Annotation:Astrope Wells
X: 1 T:Astrope Wells. (p)1688.PLFD1.291 M:9/4 L:1/4 Q:3/4=100 S:Playford, Dancing Master,7th Ed,2nd.Supp,1688. O:England;London H:1688. Z:Chris Partington. F:http://www.john-chambers.us/~jc/music/book/Playford/Astrope_Wells_1688_PLFD1_291_CP.abc K:F f3efdf>ga|ge^cd>efe^cA|f3efdf>ga|gefef^cd3:| |:F2ccAccAF|E2GGEGE>D^C|F2ccAccAF|GEFEF^CD3:|
ASTROPE WELLS. English, Country Dance Tune (9/4 time). D Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB, AABB. The melody and dance instructions were first printed by Henry Playford in the second supplement to the 7th edition of the Dancing Master (1688). It was retained in subsequent editions of the Dancing Master, through the 18th and last edition of 1728 (published by John Young, heir to the Playford publishing concerns). Dance and tune were also printed by John Walsh in his Compleat Country Dancing Master (1718, and later editions of 1731 and 1754).
Astrope Wells were one of several fashtionable spas that grew up around mineral water springs. The 1823 Enclyclopedia Brittanica gives:
Astrope-Wells, near Banbury in Oxfordshire, are recommended as excellent in many disorders. The water is brisk, spiritious, pleasant-tasted chalybeate, and is also gently purgative. It should be drank from three to five quarts in the forenoon.
The tune was also entered into the music manuscript copybook of English musician John Malchair (compiled c. 1760-1792), with the note "in the [Playford] edition of 1699 this tune has six crotches in a barr insad [sic] of Nine, this mistake is common in the early practice of Barring Music."
