Subscribe to our Newsletter

Waltz (1), tune from Thomas Hampton's ms.

Back to browse page
Source: Thomas Hampton's manuscript
Performer: Hampton, Thomas
Place Collected: Hereford
Date collected: c1870-1880

Thomas Hampton was born at Blaisdon in Gloucestershire (baptised March 1844), and probably worked on the canals for a while. By 1870 he was living in Hereford, being married there that year. He died in 1896, still resident at Bath St. Hereford. He left a manuscript containing tunes, which is now in the possession of his great-great granddaughter, Becky Dellow, who is researching both TH and the tunes. Although the manuscript was compiled in Hereford, Becky believes some of the tunes were remembered from TH’s childhood in Gloucestershire.

Waltz (1) (by Frank Musgrave)
Handwriting evidence shows that the first nine tunes in the book were compiled by Walter Soobroy, who lived close to Thomas Hampton in Hereford. It seems likely that Soobroy was teaching Hampton and used the tunes for that purpose. Tunes 6 and 7 in the ms (not transcribed here) are exercises on scales. The doubling of the second part of this tune in octaves may have been done to provide a lower, easier version for a fiddler not confident in reaching the top C.
This tune is likely to have been played with the second one in the ms. (See version to play)
The attribution to Frank Musgrave (1834-1888) is in the ms. He was musical Director of the Strand Theatre, and later lessee of the Theatre Royal, Nottingham.
With thanks to Becky Dellow for information and comments

In the linked abc file this is tune number X:1