Cumbrian Tunebook - David Mounsey ?

Subject: Cumbrian Tunebook - David Mounsey ?
From: GUEST,Harry Rivers
Date: 09 Jul 21 - 06:08 AM

I recently bought Wilma Paterson and Alasdair Gray’s The Songs of Scotland in a secondhand bookshop in Cockermouth, Cumbria.

Stuffed in the back were 8 photocopied pages of handwritten tunes with the last part of an introductary essay (page 8 of the book) signed David Mounsey.

The essay seems to be about Cumbrian dances and their tunes:

“Country dancing was taken fairly serious, sons and daughters of farmers were sent for dancing instruction held at assembly rooms in Ulverston, Ambleside, Keswick and elsewhere”

Some of the tunes include:

Lord Brougham’s Hornpipe
Hunsup Through the Wood
Cumberland Reel
Bonny Cumberland
John Peel
Stybarrow Crag Hornpipe

Can anyone help identify the original publication, please?

All the best
Harry

Subject: RE: Cumbrian Tunebook - David Mounsey ?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 09 Jul 21 - 02:57 PM

I've tried various Googles and come up empty. Would it be fair to say that the inclusion in the original book (not "The Songs of Scotland") of a handwritten letter as part of the introduction means the origina that you're looking for would predate computers, even maybe before a time when typewriters were not common? Have you located any info about David Mounsey?

Thanks for any additional light you can shed on this.

Subject: RE: Cumbrian Tunebook - David Mounsey ?
From: GUEST,Harry Rivers
Date: 10 Jul 21 - 02:45 AM

Apologise if my OP was misleading.

The part of the introduction clearly comes from a professionally produced A5 book or booklet. It isn't really 'signed', but Daivid Mounsey's name is printed in italics identifying him as the author of the intro.

The music, and tune titles, are handwritten on printed staves but I don't think the original was in manuscript, rather it was produced before computer aided music software.

The last part of the introduction, after a comment on the longevity of the names of Scott Skinner in Scotland, Michael Coleman and John McKenna in Ireland, reads:

"Certainly these names have stood the test of time and their reputation lives on. But here is information about local flute and fiddle players etc, and the social scene which surrounds them, perhaps helping to bridge the gap a little"

It isn't clear if David Mounsey was responible for the whole thing or just added authority by wrting the introduction but I would have thought he'd be recorded aomehwere on the internet. I, too, 'googled' and searched online but I couldn't find anything either.

I was hoping my inquiry would trigger a memory from a mudcatter local to Cumbria (Bowness is also mentioned in the intro).

I may be wrong but I think that all the photocopied pages are from the same commercially produced book or booklet and the person who copied it was only interested in the tunes.


All the best
Harry

Subject: RE: Cumbrian Tunebook - David Mounsey ?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jul 21 - 07:40 AM

I don't have a copy but it sounds like it could be:

Musicians and the Social Scene of Bygone Days in Cumbria

Subject: RE: Cumbrian Tunebook - David Mounsey ?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 10 Jul 21 - 08:51 AM

GUEST, I think you've nailed it. Unfortunately, Amazon shows it as being sold out.

Subject: RE: Cumbrian Tunebook - David Mounsey ?
From: GUEST,Harry Rivers
Date: 10 Jul 21 - 11:41 AM

Thank you, GUEST, that certainly looks like it.

I don't understand why a Google search failed to find it.

Now to locate a copy.

It isn't listed on Copac so the copyright libraries don't have it and it doesn't show on the Cumbria Libraries catalogue either.

All the best
Harry