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The William Vickers Collection of 1770 is an essential resource for anyone studying the social history of the North of England or the evolution of British folk music. It bridges the gap between the oral tradition and the printed page.

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Appendix: Sample Tune List (First 10 titles from the manuscript)

William Vickers Collection of Dance Tunes (AD 1770) , often called The Great Northern Tunebook

one of the largest and most significant English fiddle manuscripts, containing over 500 surviving tunes

An particularly interesting feature of this collection is its breadth of repertoire

, which serves as a unique "snapshot" of a 1770s Northumbrian musician's world: Diverse Regional Influence

: While it is a cornerstone of Northumbrian pipe and local fiddle traditions, it also includes tunes from Scotland, France, and other parts of England A "Half-Witted, Merry & Mad" Persona

: The compiler, William Vickers, described himself in the manuscript as "half-witted, merry and mad," a phrase that captured the playful and eclectic spirit of the collection. Broad Variety of Genres : It contains a mix of

jigs, reels, rants, and both common-time and triple-time hornpipes Mystery of the Compiler

: Almost nothing is known about Vickers himself. He was likely a professional musician or dancing master in Newcastle upon Tyne, but he left behind only his name, the date (1770), and this massive archive of music. Surviving Index

: Although 31 pages of the original manuscript were lost over time, the titles of the missing tunes are still known because Vickers provided a detailed list of contents at the beginning of the book. You can view scans of the original manuscript through the Northumbrian Pipers' Society or explore the published version edited by Matt Seattle. Red Cow Music sheet music

for a specific tune from the Vickers collection, or would you like to know more about the Northumbrian piping tradition?

William Vickers' Collection of Dance Tunes, AD1770: 9780854182060

The William Vickers Collection of Dance Tunes , famously known today as the Great Northern Tune Book, is more than just a historical archive—it is a ghost story of a man whose life vanished, leaving only his music behind. The Mystery of the Man The William Vickers Collection of 1770 is an

In the year 1770, a man named William Vickers sat down in or near Newcastle upon Tyne to begin a massive undertaking. Over the next two years, he meticulously hand-inked nearly 600 tunes into a manuscript. Despite the scale of his work, Vickers is a "ghost" in the historical record:

Unknown Identity: No one knows for sure if he was a professional dancing master, a music teacher, or simply a dedicated local fiddler.

The Vanishing Pages: While he listed all his contents at the beginning, 31 pages of the original manuscript have been lost to time, their melodies now silent.

Silent Origins: He never signed a single tune or noted where he heard them, leaving us to guess which were local Northumbrian "airs" and which were popular hits from London's Beggar's Opera. A Musical Time Capsule

The collection serves as a "snapshot" of what people actually danced to in the late 18th century. It wasn't just "folk" music; it was a melting pot of:

Military Marches: Reflecting the heavy military presence in the North at the time.

High and Low Art: Traditional jigs and reels sit alongside complex pieces adapted from "high art" and foreign sources.

The Border Legacy: The book remains a primary source for players of the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle, preserving versions of tunes that might otherwise have been forgotten. The Journey to Today

For nearly 100 years, the manuscript was a private family treasure, eventually belonging to a pipemaker named John Baty in the mid-19th century. It wasn't until the late 20th century that the manuscript was "rediscovered" and published by researchers like Matt Seattle, who gave it the title The Great Northern Tune Book.

Today, the original pages rest in the Northumberland County Record Office, safely preserved as a testament to a nameless musician who wanted the North’s dances to live forever. The Great Northern Tune book

The Great Northern Tune Book is a cornerstone of English folk music, particularly the tradition of the North-East. Originally a manuscript compiled by a fiddler named William Vickers in 1770, it provides a unique window into the social dancing and musical tastes of Georgian Newcastle upon Tyne. 🎻 Collection Overview

Scale: Contains nearly 600 tunes (specifically 580), making it one of the largest English fiddle manuscripts from the 18th century.

Diversity: Includes a mix of local Northumbrian pipe and fiddle tunes, alongside melodies from Scotland, France, and other parts of England. Types of Tunes: Jigs and Reels Rants (a signature rhythm of the North-East) Hornpipes (both common and triple-time) Country Dances ⭐ Why It Is Highly Rated (Review Summary)

Modern folk musicians and historians consider this a "must-have" for several reasons: Appendix: Sample Tune List (First 10 titles from

Authenticity: Unlike later 19th-century collections that were often "sanitized" for polite society, Vickers' book captures a working musician's repertoire as it was actually played.

Foundational Resource: It served as a primary source for the Northumbrian Minstrelsy (1882) and fueled the 20th-century folk revival on Tyneside led by groups like The High Level Ranters and artists like Alistair Anderson.

Historical Insight: It proves that "traditional" music was never static; Vickers included popular theatre tunes and military pieces alongside ancient melodies, showing a vibrant, evolving culture. 📂 How to Access it for Free

While physical editions by Matt Seattle are popular for their scholarship, you can find the core musical content for free online:

FARNE (Folk Archive Resource North East): You can often find digitized PDF versions and individual tune transcriptions on the Farne Archive.

The Village Music Project: This project has digitized many English manuscripts into ABC notation (which can be played or converted to sheet music for free). Look for the Vickers collection on the Village Music Project website.

Folkopedia: Offers a comprehensive wiki entry with historical context and links to further resources.

If you are looking for specific types of tunes from the book, I can help you find:

Beginner-friendly melodies (many are in simple keys like G or D) Tunes specifically for the Northumbrian smallpipes

Links to modern recordings of Vickers' tunes by artists like Kathryn Tickell

What part of the collection are you most interested in exploring?

The Great Northern Tunebook, formally known as the William Vickers Collection of Dance Tunes AD 1770, is one of the most significant English fiddle manuscripts in existence. Compiled between 1770 and 1772, likely in Newcastle upon Tyne, this vast collection provides a rare window into the repertoire of an 18th-century musician.

The manuscript contains roughly 580 surviving tunes, though 31 pages of the original book were lost over time. It is highly regarded by traditional musicians today for its preservation of regional Northumbrian pipe and fiddle music. History and Discovery of the Manuscript

Little is known about William Vickers himself, other than his name and the date "1770" inscribed on the first page of the manuscript. Experts suggest he may have been a professional fiddler, a music teacher, or a dancing master in Newcastle. William Vickers Collection of Dance Tunes (AD 1770)

Ownership History: In the mid-19th century, the book belonged to the pipemaker John Baty of Wark. It eventually came into the possession of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Modern Publication: The collection gained widespread recognition after it was edited by Matt Seattle and published as The Great Northern Tune Book by Dragonfly Music in 1986–1987. A more recent single-volume edition was co-published by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) and the Northumbrian Pipers' Society (NPS) in 2008. Musical Content and Varieties

The collection is notable for its incredible variety, featuring a mix of common dance tunes of the era and rare regional melodies. It includes:

Dance Styles: Jigs, reels, rants, and both common-time and triple-time hornpipes.

Geographic Origins: While the focus is on local Northumbrian and Tyneside tunes, the collection also includes music from Scotland, France, and other parts of England.

Notable Tunes: Many tunes found in the book, such as "The Keel Row," "Bobby Shaftoe," and "The Hemp Dressers," remain staples of the Northumbrian folk tradition. Significance in Modern Folk Music

The Vickers manuscript has played a vital role in the 20th-century renaissance of traditional Tyneside music. It has been a primary resource for legendary folk performers and groups such as: Alistair Anderson The High Level Ranters Kathryn Tickell The Cut and Dry Band How to Access the Collection for Free

For musicians and historians looking to study these tunes without purchasing the printed book, several resources offer access to the collection: WTB Wm Vickers Great Northern Tunebook - The Session

The manuscript is written primarily for the violin (fiddle), indicated by the clef and the range of the melodies. However, the phrasing of the tunes strongly suggests they were also played on the Northumbrian Small Pipes.

The tunes are typically arranged in the standard folk binary form (AABB)—two distinct parts, each repeated. The keys used are largely accessible to acoustic instruments of the time: G Major, D Major, A Minor, and the various modal keys that give folk music its haunting quality.

For modern musicians, one of the most fascinating aspects of Vickers’ work is his ornamentation. While the manuscript does not contain elaborate notation for trills or grace notes, the inclusion of certain rhythmic quirks and passing notes hints at the "swinging" style of Northern playing—a style that prioritizes drive and rhythm for dancing over the melodic smoothness found in Southern English collections.

This UK-based project digitizes English country dance manuscripts.
Search their site for Vickers – they have a complete ABC transcription of all tunes, plus a PDF booklet.
👉 village-music-project.org.uk

The original manuscript is a handwritten collection of single-line melodies. It does not typically include bass lines or chords, suggesting it was intended for a melody instrument such as a fiddle, flute, or smallpipes. The compilation date is definitively marked as 1770.