Target reached!
Additional funds would allow the initial print run of the hardback to be extended an...
The John Rook Manuscript
Wall, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Publish the 1840 music manuscript of John Rook and details of his life and role in music in North Shields and Cumberland in the early 19thC.
The Manuscript
The Rook manuscript was compiled in 1840 by John Rook and contains over 1260 tunes from a wide variety of contemporary 19thC and earlier 18thC sources as well as a significant number of otherwise unknown pieces. The cover sheet also indicated that Rook was a multi-instrumentalist playing fiddle, flute, smallpipes, and other instruments. In addition to the sheer quantity of music, the manuscript has some intriguing links both to the very early years of the Northumbrian Smallpipes and the less well documented musical traditions of Cumberland.
The manuscript has been shared amongst trad musicians for almost 40 years however the original is now considered lost. The content of the manuscript is only known from a photocopy (with 1 missing page) - however nothing was known about John Rook himself nor why someone in rural Cumberland appeared to be playing the then newly invented smallpipes.
The Research
Much research has already been carried out - and John Rook has been found! (although the manuscript is still lost). John Rook was born, and grew up, in North Shields and moved to Cumberland in 1833 following the death of his grandfather. Perhaps the most significant discovery has been that of two of Rook's own journals - including one from 1833 which details his relocation to Waverton and provides great detail on his musical activity.
The Book
This crowdfunder will allow the creation and printing of the reference hardback with:
- details of John Rook's life and his place in the history of his music
- a full transcription of his 1833 journal with annotations
- a transcription of the manuscript - including notes on the tunes
Along with the hardback - a player's manuscript edition is also being created specifically intended to provide direct access to the music.
The pledges will be committed to production costs; extending the one-off print run to make the information available.
Once published the transcription of the Rook manuscript (in ABC format) and indexes will also be made freely available. The player's manuscript can also be kept in print as long as there is interest!
This project successfully funded on 3rd June 2021