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About the CD English dance music is rooted deep in the tradition of the country's history and continues to maintain tunes after centuries of use. New tunes may displace older favourites only to be rediscovered in old manuscripts, recordings or passed down by traditional musicians, step dancers and singers. |
Composer Robert Whinham, and Ned Pearson and James Higgins were fine North Country fiddlers. From them come respectively, the Town Green Polka, which can be found in the Charlton Memorial Tune Book along with a version of the Weymouth Quickstep. My Father's Polka is from a recording which has now surfaced on Topic Records' Voice of the People series, and the jig we learned from Phil Heath-Coleman along with the Villagers
The Scotch Polka and an untitled tune come from Fred Pidgeon who was a traditional fiddler from Stockland in Dorset, fortunately recorded by Peter Kennedy in 1951. Kennedy also recorded Northumbrian piccolo player Billy Ballantine playing The Plain Schottische tune, with Jimmy Hunter on harmonica. La Calantha is from The Record Book of Songs and Tunes in an East End junk shop.
Buttered Peas is a firm favourite English Country Dance. Here we have what we know as the standard tune plus another, played by Sam Stables of Grassington, Wharfedale, from an old Yorkshire collection.
Like Peter Wyper's, whose tune came from one of Tony Engle's old 78's, George Privett mastered the melodeon. We found a version of this polka in a book of Hampshire songs and tunes.
The Duke of Cornwall's Reel comes from West Wittering clarinettist William Aylmore's manuscript, dated 1796 according to the Sussex Tune Book, where you will also find the Welch Family's "Sussex" Polka, and The Ball from the year 1800.
Bob Cann was simply the greatest traditional melodeon player until his grandson started playing. Their Dartmoor Pixie Band play one of our compositions (not on this record) so we play one of theirs in acknowledgement.
Love is Pleasing comes from the singing of Mrs. Gulliver, Combe Florey, Somerset collected in 1905.
All the rest should be known as standards, but we don't hear them often enough, for instance:-
There are too many tunes to hear in a lifetime and too many good ones that shouldn't be forgotten.