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Author Topic: Speed the Plough - A history  (Read 6802 times)

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OwenG

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Speed the Plough - A history
« on: October 06, 2009, 12:11:18 PM »

For those that are interested in this type of thing, there's an interesting article here (http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/speed.htm) on the history of Speed the Plough.

I always thought it was a 'traditional' tune with it's composition lost in the mists of time, but actually it was composed in 1799 by John Moorehead who was born in Edinburgh and who emigrated to County Armagh and was later employed as a violinist at Covent Garden. 
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2009, 12:15:20 PM »

200+ years old - and survived most of it in an oral/as heard lineage?  Guess it begs the question of whether you have to lose the name of the composer to make it traditional. "Jump at the Sun" is now very trad in France.

Thanks for that link
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HallelujahAl

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2009, 01:02:30 PM »

tradition is in the eye/ear of the beholder. Graham Kendrick's 'Shine Jesus Shine' is now a 'traditional hymn' in some expressions of Christianity, but it's actually less than 30 years old.
AL
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ladydetemps

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2009, 02:22:53 PM »

Quote

Maybe I should have had this as the title pic for my video then?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladydetemps/3713913348/

graememackay

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2009, 02:45:47 PM »

Isn't it classed as traditional once the copyright is no longer owned by the author & his/her estate (75 years after death I think)
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Black Shand Morino

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2009, 03:38:40 PM »

Isn't it classed as traditional once the copyright is no longer owned by the author & his/her estate (75 years after death I think)
No - not if an author/composer can be linked to the work.
After all, Beethoven finished composing his famous fifth symphony 201 years ago, but no one would ever class that work as 'traditional'.
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Jeff

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2009, 08:16:32 PM »

Not sure how relevant this is to the discussion, but Speed the Plough is the regimental march of the 1st Battalion The Suffolk Regiment (see http://www.suffolkregiment.org/Marches.html).
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Gandy

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2009, 08:26:59 PM »

I notice that the version in that document is much nearer to the reel, as given in Kerr for example, rather than the version more normally played in England nowadays.
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Tony S

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2009, 11:45:59 AM »

tradition is in the eye/ear of the beholder. Graham Kendrick's 'Shine Jesus Shine' is now a 'traditional hymn' in some expressions of Christianity, but it's actually less than 30 years old.
AL

It doesn't stop SJS being a truly awful pile of dross with little Biblical inspiration (imho)!

Speed the Plough however is a lovely tune. At Finchcocks Museum of Keyboard instruments just outside Goudhurst (on the A262 between Tunbridge Wells and Ashford if you are ever passing) there is a barrel organ. The eccentric curator played "speed the plough" on said organ which he said was built in 1805. The tune was instantly recognisably and seems to have suffered no corruption down the ages.
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HallelujahAl

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2009, 11:50:33 AM »

It
Quote
doesn't stop SJS being a truly awful pile of dross with little Biblical inspiration (imho)!

Couldn't agree more. Even Kendrick himself hates it - though it has made him a very rich man indeed.
AL
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stevejay

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2009, 03:45:49 AM »

Beware of Plough-Bullocks on Plough Monday. Moral of the story?
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baz parkes

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2009, 11:07:02 AM »

Speed the Plough however is a lovely tune. At Finchcocks Museum of Keyboard instruments just outside Goudhurst (on the A262 between Tunbridge Wells and Ashford if you are ever passing) there is a barrel organ. The eccentric curator played "speed the plough" on said organ

Would that be Admiral Parry's as featured on the EFDSS Hardcore English double cd?   I've lent mine to a friend so can't check.

Features all kinds of amazing box players should anyone wish to put it on their Santa List

There's also a bagpipe track.... >:E

Baz
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On the edge of Cheshire's Golden Triangle, apparently...

ladydetemps

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2009, 11:10:41 AM »

Speed the Plough however is a lovely tune. At Finchcocks Museum of Keyboard instruments just outside Goudhurst (on the A262 between Tunbridge Wells and Ashford if you are ever passing) there is a barrel organ. The eccentric curator played "speed the plough" on said organ

Would that be Admiral Parry's as featured on the EFDSS Hardcore English double cd?   I've lent mine to a friend so can't check.
That's erie...guess what album I'm listening to at the moment? That very same one. When I googled speed the plough, it came up with it so I bought the Hardcore English album. lol!

OwenG

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Re: Speed the Plough - A history
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2009, 12:19:03 PM »

Quote
I bought the Hardcore English album

To bring the thread full circle, the book of the CD has a number of different collected versions of Speed the Plough along with references to the history of the tune.
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