Annotation:Colchester Waits
X:1 % T:Colchester Waits M:3/8 L:1/8 B:Chappell - Popular Music of the Olden Times, vol. 3 (1859, p. 12) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:Bb BFf|d>cB|e g2|f2d| c e2|d>cB|A>Bc|=e2f|| c>dc/B/|AFB GBE|e2d|cAF|f>ed|egd|(c2B)||
COLCHESTER WAITS. English, Air (3/8 time). B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The air appears in Playford's Apollo's Banquet (1669), and was one of several 'wait' tunes collected by William Chappell in the mid-19th century. See note for "Cheshire Waits" for more information. Colshester was the capital of the Celtic Trinovantes under Cunobelin and the first Roman town founded in Britain. Around the year 750 it was the capital of the East Saxons. The castle was occupied by French troops in 1215 supporting the civil war against King John, but was regained by him after a lengthy siege the next year.
Like most European Towns of any size, Colchester had a band of Waits [1] (civic musicians) throughout the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque. The band would have been employed by the town to perform at civic ceremonies and processions and to entertain the populace.