Annotation:Newmarket Races

Back to Newmarket Races

---

NEWMARKET RACES. AKA and see "Horse and Away to Newmarket," "Fenwick o' Bywell," "Galloping Ower the Cow Hill." English, Jig. England, Northumberland. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). Very similar to the Irish jig "Garryowen." AABBCCDDEEFFGG. The tune was included (with variations) in his collection of 1805 by Northumbrian smallpipes player John Peacock (c. 1754–1817), one of the last of the Newcastle Waits. He is also said to have been the first smallpiper to play a keyed chanter, which he commissioned from John Dunn. The tune predates his collection though, as it appears (as "Horse and Away to Newmarket") in the music manuscript collection of James Biggins, of Leeds, England, dated 1779. Matt Seattle is of the opinion that the Northumbrian tune developed from the older Scottish melody "Johnny Cock Thy Beaver," although "it has become thoroughly Northumbrianised over the last two centuries and more."

"Newmarked Races" was included in the Northumbrian music manuscripts of the Clough family (Henry, 1855–1936, and Tom, 1881–1964), and Robert and William Hall Lister (compiled c. 1840–1860).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Peacock (Peacock's Tunes), c. 1805; No. 48, p. 22.

Recorded sources:

---