The Morpeth Rant (John Nichol Manuscript ca. 1840)
The picture above shows one of the most famous rants from the North of England, 'The Morpeth Rant'.
The 'rant' is a very common term used in the north of England to specifiy a very particular reel or hornpipe form which matches the energetic stepping used in the dances of Northumberland and the Borders. The rant involves a very 'economical' movement to allow for performance in smaller halls and farmhouse kitchens and emphasises the first three beats in the bar.
On this recording we hear Jack Armstrong and his band playing the 'Morpeth Rant'. The second tune in this lively set, recorded in 1950, is 'The Steamboat Hornpipe', another good tune for ranting.
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