Annotation:Cushion Dance (1) (The)

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CUSHION DANCE [1], THE. Scottish, Jig. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The cushion dance is a kissing game/dance. The dance was mentioned by a lawyer and antiquary named Selden (d. 1654) in his "Table Talk": "...the court of England is much altered. At a solemn dancing you had the grave measures, then the corantoes and galliards, and this kept up with ceremony, at length to the Trenchmore and the Cushion Dance then all the company dances, lord and groom, lady and kitchen maid, no distinction. So in our court in Queen Elizabeth's time gravity and state were kept up. In King James' time, things were pretty well, but in King Charles' time there has been nothing but the Cushion Dance, omnium gatherum, tolly polly, hoity come toity" (Robin Williamson). Chappell (1859) describes the dance fully, quoting from Playford's Dancing Master, and quotes references to it from Elizabethan times to a political parody of 1704 called "The Cushion Dance at Whitehall, by way of Masquerade. To the tune of 'Joan Sanderson.'" See also the note for "Babbity Bowster" and piper John Sutherland's "Harlequin in the Parlor."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 417. Gow (Complete Repository), Part 3, 1806; p. 27.

Recorded sources:

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