Annotation:Fairy Prince (The)

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 FAIRY PRINCE, THE. English, Country Dance Tune (9/8 time). B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. The tune first appears in Charles and Samuel Thompson's third country dance collection (London, 1773). It was probably associated with the masque The Fairy Prince, in three acts, performed at Covent Garden beginning November, 1771, through the season. Music for the work was composed by Thomas Arne with libretto by George Colman (the Elder), but was heavily borrowed from Ben Jonson's masque Oberon. The words were all sung, and thus approaches comic opera form.  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; pg. 41 (appears as "Fairy Prince"). Cahusac (Annual Collection of Twenty Four Favorite Country Dances for 1809), 1809; No. 23. Thompson (Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3), 1773; No. 10.  Recorded sources:

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