Invitation to Dance

This is an album of music from John Playford’s English Dancing Master and contemporaries.  You can choose to put the album on just to listen and enjoy, but crucially, each track can be danced to. Repetitions and speeds have all been meticulously researched and included in the sleeve notes. So if you dance any sort of Playford, this is your Invitation to Dance.
For orders in the UK For orders in the Rest of the World

Or buy it digitally:
(get in touch and we can send it to you digitally too!)

  1. Dick’s Maggot (H. Playford 1702)
  2. Jacob Hall’s Jig (H. Playford 1695)
  3. A Trip To Paris (H. Playford 1728)
  4. Emperor Of The Moon (J. Playford 1688)
  5. Maiden Lane (J. Playford 1651 / J. Dyer)
  6. Kelsterne Gardens (H. Playford c. 1727)
  7. Hare’s Maggot (H. Playford 1701 / J. Dipper)
  8. Terpsichore (“La Bouree”, M Praetorius 1605 or 1612)
  9. Mount Hills (J, Playford 1721 / J.Dyer)
  10. St Margaret’s Hill (H. Playford 1713)
  11. Softly Good Tummas (Kynaston 1728)
  12. Upon A Summer’s Day (J. Playford 1721)
Reviews  

• Around Kent Folk
• Bright Young Folk
• EDS
• EFN
• Fatea
• Folking.com
• FolkWords

• FolkWorld
• Folk London
• Folk Wales
• fRoots
• Living Tradition
• Mardles
• Unicorn
• What's Afoot

Radio Plays

• Alex Cumming on Folk & Acoustic Show
• Camfolk on Cam FM
• Carol Finer - Resonance FM
• Celtic Heartbeat BBC Radio Wales
• Chris Arscott's Folk - Triangle
• Classic Folk Show on Radio Warwickshire
• David Bond's Folk Connections
• Fatea
• Folk Findings
• Folk Roots and Branches 10Radio.org
• FolkCast
• From Albion and Beyond

 

• fRoots Radio Feb 2018
• Genevieve Tudor's Sunday Folk BBC Shropshire
• HermitageFM
• Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
• Mike Norris - Folk on the Airwaves
• Radio Northumberland
• Readifolk Radio Show
• Roots & Shoots on Felixstow Radio
• Sveriges Radio P2
• Tim Moon - Coast and County Radio
• Trevox - Argyll FM

 
 
Notes (and found typos) for the dances:
You'll find a pdf of the dots and dance instructions on our secure page. Updates are available for Kelsterne Gardens and St Margaret's Hill. Click here to grab them. You will need to email us for the password first though!
04. Emperor of the Moon The sleeve notes say AABB 4 bar A and 4 bar B. This should state 8 bar A and 8 bar B. (The recording is correct, it's just a sleeve note typo).
06. Kelsterne Gardens It looks iike we accidentally got carried away and have done one extra time through the melody, meaning the 1s get an extra go - either just enjoy the extra go or get in touch for the update.
07. Hare's Maggot Has been recorded AAB for the dance "Up with Aily" (which Cecil Sharp set to the "Hare's Maggot" tune)
10. St Margaret's Hill Our version has got two A parts - this was a specific request. But we have a version that is ABB. Get in touch for the update.