Annotation:Hunting We Will Go (A)

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HUNTING WE WILL GO, A. English, Country Dance and Air (6/8 time). D Major (Raven): C Major (Chappell). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. The air appears in The Goldfinch (Edinburgh, 1777), where it is ascribed to Dr. Arne. The song, according to Chappel, was written by Henry Fielding for his ballad opera Don Quixote in England (1734) and who indicated that it should be sung to the air "A-begging we will go," however, it appears in broadside collections to this air and has survived so-linked in present collections. Other songs were written to "A-Hunting We Will Go," including one called "Father Paul."

The dusky night rides down the sky,
And ushers in the morn;
The hounds all join in glorious cry,
The hounds all join in glorious cry,
The huntsman winds his horn,
the huntsman winds his horn,
Then a-hunting we will go, a-hunting we will go,
A-hunting we will go, a-hunting we will go.

"A Hunting We Will Go" is also a title for the unrelated tune that is also called "Nutting Girl (The)."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Times), vol. 2, 1859; pp. 175-176. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 121.

Recorded sources:

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