The Dancing Master - 1651
This is a rare 5th edition of one of the earliest printings of English country dance tunes, which also included certain Scottish airs as acknowledgement of the fascination in which they were held by English enthusiasts. Some of the tunes in the various editions of Dancing Master were reconstructed for Cecil Sharp's Country Dance Books, and now form part of the recreational social dance tradition.
The intention to publish the first edition was registered with the authorities on November 7th, 1650, and it duly appeared in 1651. This edition was printed by W. Godbid in 1675. It contains 160 tunes, including those of Scottish derivation, such as "Broom the bonny broom" and "Scotch capp or Edenborough Castle".
John Playford was born in 1623 in Norwich. He came to London in 1639, serving a seven-year apprenticeship with John Benson. Having become a member of the Stationer's Company in 1647, he opened his own shop in the porch of the Temple Church. Playford died in 1686, but subsequent editions of "Dancing Master" were published by Henry, his son, and by John Young, who took over the series in 1706. The last edition appeared around 1728.
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