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NEWS; 4 September 2002, London, UK
A copy of the missing manuscript has arrived
here in London and is currently being analysed. First appearances
are that it gives details of the information which can be
found in CSM. Up to page 14, Harrison explains that he has
been unable to "solve" the problem of finding a
mathematical or scientific justification for his choice of
PI as a basis of his tuning system. He gives many musical
and mathematical examples... Work continues on the transcription
and research with the idea of publication towards mid-September
2002. A copy has been authenticated by Jonathan Betts, of
the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, as being the hand
writing of John Harrison.
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A
true and (short, but) (*crossed out) full Account of the Foundation
of Musick, or , as principally therein, of the Existense of
the Natural Notes of Melody:
Wherein is shown the Absurdity of such imaginary
stuff as was first crowded into the Scale of Musick by the
Ancients, and has still been retained therein by our more
modern Writers, in order to make the matter seem more Reasonable
or Philosophical, whenas in reality it is even as hence a
bereaved of all such Ornament, and as, when at the same time,
its Foundation or basis as in another Sense tho' secret, is
most strictly true or perfect in itself(?); and therefore,
as being otherwise therefrom not only to a much higher degree
than what we should think. or have thought to have been Mathematically
Beautiful, or even as otherwise so Perfection itself, (fo)
(*crossed out) 2. consequently it 1. (yet)(*crossed out) can
have nothing to do with any such Arbitrary Conjectures: (via
as intimated)(*crossed out):
And herein are also, (exhibited some)(*crossed out) very necessary
Observations exhibited and as with Instructions about the
highest, the most Important, or the most Undeniable life of
the Subject:
As Experimented and Illustrated by John Harrison,
Inventor and maker of the Time-Keeper for the Longitude at
Sea: and who was for several years, Parish Clark [or Clark
of the Psalmody] at Barrow near Barton upon Humber, in the
county of Lincoln.
In left margin ---- a[ or would be as thence]
bereaved.
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 The
following text appeared in the New Scientist Magazine in April
97 submitted by Charles Lucy. If you can help in any way with
the quest for this document please contact Charles Lucy. We will be most grateful. It
is our intention to publish information as it comes in relating
to this search so please stay tuned !
It seems to me that we at at a crossroads in
musical tuning, similar to that which mathematics passed,
a couple of hundred years ago. Many still seem to judge the
validity of a tuning system only by its proximity to integer
frequency ratios and the harmonics, which are arrived at by
this (to my mind) simplistic logic. From my readings, experiments,
and observations, I am convinced that John Harrison had managed
to break through this barrier in the mid-eighteenth century.
At the end of a very successful scientific career, during
which he made three major new inventions, and "won"
the prize for Longitude with his horological designs, he devoted
his last years to the study of musical tuning. This is a subject
very closely akin to his other particular areas of expertise,
i.e.navigation, pendulums, harmonic motion, and the study
of mechanical systems with regard to time..
In his book Concerning Such Mechanism, (after
"slagging off" his contemporaries), he very clearly
states his conclusions: The Natural Notes of Melody may be
derived mathematically from pi. He gives no experimental details,
except that he used monochords, and clearly understood and
criticises WNR (whole number ratio) logic and practice. He
seems to have been criticized for this work, in the same way
that his tunings are criticised today.
[Not for their impracticabilities,
tunelessness, or any musical reasons - (it works exquisitely
for musical harmony, modulation, and transposition for all
types of "ethnic" music which I have encountered
to date); yet for its lack of scientific proof].
After CSM ..... was published he wrote a manuscript
HARRISON, John. A True and Full Account of the Foundation
of Musick, or, as principally therein, of the Existance of
the Natural Notes of Melody. An unpublished manuscript of
182 pp., which is cataloged as item 8961 in Bibliotheca Chemico-Mathematica
issued by Messrs. H. Sotheran of London in 1921, but has since
been lost.
I have seen only one page of this manuscript. It arrived at
my London address from a horological researcher, about ten
years ago. I hear that it was by way of a Folkestone antiquarian
bookseller. The page was a diagram of a clockface, with the
note names written around the circumference, and marks where
later steps of fourths and fifths would arrive. It showed
the Large interval at the angle of the radian i.e. 360/(2*pi)
= 57.3 degrees.
C was at 6 o'clock and the other naturals were arranged ascending
clockwise.
From this page and the title, I suspect that the missing manuscript
revealed Harrison's experiments. I heard that the offices
of Sotheran were destroyed during the London blitz by a direct
hit.
I wish to attempt to reconstruct Harrison's experiments, for
I believe that they will give us much greater insight into
his thinking, and possibly provide us with "scientific
proof".
Any help, pointers, or comments about this manuscript will
be appreciated.
Should Harrison's "proof" be found to be valid,
it will be necessary to re-examine the traditional scientific
assumption that "harmonics" can only occur at integer
frequency ratios.
That would really put the scientific "cat amongst the
pigeons"!
Charles Lucy, March '97, lucy@harmonics.com
FOUND IT!!!
THANKS SHAUN AND NEW SCIENTIST
MAGAZINE
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