Tune History JAMIE ALLEN

JAMIE ALLEN is a march and often used as a tune for a “Grand March”, but it’s also considered as a polka.

Jamie Allen is also known as “Jimmy Allen” and “Reel of Tullochgorum”. It shows up in English (Northumberland), Scottish, American repertoires as a Polka or March. It is normally played in G Major, Standard tuning (on fiddle), AABB. The melody is popular in English sessions in modern times, although considered to be somewhat of a ‘beginner’s tune’. See note for “annotation:Jamie Allen” for more.

Here are some words off the internet (Right,.. don’t believe everything you read online, but you do get an idea that there is some “folklore” associated with the tune and its namesake!):

Northumbrian musician Jamie Allen (1734-1810) was a famous small pipes player whose name is associated with this tune. Allen’s father Will (1704-1779) was perhaps a pipemaker and was River Warden of the Coquet. His wife, Jimmy’s mother, was a gypsy, and the elder Allen associated much with her folk. Son Jimmy (or Jamie) was the subject of two biographies, largely fanciful, and it is hard to determine the facts of his life. It is said he was at various times piper to the Duchess of Northumberland, enlisted in the army, and a fugitive from justice. At any rate, he was highly regarded by his contemporaries as a musician and is thought to have played the Northumbrian smallpipes, Border pipes, and Union (uilleann) pipes. English/Scottish versions of the tune are found under the “Jamie” title while American versions appear often as “Jimmy.”

Jamie Allen is in Sue Songer’s first “Portland Collection”,(Portland Collection), 1997 (the blue one) ; pg. 109. Here are Sue’s notes on the tune: Jamie Allen – Solid marches like this old New England chestnut often lend themselves to harmonies Try playing notes a third above the melody (mostly) for a nice effect – especially euphonious with two fiddles. This tune was recorded by hammer dulcimer player Tony Elman on his album Shakin’ Down the Acorns Volume 2.

Want to hear it on mandolin? Here’s Baron: ]

 

Back in the “olden days”, let’s say eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, contra dances were often written to fit a tune that was popular at the time and were often given the same name. Here’s the 19^th century, triple progression contra dance dance “Jamie Allen” from CDSS’s “Cracking Chestnuts”

 

compiled by David Millstone: The band is the venerable “Northern Spy” with David Millstone calling, danced in Norwich, VT 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally from the MFC “Tunes Page”: Here you can find sheet music for fiddle and cello as well as a recorded version that can be played slow, normal or fast. Jamie Allen

See you all here again soon – bill