Constant Couple (The)

 CONSTANT COUPLE, THE. English, Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). D Major (Barnes). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The melody is contained in the H.S.J. Jackson manuscript (1823, Wyresdale, Lancashire), in the key of 'C'. The Constant Couple was a stage satire written by George Farquhar (1677-1707) in 1699, one of his biggest hits. The New York debut of the play was in 2007. Farquhar abandoned his studies to take to the Dublin stage, but after only a season he abandoned acting after severely wounding a fellow actor in an on-stage fencing scene when he forgot to exchange his sword for a foil. He soldiered for a time in Ireland, but had early success with his first play, Love and a Bottle, produced at Drury Lane when Farquhar was aged but 20. The Constant Couple was his next work, and was more favourably received than the first; it was popular for a century. Printed source: Callaghan (Hardcore English), 2007; p. 33.

X:1 T:Constant Couple, The. HSJJ.097 M:2/4 L:1/8 Q:150 S:HSJ Jackson, Wryesdale, Lancs. 1823 R:Misc. O:England A:Lancashire H:1823 Z:Chris Partington K:C g2ec|f2dB|ceAd|cBAG|AcBd|cede|faAd|cBAG|! g2ec|f2dB|ceAd|cBAG|ABcA|Bcde|fdcB|c2C2|! d2BG|e2cA|f2dB|g2ec|a2fd|g2ec|f2Ad|cBAG|! d2BG|e2cA|f2dB|g2ec|a2fd|g2ec|A2B2|c2C2|]