X:611901
T:SMALL COALS AND LITTLE MONEY (march)
T:Eighteen Variations For Northumbrian Smallpipes
C:Northumberland Trad. Var. David MacAdam, June 2020
S:NPS Tune Book #1
% H:Historical notes:
% The earliest record of this tune is in David Young's "Duke of Perth's
% Manuscript" (also known as the "Drummond Castle MS"), from 1734,
% making it of Scottish origin. It appeared in many subsequent English
% and Scottish collections through the 18th century.
%
% It made its way to Northumberland to appear in Northumbrian musician
% William Vickers' 1770-72 music manuscript under the title "Sleeping
% Maggie" (in % Bm). It was renamed "Small Coals and Ready Money" in
% Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes ("The
% Northern Minstrel's Budget"), which he published c. 1800.  It appeared
% again in 1833 in the music manuscript copybook of Lionel Winship (actually
% as "Sleepy Moggy"). There it is transposed to A dorian, presumably to
% fit the range of the Northumbrian smallpipes, and given a couple
% variations. The Scottish poet, Robert Tannahill set words to it: "O Are
% Ye Sleepin' Maggie".
%
% In Ireland the tune is found under its original Scots title, "Sleepy
% Maggie," as well  as in the variants "Lough Isle Castle," "Sean sa Cheo"
% and "Tullaghan Lassies." It is the precursor to "Jenny's Chickens." In
% his "Music of Ireland" O'Neill gives a version nearly identical to
% Winship's but retains the original Scottish key.
%
% The basic tune is today a popular beginners' tune on the Northumbrian
% smallpipes. The Northumbrian smallpipe' repertory includes a large number
% of extensive variation sets on popular old tunes, but curiously none, to
% my knowledge, for this one. I was unaware of the Winship set when I wrote
% my set for Northumbrian smallpipes during the Covid-19 lockdown.
%
% Given the magnitude of my set, I sometimes play only a subset - for example
% theme with variations 2, 3, 7, 9, 14, and conclusion. Any subset will do.
% Playing only a selection is reminiscent of the choose your own adventure
% series of juvenile books popular in the 1980s.
%
% Not being of Northumbrian stock (my ancestors came from the "wrong" end of
% Hadrian's Wall), I make no claim that these are "Northumbrian" variations.
% 2020.06.18 (corrected, 2020.11.08)
R:March
N:2020.06.18
M:C
L:1/8
K:Amin
P:Theme
e2cA eAB/c/d|e2cA dGB/c/d|e2cA eAB/c/d|edge dGB/c/d ||
eA cA eA B/2c/2d | eA cA dG B/2c/2d | eA cA eA B/2c/2d |
ed ge dG B/2c/2d |]
P:Var. 1
|:Ae ce Ae B/2c/2d | Ae ce Gd B/2c/2d | Ae ce Ae  B/2c/2d |
ce Ae dG B/2c/	2d :|
P:Var. 2
|: ee c/B/A ee d/e/d | ee c/B/A dG B/c/d | ee c/B/A ee d/e/d |
e/d/g/e/ d/B/G dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 3
|: e>A c>A E>A B<d | e>A c>A d>G B<d | e>A c>A E>A B<d |
e>d g>e dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 4
|: e>g c>e d>B c>d | e>g c>e d>G (3Bcd | e>g c>e d>B c>d |
(3ecA E>B dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 5
|: ec/A/ cB/A/ ec/A/ B/c/d | ec/A/ cB/A/ dB/G/ B/2c/2d |
ec/A/ cB/A/ ec/A/ B/c/d | ed/e/ ge/g/ dB/G/ B/c/d :|
P:Var. 6
|: ec/c/ cA/A/ eA/A/ Bd/d/ | ec/c/ cA/A/ dG B/c/d |
ec/c/ cA/A/ eA/A/ Bd/d/ | ed/d/ ge/e/ dG B/c/d :|]
P:Var. 7
|: e c2 A e A2 d | e c2 A dG B/2c/2d | e c2 A e A2 d |
e g2 d2 G  B/2c/2d:|
P:Var. 8
|: e c2 A eA Bd | e c2 A dG B/2c/2d | e c2 A eA Bd |
e g2 e dG B/2c/2d :|]
P:Var. 9
|:(3ecA (3cAc (3ecA (3Bcd | (3ecA (3cAc (3dBG B/2c/2d |
(3ecA (3cAc (3ecA (3Bcd | (3ede (3geg (3dBG B/2c/2d :|]
P:Var. 10
|: (3Ace (3cde (3Ace (3Bcd | (3Ace (3cde (3GBd B/2c/2d |
(3Ace (3cde (3Ace  (3Bcd | (3cde (3ABc (3dBG B/2c/2d :|]
P:Var. 11
|: e A/B/c/d/c/A/ eA B/c/d | e A/B/c/d/c/A/ dG B/c/d |
e A/B/c/d/c/A/ eA B/c/d | e d/c/B/A/c/A/ dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 12
|:e/d/c/B/ A/E/G/B/ e/d/c/B/ A/B/c/d/| e/d/c/B/ A/E/G/B/ d/B/A/G/ B/2c/2d |
e/d/c/B/ A/E/A/B/ e/d/c/B/ A/B/c/d/ | e/d/c/B/ A/E/G/B/ dG  B/2c/2d :|
P:Var. 13
|: e/c/A/E/ c/B/A/E/ e/c/A/E/ A/B/c/d/ | e/c/A/E/ c/B/A/E/ d/B/A/G/ B/c/d |
e/c/A/E/ c/B/A/E/ e/c/A/E/ A/B/c/d/ | e/c/A/E/ G/A/B/c/ dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 14
|: e/c/e/g/ d/B/d/g/ e/c/e/g/ d/B/c/d/ | e/c/e/g/ d/B/d/g/ d/G/B/G/ B/c/d |
e/c/e/g/ d/B/d/g/ e/c/e/g/ d/B/c/d/ | e/c/e/g/ d/B/d/g/ dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 15
|: e/a/c/a/ d/g/B/g/ e/a/c/a/ d/B/c/d/ |e/a/c/a/ d/g/B/g/ d/G/B/G/ B/c/d |
e/a/c/a/ d/g/B/g/ e/a/c/a/ d/B/c/d/ | e/a/c/a/ d/g/B/g/ dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 16
|: ec/A/ c/B/A/c/ ec/A/ B/c/d | ec/A/ c/B/A/c/ dB/G/ B/c/d |
ec/A/ c/B/A/c/ ec/A/ B/c/d | ed/B/ c/A/B/G/ dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 17
|: e2 c/A/a/A/ c/A/e/A/ B/2c/2d | e2 c/A/a/A/ B/G/d/G/ B/c/d |
e2 c/A/a/A/ c/A/e/A/ B/c/d | e/d/a/d/ d/c/g/c/ dG B/c/d :|
P:Var. 18
e2 cA eA B/2c/2d |  e/A/c/A/ e/A/B//c//d/ e/A/c/A/ d/G/B//c//d/ |
e/A/c/A/ e/A/B//c//d/ e/d/g/e/ d/G/B//c//d/ | e2 cA dG B/2c/2d ||
z2 A6 |]