A source for English and French folk music

Over the past few years, I have collected many tunes, mostly English and French, from a number of wonderful players. This website is a constantly evolving 21st century manuscript in the spirit of the great tune books of the past. If you happen to know the composer of a specific tune, please let me know, so that they can be credited. In the event of anyone being unhappy about their own music being shared in this way, I will, of course, remove relevant items. I hope you enjoy playing them!

I play fiddle, viola and English concertina. At the moment, I am in two groups: Boldwood with Becky Price (accordion) and Miranda Rutter (fiddle/viola), playing English music from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries; and Les Souris Dansent with Daniel Wolverson (fiddle/viola) and Kate Moran (fiddle/viola), playing a mixture of French and newly composed tunes for French bals. Many of the tunes we play are included on this site.

Matt

Updated December 2010

June 2011 update

 

I’ve been doing a little more research recently – here are some great 17th and 18th century tunes from a number of contemporary publications.

 

Thomas Bray, like Henry Playford, was not a composer, but a publisher. His collection of tunes is important as it was the first English publication of its kind to include a printed bass line. The first edition had this printed upside down, so the two musicians could sit opposite each other and share the music.

 

John Young took over from the Playford family in publishing the Dancing Master, and the tunes included in this post are from the less well-known 2nd and 3rd volumes (as opposed to the original’s 2nd and 3rd editions).

Meillionnen

Learnt from Ceri Rhys Matthews

Go Mauve

Ian Luff

Biscuit Shuffle

Cliff Stapleton

A regular at the Chester Arms French Session

Lyra

Andy Letcher

Recorded on ‘Untie the Wind’ by Telling the Bees

Cretian melody for Glass of Water

Sun is high in the summer sky
I must drink or I will die
Can I have a glass of water
Can I have a glass of water
All I want is a glass of water
All I want is a glass of water

With my eyes I drink you up
Like the water from a cup
Drink you like a glass of water
You are cooler than the water
All I want is a glass of water
All I want is a glass of water

When the moon is in the sky
All alone in the bed am I
Dreaming of a glass of water
Dreaming of a glass of water
All I want is a glass of water
All I want is a glass of water

Words by Sydney Carter, music from a Cretian melody

Learnt from Chris Wood at the English Acoustic Collective Summer School

 

Swedish Tune

Learnt from Christine Cooper at English Acoustic Collective Summer School

Quebecoise March

Learnt from Chris Wood at English Acoustic Collective Summer School
Performed by Chris Wood and Andy Cutting on their recent tour

The Perfect Cure

Learnt from Andy Letcher

First of May

Learnt from Andy Letcher