Annotation:Here's a Health to All Honest Men

Tune properties and standard notation

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HERE'S A HEALTH TO ALL HONEST MEN. AKA – “Health to All Honest Men (A).” English, Air (6/8 time). E Minor (Chappell): G Minor (Barnes). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The melody for dancing appears in John Young's Dancing Master, vol. 2 (London, editions of 1718 and 1728) and John Walsh's Second Book of the Compleat Dancing Master (London, 1719). Thomas Hammersley included it in his music manuscript copybook (London, c. 1790). The title is from a popular song by Mr. Burkhead, appearing in John Watts' Musical Miscellany, vol. 3 (London, 1730), The Convivial Songster (1782), on song sheets, and in the ballad opera of The Jovial Crew.

Many years may he rule o'er this land,
And his laurels for ever fresh spring,
Ev'ry man take his glass in his hand,
And drink to the health of our King.
Let wrangling and jangling straigh-way cease,
Let ev're man strive for his Country's peace,
Neither Tory nor Whig,
With your parties look big
Here's a health to all honest men.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; p. 57. Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Time), vol. 2, 1859; pp. 107-108.

Recorded sources:

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Tune properties and standard notation