MEDIEVAL / RENAISSANCE

'Desto Fez Santa Maria' and 'Porque Ben Santa Maria' are both from the superb 'Cantigas de Santa Maria' compiled in Spain during the reign of Alfonso X (1221 - 1284) Two straightforward tunes, no half-holing!

'Pastime With Good Company' (King Henry V111) A well-known tune, some tricky half-holing in bars 4, 8, & 14.

MORRIS

'Idbury Hill' is a side-step handkerchief dance from Bledington in Gloucestershire. A lovely, straightforward tune in e minor.

'Highland Mary' is a solo jig, also from the Bledington Tradition - it includes the characteristic 'slows' of the Cotswold Morris. There is a similar tune from Bampton in Oxfordshire without 'slows'.

'Cuckoo's Nest' appears in several Morris Traditions - this one from Sherborne, in Gloucestershire, has an attractive 'b' music, half-holing as in 'Pastime With Good Company'

'Bonnets O' Blue' is a handkerchief corner dance from Bledington, with 'slows'

TRADITIONAL

'Bear Dance' is a Flemish tune, simple, no half-holing.

'An Dro' is a Breton tune, no real problems here.

'Noël Nouvelet' is a French carol whose words date from the late 15th century. The tune appears in a publication of 1721, but may be original 15th century. I have used this tune at Christmas to accompany the Bampton dance 'Highland Mary' and it works very well.

'George Green's College Hornpipe'. George Green played melodeon for the Little Downham Molly dancers - photographs taken by WH Palmer on Plough Monday 1932 show him and the dancers (see Elaine Bradtke 'Truculent Rustics - Molly Dancing in East Anglia before 1940')

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