Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'

Subject: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: GUEST,Uncle Jaque
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 01:21 PM

A friend has an interest in the life and times of one Will KEMPE, who was an Actor, Clown, and Dancer in the late 1500s - early 1600s in England.

For a time he worked with William Shakespere, and made quite a reputation for himself as a Dancer and Comedian.

Someone - perhaps his Apprentice / Musician "Tom" or Shakspere himself, supposedly wrote a jig for him, which has been used as the basis for at least one Classical work.

I'd like to get ahold of a score for said Kempe's Jig, preferably in the key of D or G for tin whistle, but could transpose if need be.
A Digitrad search comes up empty, so if anyone is aware of a source for said score, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks - UJ in ME

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: curmudgeon
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 01:30 PM

Hi Uncle -- Haven't heard from you in an age. You might try this site. I haven't checked it out so I don't know if it is what you want,

On the other hand, you could finally show up at a session and I'll teach it to you -- Tom

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 01:30 PM

Take your pick

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 01:34 PM

It's here (The Dancing Master, 1651-1728 An Illustrated Compendium).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: Chris Green
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 02:50 PM

If you'd like to pm me with an email address I'll send you a bitmap of it in D and G!

Chris

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: GUEST,Uncle Jaque
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 03:27 PM

Many thanks, all; I knew I could count on ye! {;^{D~

That's not only a catchy little tune, but it's quite do-able on the tin whistle!

There is an interesting - if not a bit bizzare - story behind all this recent interest in old Will, but I'll let my dear Friend share the tale if she wants to.

Tom - been thinkin' on ye & the BG; even dig out me concertina and give it a squeeze from time to time. Wish I could git t'gither wi' ye more often so's ye could show me hows tae do it right!
(it's fun anyway!)

Domestic Management was taking some vacation time last week, and Portsmouth was out of the question - couple of small dogs don't really mix with that sort of thing, and we don't want to leave 'em in the RV for any length of time. Besides, parking a 27' motor home in that town seems like a daunting challenge!

We went camping & touring around my old stomping grounds in the NH Mts. instead.

Do you remember Old Folkie Ken Vinyard, God rest his soul?
I used to go up to his place up in Crystal (North of Milan) for those wonderful jam sessions back in the '60s.
My what times we had...

I've been a Folk Fan ever since!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 07:49 AM

There was an excellent version recorded years ago by Gryphon whose CD "Kempes Jig" can be found on Amazon.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 11:58 AM

Thanks 4 the tip, Minstrel!

Here are a couple of other CD that she has and reccomends, containing several of the songs that Will Kempe and his Apprentice Tom were singing / playing at the time;

E Dame Jolie: Music of Princes, Knights, and Thieves

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

1 used & new from $11.95

Product Details

    * Composer: Anonymous, Tylman Susato, et al.
    * Label: Koch Schwann (Germ.)
    * Audio CD (September 15, 1994)
    * ASIN: B000006KJX
   

Under the Greenwood Tree

List Price amazon.com:          $6.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.
See details.

Availability: Usually ships within 4 to 5 days

15 used & new from $4.89

Product Details

    * Composer: Walther von der Vogelweide, Richard I Coeur-de-lion, et al.
    * Label: Naxos
    * Catalog: #553442
    * Audio CD (October 6, 2000)
    * ASIN: B0000014DV

duellingbouzoukis ; I'd PM mail you if I could remember how it's done.

I guess I've been so inactive on the 'cat so long that I have to get re-cookied!

Does anyone have the LYRICS for Kempe's Jig? Surely they had some at one time or another. I can't imagine a catchy tune like that going around without 'em for very long.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: Chris Green
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 01:44 PM

Oh, to hell with secrecy!. If you email me at [e-mail] I'll send you it!

Chris

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: GUEST,Lurker Reprobate Uncle Jaque
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 05:21 PM

Well, BRAVO for you, Duel!

Verilly; Thouart a Trooper!

It might be a while but I'll be dropping u a note.

You're right over there in Ol' Will' s home turf, eh?
We might have even more questions for ye, if ye can stand it! };^{D~

UJ

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: Helen
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 06:05 PM

I first heard Kemp's Jig on a Meg Christian album about 30 years ago, and then on the Gryphon album. I love it.

A lovely arrangement at Classical Midi Archives where it is attributed to John Dowland who wrote some very nice tunes - worth checking out in the other midis listed!

I use the Classical Midi Archives whenever I am looking for early music. It is an excellent source of midis. You have to register now but it is free and allows a number of midi downloads per day.

Helen

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 06:11 PM

There doesn't seem to be historical evidence of any song set to the tune (though no doubt people who can't leave well alone will have been writing them by the bucketload in recent years since the tune re-surfaced). Simpson (The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music, 467) refers to a Stationer's Register entry of Dec 28, 1591, for "the Thirde and last parte of Kempes Jigge", but only as -perhaps- "a trace of a sequel" to an earlier dramatic jig which may in turn have some connection to the ballad of Lord Willoughby (the tune for which was also known as Rowland and, in the Netherlands, Soet soet Robbertgen).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: Helen
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 06:26 PM

Single melody line - dots for Kemp's Jig from tinwhistler site

The dots for Kemp's Jig - arrangement

I suspect that there were no lyrics. If it was composed by John Dowland his music was often/usually for lute, I think, so lyrics may not have been written.

Helen

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: Mr Red
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 06:37 PM

In the days of Broadsides and Chap Books any well know tune was a good way to carry a lyric - as they couldn't easily print the notation (and would many musicians be able to read whichever notation they chose?). Often there would be a reference to "to the popular tune...." even in Pills to Purge melancholy there are many "to the tune of"'s.

But not all lyrics were worthy or survived. They were the disposable part of a not very disposable culture.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Kempe's Jig'
From: GUEST,Waiting for Mudcat Recertification Uncle Jaq
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 12:20 AM

I collect and study American and Celtic music of the late 1700s up through the American Civil War, although I have a smattering of material up through the 1930s. Mostly Gospel, Hymns, popular, Minstrel and such.

So this stuff is a little before my time!

But I would imagine that if some period poetry could be found of the same "meter" as the tune, one could do as was often done at least up to the 1850s and just mix-and-match tune to verse according to a "Metrical Index".

Would anyone want to hazzard a guess as the the "Meter" of Kempe's Jig?
I'm gonna guess basic "8s" at the moment.
The lyrics are easy; just count the syllables in each line.

Some creative wordsmith might even be able to adapt some of Shakespere's works to fit. There's about as good a chance as any that it was sung to something along those lines at one time or another, I suppose.

Despite being no composer of any reknown, I have been known to compose a tune for a poem I particularly like, and vice-versa on the other hand.   I was thinking that a little ballad of Kempe's "Niyne Daies Wonder" where he danced, on a bet, between a couple of cities about 40 miles apart (IIRC) might be fitting.   I'd probably call it "Dancing Fool" or something like that.

On my suggestion, my Friend took up her fife (similar to the flutes they used in those days) and started playing Kempe's Jig as if she had known it all along. She explained to me that "Jigs" in those days did not sound like the "Irish Jigs" we are familiar with, but were of slower tempo and sound almost more like a march - as K'sJ certainly does to me.

I think that it has potential as a Fife-and-Drum Corps number, and will bring the score with me to rehearsal Fri. night to run by the Drum Major to see what he & my fellow Fifers think.
It seems that these old tunes were frequently accompanied by a simple drum, (Tabor drum?) so the snares and bass might be able to come up with a rollicking good percussion line for it.

Thanks again for your continuing wonderful resources, information, tips and advice!

UJ in ME