Rakes of Mallow pipe tune

[Greg1973]

Hi all,


I seem to recall hearing the Royal Irish Rangers pipes and drums playing the Rakes of Marrow as a 4 part tune many years ago. I checked youtube and found a number of pipe bands playing the tune, but could only seem to find them playing it as a 2 part.
Did a quick search on the web and only found matches for a 2 part.
Does anyone know if it is a 2 or 4 part tune? If it is indeed a 4 parter, does anyone know which tune book I need to buy to get the sheet music for GHB?
Thank you all in advance!

[Patrick McLaurin]

Scroll to the bottom of the results:

https://www.patrickmclaurin.com/tune...bmit&fuzzy=Yes

[Pip01]

Greetings to All,

In my five pipe band playing history... two were
in very old Irish pipe bands... one dating from the
mid-1920s... and the other... from the mid-1890s.

And both were filled with the Older Fellows that
one finds in such settings... and who knew a devil
of a lot about the instrument... the playing... and the
music !!

And, up until today... and this Post(!!)... I had never
even heard... that "Rakes"... was anything other than
a 2-part reel.

Patrick!!... (and all such folk on this Lovely Forum)...
Thank You!!... for your site... and for your work !!... :)

The education... that comes from and out of this
oh-so-remarkable BD Forum... and other sites...
such as Patrick's... is quite... and shall probably
remain... beyond any proper assessment(!!)... as
they so well serve... to bring Light... to the page...

And once and again... Ain't we lucky? Ain't we just?!

Regards to All,

Pip01

[TwitchyFingers]

I'd always thought it was an old Irish tune, but I notice Sir Charles Forbes sometimes listed as the composer and also see it alternately titled as "Sir Charles Forbes of Edinglassie's Quickstep." Looking him up, we find he was anything but Irish, but his political career would have brought him some sympathies across the Irish Sea. The article doesn't mention anything about him being a musician. Maybe the tune was written in his honor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Ch...s,_1st_Baronet

[Adam Sanderson]

Originally Posted by TwitchyFingers

I'd always thought it was an old Irish tune, but I notice Sir Charles Forbes sometimes listed as the composer and also see it alternately titled as "Sir Charles Forbes of Edinglassie's Quickstep." Looking him up, we find he was anything but Irish, but his political career would have brought him some sympathies across the Irish Sea. The article doesn't mention anything about him being a musician. Maybe the tune was written in his honor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Ch...s,_1st_Baronet

I think it's just one of those tunes that has several titles. If you listen to the English Morris Dance tune "Rigs of Marlow", (transcribed by Cecil Sharpe in the 1800s after hearing it in Oxfordshire), it's practically the same tune.

[Seán Donnelly]

In this case, the 'Rakes of Mallow' is the original title. The tune was published under that title in 1733, and the words in the 1740s. It is one of a number of tunes linked to the spa at Mallow, Co. Cork, which was discovered in the late 1720s, but was in decline by the 1770s. The tune also appeared in the 1740s as the 'Rakes of Marlow', hence the 'Rigs of Marlow', while the 'Rakes of Mall' and the 'Rakes of London' are just two of numerous other titles. 'Sir Charles Forbes of Edinglassie' is a long way down the list, and I seem to remember that the tune is credited to a named piper. It was also collected as a cowboy dance, 'Rompin' Molly', in the USA. The tune is amazingly common, and turns up in the most surprising places, including India, doubtless thanks to East India Company/British army bands. Generally, Irish musicians don't bother playing it – though it's often taught to beginners on various instruments.

[Greg1973]

Originally Posted by Patrick McLaurin

Scroll to the bottom of the results:

https://www.patrickmclaurin.com/tune...bmit&fuzzy=Yes

Thanks very much Patrick. So far the only mention of a 4 part piece under the name of Rakes of Mallow. The book it comes in is pretty rare though and costs US $200 second hand! Though there is one in the Scottish National Library... might have to wait to my trip next year to take a peak at it first!

[Greg1973]

Originally Posted by TwitchyFingers

I'd always thought it was an old Irish tune, but I notice Sir Charles Forbes sometimes listed as the composer and also see it alternately titled as "Sir Charles Forbes of Edinglassie's Quickstep." Looking him up, we find he was anything but Irish, but his political career would have brought him some sympathies across the Irish Sea. The article doesn't mention anything about him being a musician. Maybe the tune was written in his honor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Ch...s,_1st_Baronet

Thanks Twitchy and good spot. I looked that up as well and whilst the first part is the same as the Rakes of Mallow, it seems to differ vastly after that. Interesting find nonetheless!

[Greg1973]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. It has certainly helped me give me few new avenues to look in to.

[TwitchyFingers]

This has been an interesting discussion.
Rakes of Mallow is also a great tune for teaching students high G and D gracenote patterns.