For nearly 100 years, the manuscript was a private family treasure, eventually belonging to a pipemaker named 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 .
For traditional musicians and folk music enthusiasts, the name and his manuscript collection, often referred to as The Great Northern Tunebook , represents a treasure trove of 18th-century dance music. This substantial collection, jotted down around 1770, provides a fascinating and detailed snapshot of the repertoire of a fiddler in North-East England over 250 years ago. For nearly 100 years, the manuscript was a
No payment or subscription is required. Files are available as PDFs, MIDI, and ABC text. The William Vickers collection is vast, containing over
The William Vickers collection is vast, containing over 570 tunes. This makes it one of the largest single-volume collections of vernacular dance music surviving from 18th-century Britain. The William Vickers collection is vast