Annotation:Bishop of Bangor's Jig
X:1 T:Bishop of Bangor’s Jigg M:6/4 L:1/8 N:”Longways for as many as will.” B:John Walsh – Complete Country Dancing-Master, Volume the Fourth B: (London, 1740, No. 138) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Emin B2|e2f2g2f2g2e2|^d2e2f2B4e2|d2c2B2 c2B2A2|(B6B4)|| Bc|d2B2G2 c2A2F2|B2G2E2 A2F2D2|G2A2B2 A4G2|(G6G4)B2| g2e2^c2 a2f2^d2|b2g2e2 a2f2^d2|e2f2g2 B2e2^d2|(e6 e4)||
BISHOP OF BANGOR'S JIG (Esgob Bangor). Welsh, English; Jig. England, North-West. E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune with directions for a country dance appears in the 11th edition of London music publisher Henry Playford's Dancing Master,1701. The piece was retained in subsequent editions of the long-running Dancing Master series through the 16th (1716). "Bishop of Bangor" was also published in John Walsh's Compleat Country Dancing Master (editions of 1718, 1731 and 1754).
The word Bangor comes from the Welsh, meaning a wattle fence; it referred to the fence that surrounded the monastic community founded at Bangor, Wales, by St. Deiniol in the year 525. Deiniol was consecrated Bishop in 546 and his church became a cathedral, and the Bishopric dates continuously from that period. The most famous Bishop of Bangor (who never actually resided in Bangor) in Playford's time was Benjamin Hoadley; he was involved in a semi-political controversy known as Bangorism, which was really simply a plea for Protestantism and tolerance. Some suspect a popular song went to the tune. A simple dance for eight people is attached to the tune, which is generally used as a vehicle for a Sicilian circle.
