Blenheim Pound (The)
BLENHEIM POUND. English, Country Dance Tune (cut time). D Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody appears in London publisher John Young's editions of the Second Volume of the Dancing Master [1], beginning in 1710 and continuing through the 4th edition, 1728. It also appears in Walsh's New Country Dancing Master, 2nd Book (London, 1710), and Walsh's Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing-Master (London, 1719, 3rd edition 1735 & 1749).
The title honors William Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, whose victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 was a decisive triumph of arms during the War of the Spanish Succession. Several tunes in Young's "Second Volume" refer to Marlborough and his campaigns, including "Hochstet Battle," "Donawert Pass" and "Duke of Marlborough's March." The 'pound' part of the title is curious, however, and may refer to a pond ("pound") in Blenheim, as it does in the title "Packington's Pound" which does refer to pond. There is a pond on the estate of Blenheim, although it hardly seems likely the tune would be titled after that.
Printed source: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; p. 12.
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Engraver Valerio M. Pelliccioni