Bumpus o' Stretton

BUMPUS O' STRETTON. English, Morris Dance Tune (6/8 time). G Major (Mallinson): F Major (Bacon). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB, AABB, AABB, AABB, AA. Collected from musicians in the village of Ilmington, Warwickshire, England. Nearby is the village of Stretton-on-the-Fosse; Bumpus or Bumpas perhaps refers to 'Old Bumpas', the name of a fiddler, although there appears to have once been a song with the opening line "O Bumpus o Stretton he married a maid." There is a cylinder recording from 1933 of a fiddle playing the tune with the 1 stanza song, from Ilmington fiddler Sam Bennett 1865–1951 (see James Madison Carpenter Collection, University of Sheffield, AFC 1972/001, Cylinder 105 06:39). Morris men danced at Ilmington until 1867, when the side disbanded with the death of pipe and tabor player Tom Arthur, although it was revived in 1887 [C. Sharp]. Bacon (1974) notes the tune was probably used for a 'morris on' or for a different set dance.

Printed sources: Bacon (The Morris Ring), 1974; p. 216. Neal (Espérance Morris Book, vol. 2), 1912; no. 10, p. 26. Mallinson (Mally's Cotswold Morris Book), 1988; No. 47, p. 29.

X: 1
T:Bumpus o'Stretton, Ilmington
M:6/8
L:1/8
A:Ilmington
P:A(AB2)4A
K:F
P:A
|:C|F>ED C2A|B2A G2C|F>GA G>FE |C3 F2:|
P:B
z|F>Ac c2c|dfd c2c|F>Ac c>_Bc|A3 f3 |
F>Ac c2c|dfd c2C|F>GA G>FE |C3 F2||