Dance Collection: John Playford's "English Dancing Master" (18 editions 1651 - 1728)

English country dances together with dance notation. Early editions were mostly traditional tunes. John Playford (1623 - 1686) was a pioneer of printed music. He edited the first 7 editions and his son Henry published the next 5. Over 1,000 dances are described.

Albums.

Artists.Title.year.Label.number.
John Kirkpatrick and Ashley HutchingsThe Complete English Dancing Master1974 IslandHelp 17 
[Reissue][Reissue] 1976Antilles AN 7003
[Reissue][Reissue] 1984Hannibal HNBL 4416
[Reissue][Reissue] 1984Carthage CGLP4416
[Reissue][Reissue] 2002Fledg'ling FLED 3038
John Wright et alThe English Dancing Master1983Le Chant Du MondeLDZ-74690 
Broadside BandJohn Playford's Popular Tunes1987  
Broadside BandCountry Dances: John Playford's English   
The City WaitesBawdy Ballads of Old England1995  
The City WaitesHow The World Wags: Social Music for a 17th Century Englishman? Hyperion66008
1651Cast A Bell2001  
The Baltimore ConsortA Trip to Kilburn?Dorian 90238
Les WitchesNobody's Jig: Mr Playford's English Dancing Master2002 Alpha502 
The PlayfordsOranges and Lemons 2009 Coviello Classics 

Album tracks.

"Bawdy Ballads of Old England"Recorded 1995. Running time 74 minutes 25 seconds. Lucy Skeaping (soprano, baroque violin), Douglas Wootton (tenor, lute, bandora, cittern, tabor), Roddy Skeaping (baroque, violin, bass viol, voice, musical arrangements), Michael Brain (baroque bassoon, recorders, voice), Rubin Jeffrey (baroque guitar, cittern), Mike Sargeant (early Northumbrian bagpipes, Flemish bagpipes), David Chatterley (hurdy-gurdy). Only those tracks using Playford tunes are listed. 

Title.

Author.

2. The Fair Maid of IslingtonText: Bagford Ballads. Tune: Sellinger's Round
3. Green Stockings (instr)Playford's Dancing Master
6. Lady of Pleasure (instr)Playford's Dancing Master
9. Blue Petticoats or Greengarters (instr)Playford's Dancing Master
13. The Frolic (instr)Playford's Dancing Master
18. Greensleeves and Yellow Lace (instr)Playford's Dancing Master
19. The Jolly Brown TurdThomas Durfey
21. Ladie Lie Near Me (instr)Playford's Dancing Master
24. Mis NellyPlayford's Dancing Master

(Sources - Tunes
- "Sellinger's Round", found in John Playford's "The Dancing Master" 2nd edition 1652 (track 2)
- John Playford's "The Dancing Master" 5th edition 1675 (track 3)
- John Playford's "The Dancing Master" 7th edition (1668) (tracks 6 and 24) 
- John Playford's " The Dancing Master" 4th edition (1670) (tracks 9, 18 and 19) 
- John Playford's " The Dancing Master" 11th edition (1701) (track 13) 
- John Playford's " The Dancing Master" 1st edition (1651) (track 21) )

www.izaak.unh.edu/nhltmd/indexes/dancingmaster/

Last updated on 20/12/2010