Annotation:King of Denmark's Favourite (The)
X:1 T:King of Denmark's Favourite, The M:6/8 L:1/8 B:Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3 (London, 1773) Z:Transcribed and edited by Fynn Titford-Mock, 2007 Z:abc's:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G G2d B2G|B2c B2A|G2d B2G|A2D G3:| |:A2B A2G|A2B A2G|G2A B2A|B2c d3| G2d B2A|B2c B2A|G2d B2G|A2D G3:| |:GAG G2A|BcB B2A|GAG GcB|AGF G3:| |:ded d3|DED D3|cdc c3|DED D3| G2D G2A|BcB B2A|G2D GcB|AGF G3:||
KING OF DENMARK'S FAVOURITE, THE. AKA and see "Cottillon La Promenade," "Prominade (La)," "Promenade (2) (La)." English, Jig (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD. At least one editor has noted that in places the melody bears a resemblance to a tune called "Sweets of May." The melody was originally published in Charles and Samuel Thompson's Compleat Collection, vol. 3 (London, 1773). Music manuscript versions can be found in the copybook collections of William Vickers (1770, Northumberland), Fife Major Nathaniel Brown (1781, entries while in service in Durham, Conn., and Verplank's Point, N.Y.), and flute player Ralph Pomeroy (1790, New Haven and Hartford, Conn.). Similarly, dance figures appear in publications and manuscripts from the latter 18th century. Titles or alternate titles given are "La Promenade St. Cloud" (Pomeroy), "Laprom C(ountry) Dance" (Brown), and "La Promendae Cottillon" (Vickers). While the title may refer to a favorite melody, it may also refer to one Count Holke, known as the King of Denmark's Favourite, a retainer ('Master of his Majesty's Wardrobe") who accompanied the Danish monarch and his prime minister on a visit to England in 1768. The young Holke (he was aged 23 at the time) was a handsome and flippant man, whom Walpole concluded was a "complete jackanapes."
