Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune

Subject: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: GUEST,HornyDance
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 09:08 AM

Anyone know the origin of the tune played for abbot's bromley horn dance? The one called Abbot's Bromley Horn Dnace. That the Abbot's Bromley lot don't appear to use.

C Sharp says there was a trad tune in 1800's but did not record it. I'm wondering whre this one came from.

Thanks

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 09:10 AM

Just ound this on Pete Cooper's site pertaining to the Aeolian mode jig in D minor:

"The dancers were accompanied, on my visit, by a fine melodeon player, but the tune given here has long fallen out of active use. Wheelwright Robinson, born in the 1790s, apparently told Robert Buckley that it had been used for the horn dance in his youth."

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 09:16 AM

There's another thread about this in which I asked the same question:

Folklore: The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 10:06 AM

This was recently debated at great length on the Morris Mailing List. Do a search of YouTube for clips of the real ABHD - as opposed to the overly romantised American version. The real AHD also featured in the BBC 4 film "Still Folk Dancing ..." with the Upthank sisters, who were allowed to have a go with the horns at the end of the day.

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: GUEST,HD
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 11:43 AM

Thanks for response!

Will have a read and watch.

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: GUEST,HD
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 12:00 PM

And that thread was full of embittered opinion as ever. Don't think I'll revive it. I personally greatly enjoy Thaxted's version. Hence why researching the tune. I certainly prefer it to cock of the north. Sigh.

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 12:05 PM

Embittered? Impassioned, perhaps. As most on the thread said, there's nothing wrong with the Thaxted dance. But it isn't Abbots Bromley. For the sake of clarity, and also because these unique traditions deserve to be treated as the rather precious and special events that they are, many people seem to agree that Thaxted's dance oughtn't really to be called Abbots Bromley - not least the actual Abbots Bromley Horn Dancers themselves.

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: GUEST,Suibhne (O' P) Astray
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 01:03 PM

Impassioned, indeed, though the worst of it has, alas, vanished off YouTube - and the comments deleted by churls who can't take a bit of friendly criticism.

As far as I'm concerned that old tune is one of the wonders of the known universe, as is the real Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. People can and will do whatever they like but there is one one Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, whatever tune they dance it to, be it Cock of the North or even Barwick Green. Again that sigh seems to be suggesting Thaxted are doing something right that they're doing wrong at Abbots Bromley. Think again!

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: GUEST,1
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 01:35 PM

Ah.. well.. may be this is it, the original post was about the music not the dance (or indeed the people dancing the dance)

I think the romanticed ideal is the notion that just because a dance is danced by people that live there it must be a tradition passed on down from years gone by. It may or may not. The current music to the original AB dance is not at all tradtional. The debate of wheter it especially suits the dance would not be relevant if the argument that it is the traditional way held. But it doesn't.

Saying they can do what ever they like with it as they're Abbot's Bromleyans doesn't make any sense. (not that i disapprove of what they are doing with it, I just prefer the twilight, old tune rendition)    I think the attack on people gathering local antlers from their area and starting their own tradition based on the original is appalling and comes back to the same arguments of evolving/preserving traditions that have been done to death here.

As for the name, it's a homage to the origin isn't it? It hopefully would provoke the question from an interested party as to enquire whether an Abbot's Bromley is a type of clergyman's apple only to find out that it's a place. Of course you never know whether a sneaky 'merican will patent the dance when your back is turned.

Subject: RE: Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance Tune
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 22 Apr 11 - 02:58 AM

Gathering local antlers?

The tunes used now are traditional because they are the tunes that have been used for generations.