Annotation:Milkmaid's Dance (The)
X:1 T:Milkmaid's Dance, The S:Henry Atkinson music manuscript collection (Northumberland, 1694-95, p. 143) M:4/4 L:1/8 N:Appears as an unititled air in Atkinson's ms. "Milkmaid's Dance" is N:a title given to the tune in a 19th century margin note by W. Chatto. F:http://www.farnearchive.com/show_images.asp?id=R0114301&image=1 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G G2 B3 AG|d4 g4|d2B2e2A2|F4 D4| E2C2E2 (AG)|F2A2 d2 (gf)|(ed)(cB) (AB)(AG)|G4 B4:| d3 B/c/ d3 B/c/|d2B2G2B2|A3 c/B/ A2 c/B/|A2d2F2A2| d2 ef e2 fg|f2d2g2B2|A2B2A3G|G4 B4|| |:B2 G4 d>c|B4G4|A2 D4 A>G|F4 D4| E2C4 AG|F4 d4|e2A4 dc|B4G4:| g2d2g2 gf|e2c2e2 dc|d2B2G2B2|E2A2F2D2| E2C2E2 AG|F2A2 d2 (gf)|(ed)(cB) (AB)(AG)|G4 B4||
MILKMAID'S DANCE, THE. English, Country Dance Tune (4/4 time). England, Northumberland. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABCCD. The melody appears as an untitled tune in Northumbrian musician Henry Atkinson's (Hartburn, near Morpeth) 1694-95 music manuscript collection [1]. The name "Milkmaid's Dance" was supplied by W. Chatto in a note in manuscript from the 19th century. Compare versions of the tune as "Bellamira" in various Playford publications, sometimes attributed to London musician Solomon Eccles (1618-1683) or to his son, John Eccles (1650-1735), a popular theater composer in the 1690's.
