Annotation:Lord of Carnavon's Jig (1)
LORD OF CARNARVON'S JIG. AKA and see "Jack a Lent." English, Country Dance Tune (2/2 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "Lord Carnarvon's Jig", printed by John Playford in his English Country Dancing Master (London, 1651) appears as "Lord of Carnavon's Jig (2)". The tune given in the present entry, "Lord of Carnavon's Jig (1)," is actually the similar Playford melody "Jack a Lent," which was deliberately substituted for the original "Carnarvon" melody that accompanied the dance, by English collector Cecil Sharp for his Country Dance Tunes (1909). It is in duple time, for despite our modern associations with the 'jig' as a 6/8 time tune (as in the Irish jig), in Playford's time (and later) a jig simply meant a spirited or lively dance.
The 'Lord of Carnarvon' has been identified (by Graham Christian, CDSS News #191, July/August 2006) as Robert Dormer, first Earl of Carnarvon (1610-1643). See note for "Annotation:Lord of Carnavon's Jig (2)" for more.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes), 1986. Christian (The Playford Assembly), 2015; p. 61. Karpeles & Schofield (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs), 1951; p. 8. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pp. 33 & 41 (the latter is a facsimile copy of Playford's original). Sharp (Country Dance Tunes), 1909; p. 35.
Recorded sources: