and CS, although the reader will
note that as the C# is in the bass and consequently below the Eb it
is not in fact an augmented sixth, but a diminished third. This apart,
the effect of the chord is the same. The manual on harmony to
which I have referredabove lists three types of augmented sixth: the

G C A

Figure I9
'Spirit of Adventure' Harmonization.
The Trumpet Hornpipe z95

-\- 2 u i is Ii- MV_ _0M- , pIP v J-

-S do
I I
l6 .H m Id I A e SIx

G G7 C EB7 G D7 G

Figure 20
Harmony Including Augmented Sixth.

Italian (Eb, G,C$), the French (Eb, G, A, C$) and the German (Eb,
G, Bb, C$).54 No-one seems to know how these chords acquired
their nationalist names. They sound equally good resolving onto a
D chord or a G chord, either of which is suitable for the 'Trumpet
Hornpipe'.
The only remainingquestion is, what are accordionists supposed
to do, as few will have a button for these chords?However, another
look at the German sixth will reveal that if the Ct is considered a
D7, then the chord is also an Eb7 chord, which is available on a
good many accordions. Incidentally, in the Scott Joplin rag 'The
Cascades'55the composer harmonizes the descending chromatic bass
with a German sixth.
And so, finally, my suggestion for the last four bars of the
'Trumpet Hornpipe' is given in Figure zo.
Appendix
RECORDINGS OF THE 'TRUMPET HORNPIPE'

i. James F. Dickie, James F. Dickie Delights (i2-inch L.P., I2T279, Topic,

I976), recording made in early I950S.
2. Bobby McLeod, Trumpet Hornpipe (78 rpm disc, F3457, Parlophone,
early I950S).
3. William Starr, Set of Irish Hornpipes (78 rpm disc, F34I8, Parlophone,
early 1950s), released later on Memories of Will Starr (iz-inch L.P.,
OUM2i82, One-Up, no date).
4. Tom Edmondson, Folk Dance Music (iz-inch L.P., LP2o625, BBC Sound
Archives, I954).
5. Jimmy Shand and his Band, Trumpet Hornpipe (78 rpm disc, R4I3z,
Parlophone, I956).
6. Brendan Hogan's Ballinakill Ceili Band, Music for Emerald Isle Lep-
rechauns (iz-inch L.P., CLPi6z2, HMV, ig5g).
296 WILF DARLINGTON

7.Alan Coulson, Trumpet Hornpipe, recording in the Vaughan Williams

Memorial Library, no. 233, I959.
8. The Country Dance Band, Four North Country Folk Dances (7-inch E.P.,
7EG 87I8, HMV, I96I).
9. Inis Fail Ceili Band, Irish Holiday (iz-inch L.P., EMB3343, Ember, i96z).
io. Hector MacAndrew, Scottish Fiddle Music (iz-inch L.P., OUz2I5, One-
Up, i963).
ii. Jim MacLeod and his Band, Jim MacLeod's Golden Hour of Scottish
Dancing (iz-inch L.P., GH536, Golden Hour, i963).
iz. Jimmy Blair and his Band, Scottish Country Dances (7-inchE.P., TEI74I4,
Fontana, I964).
I3. Malachy Doris Ceili Band with Peter Sherry (i2-inch L.P., TL5z48, Fon-
tana, i965).
I4. The Glenlomond Band, Gerry McKenzie's Tartan Top Twenty (iz-inch
L.P., OU2zig, One-Up 1974), from I967 recording.
I5. Colin Campbell and his Highland Band, Up Among the Heather (i2-inch
L.P., SBEI4I, Beltona, I969).
i6. The Gallowglass Ceili Band, A Date with the Gallowglass Ceili Band
(I2-inch L.P., SBEi I7, Beltona, I97I) .
I7. Andrew Rankine and his Scottish Band, Scottish Country Dance Favour-
ites, Vol. i (i2-inch L.P., GESIo55, Emerald, I971).
I8. Arthur Spink, Arthur Spink's Hogmanay (iz-inch L.P., SBEIZ4, Beltona,
I971).
I9. Johnny Pearson, Shipshape (The Captain Pugwash Theme) (Quarter-inch
tape, KPMTz55, KPM, 1973).
zo. Jimmy Shand and his Band, English Folk Dances (i2-inch L.P., OUzoI5,
One-Up, I973).
2I. Archie Duncan, Three Faces of St. Andrew (iz-inch L.P., SBEi69, Beltona,
I974).
zz. Arthur Scott Robertson, Scotland's Champion Fiddler (iz-inch L.P.,
FLP5oI5, Spectrum, I975).
z3. Stuart Anderson, All the Best from Scotland (12-inch L.P., LILP5Ioo,
Lismor, I976), from LILP5o37, no date.
z4. Jack Sinclair Showband, Jack Sinclair's Highland Hogmanay (iz-inch
L.P., SBEI87, Beltona, I976).
25. Tony Hall, Fieldvole Music (iz-inch L.P., FRRoiz, Free Reed, I977).
z6. Bakerloo Junction, The Emigrants Return (iz-inch L.P., GESIi87, Emer-
ald, I978).
27. Brian Gulland and Richard Harvey, Folk Songs: A Selection of Folk
Songs and Sea Shanties from the British Isles and the United States
(iz-inch L.P., KPM I27i, KPM, i98z).
28. The Clydesiders, Wild Mountain Thyme (iz-inch L.P., KLP4Is, Igus,
I983).
z9. John Walton and Members of the New Zealand Training Ship 'Spirit of
Adventure', Chants de Marins (Compact Disc, PS65oI4, Playasound,
I986).
30. The Tom Edmondson Band with Andrew Knight, Come to the Dance
(Cassette Tape, REDE Coo5, T. Edmondson, i99z).
The Trumpet Hornpipe z97
Notes
1
Thomas Hardy, Under the Greenwood Tree (London: Tinsley Brothers, i872), revised in
Wessexedition(London:Macmillan,i9iz).
2
Thomas Hardy, 'A Few Crusted Characters:Absent-Mindedness in a Parish Choir', short
story serializedin Harper'sNew Monthly Magazine (Americanand Europeaneditions, March-
June I89I); in book form in Life's Little Ironies (London: Osgood, Mcllvaine, I894), revised
in Wessexedition(London:Macmillan,i92z).
3 Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles,novel serializedin The Graphic, (July-December,
I89I);revised in book form in Wessex edition (London: Macmillan, i91i), 'Phase the First',
Chapter 3.
4 Thomas Hardy, The Well-Beloved, novel serialized in The Illustrated London News (Oc-

tober-December, i89z); in book form (London: Osgood, Mcllvaine, I897), revised in Wessex
edition(London:Macmillan,i9iz), Parti, Chapterz.
I F. E. Hardy,The Lifeof ThomasHardy:I840-I928 (London:Macmillan,i96Z), p. 20.
6 Michael Pickering, 'Recent Folk Music Scholarship in England: A Critique', Folk Music
Journal,6 (I990), 37-64 (p. 58).
Ton' Nish (Knutsford)Private Collection, John Roose MS, no. 835, 'Trumpet Waltz'. This
manuscript comes from Hulme, Manchester; the date is uncertain, but is probably early
nineteenth century.
8 Lilla M. Fox, Instrumentsof Processional Music (London: Lutterworth Press, I967), p. 6z.
John F. Russell and J. H. Elliott, The Brass Band Movement (London: Dent, I936), p. 57.
Bands: The Brass Band Movement in the igth and 20th Centuries, ed. by Trevor Herbert
(Milton Keynes and Philadelphia:Open University Press, I99I).
11 Adam Carse, The History of Orchestration (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, I925),

p. z09.
12 Reg Hall, I Never Played to Many Posh Dances (Rochford: Musical Traditions, I990).
Hall, p. 3I.
14 Alastair J. Hardie, The Caledonian Companion (London: E.M.I. Music, I98I; republished,
Edinburgh:Hardie, i992), p. 66.
'5 'Over There', song, USA, words and music by George M. Cohan (London and Sydney:
Chappell;New York:Leo Feist,I917).
16 Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Moore MS, 4494 QM, no. io8. This manuscript of

tunes by John Moore of Wellington, Shropshire, is dated ii April 1837. See The Ironbridge
Hornpipe: A Shropshire Tune Collection from John Moore's Manuscripts, ed. by Gordon
Ashman (Blyth, Northumberland:Dragonfly, I99I), p. 44.
17 Roose MS, no. 938, 'Lascelles Hornpipe'.

18 Wilfred Darlington (Sale) Private Collection, Anthony Metcalfe MS, p. 43, 'Baloon Horn-

pipe'. This manuscript bears the inscription 'Anthony Metcalfe, Lowther', and probably dates
from the early nineteenth century.
19 Kohlers' Violin Repository of Dance Music, 36 vols, ed. by W. B. Laybourn (Edinburgh:
Kohler, i88i), vi; republished in 3 vols (Edinburgh:Kohler, I885), I, 44.
20 James S. Kerr, Kerr's First Collection of Merry Melodies for the Violin (Glasgow: J. S.
Kerr,[i9z0]), no. z7.
21 William C. Honeyman, The Strathspey, Reel, and Hornpipe Tutor (Dundee: Honeyman
Music, I898; republished Blyth, Northumberland:Dragonfly, I988), p. 55.
22 Francis O'Neill, O'Neill's Music of Ireland (Chicago: Lyon & Healy, 1903), nos I586 and
I587.
23 Christine Martin, Ceol na Fidhle: Highland Tunes for the Fiddle, Vol. 2 (Tain, Scotland:
Taigh na Teud, I986), p. 41.
24 James Hunter, The Fiddle Music of Scotland (Edinburgh:Chambers, 1979; republished,
Edinburgh: Hardie,I988), no. 3z6.
2" Hardie,p. 66.
Z98 WILF DARLINGTON

26 Honeyman, p. 55.
27 'Elite Syncopations', piano solo, USA, by Scott Joplin (St Louis, Missouri: John Stark,
190Z).
28 'The Cascades', piano solo, USA, by Scott Joplin (St Louis, Missouri: John Stark, I904).
29
'The Entertainer',piano solo, USA, by Scott Joplin (St Louis, Missouri: John Stark, l90z).
30 See note IS.
31 'Alexander's Ragtime Band', song, USA, words and music by Irving Berlin (London:
B. Feldman;New York:Ted Snyder,I9II).
32 Martin,p. 4-1.

3 H. K. Andrews, The Oxford Harmony, Vol. z (London: Oxford University Press, 1950),
PP. 44-66.
34 C. H. Kitson, Elementary Harmony, 3 vols (London: Oxford University Press, i9z0), III,
43.
3' Edward A. Berlin, Ragtime: A Musical and Cultural History (Berkeley: University of

CaliforniaPress,I980).
36 'Maple Leaf Rag', piano solo, USA, by Scott Joplin (Sedalia, Missouri: John Stark and
Son, I 899).
37 'Oh You Beautiful Doll', song, USA, words by Seymour Brown, music by Nat D. Ayer
(London: Redwood Music; New York: Remick Music, i9ii).
38 'The Honeysuckle and the Bee', song, USA, words and music by Albert Fitz and William
Penn (New York: Sol Bloom; London: Francis, Day & Hunter, I9OI).
3 'Give my Regards to Broadway', song, USA, words and music by George M. Cohan (New
York: E. B. Marks Music; London: B. Feldman, 1904).
40 'The Tiddle-Y Pom', song, USA, words by Arthur Davenport, music by H. G. Pelissier
(New York:JosephWilliams,I909).
4''California Here I Come', song, USA, words and music by Buddy de Sylva, Al Jolson &
Joseph Meyer (London: B. Feldman; New York: M. Witmark, 1924).
42 See note I5.
43 'Blaze Away', piano solo, USA, by Abe Holzmann (New York: Leo Feist; London:
B. Feldman,I90I).
4 'Rock-a-bye your Baby with a Dixie Melody', song, USA, words by Sam Lewis and Joe
Young, music by Jean Schwartz (New York: Waterson, Berlin, and Snyder; London:
B. Feldman/Redwood Music, I9I8).
" Kitson, p. 45.
46 'Pasadena', song, USA, words by Grant Clarke and Edgar Leslie, music by Harry Warren
(New York: Clarke and Leslie Songs; London: Lawrence Wright Music, I9z3).
4 'Who Were You With Last Night', song, UK, words and music by Fred Godfrey and Mark
Sheridan(London:B. Feldman,i9iz).
48 'Nellie Dean', song, USA, words and music by Harry Armstrong (New York: M. Witmark;
London, B. Feldman, I905).
49 'The Sunshine of your Smile', song, USA, words by Leonard Cooke, music by Lilian Ray
(London:Francis,Day & Hunter,19I3).
50 'They Didn't Believe Me', song, USA, words by Herbert Reynolds, music by Jerome Kern
(London: Francis, Day & Hunter; New York: T. B. Harms, 1914).
s' 'Country Gardens', piano solo, UK, Percy Grainger (London: Schott, I919).
52
'Cwm Rhondda', hymn tune, by John Hughes (1873-I932), in many hymnbooks: see, for
example, Hymns Ancient and Modern Revised, 8th imp. (Norwich: CanterburyPress, I989),
no. z96b.
53 Alphabetical Catalogue of E.M.I. Records (London: E.M.I.
1958).
54 Kitson, p- 43.

55 'The Cascades', bars 49-50. See note z8.