Annotation:Nightpiece (The)
X: 1 T:Night Piece. (p)1651.PLFD1.070, The T:Shaking Of The Sheets. (p)1651.PLFD1.070, The M:6/4 L:1/4 Q:3/4=100 S:Playford, Dancing Master,1st Ed.,1651. O:England;London H:1651. Z:Chris Partington. K:D f2 d a2 f|d2 A d f2|e g2 f>ed|Bde/f/ g2 a:| |:bbg aag|f>ed e2 A| ddc ddA| fe2 d3:|
NIGHTPIECE, THE. AKA and see "Dance of Death," "Shaking of the Sheets (2) (The)." English, Country Dance Tune (6/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBB' (Barnes): ABBB (Sharp). The melody and country dance directions were published by John Playford in his English Dancing Master (1651), first edition, and retained in the long-running series with this title through the third editions of 1657 and 1665. In the fourth (1670) and fifth (1675) editions "Shaking of the Sheets" was added as an alternate title, and in the sixth (1679), seventh (1686), and eighth (1690) editions "Shaking of the Sheets" took primary place, with "Night Piece" relegated to alternate title status. "Night Peace" [sic] occurs in Thomas Heywood's play A Woman Killed with Kindness (c. 1600).
See note for "Annotation:Shaking of the Sheets (2)" for more.
