Annotation:John of Paris

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 JOHN OF PARIS. AKA - "Jean de Paris." AKA and see "Ninety-Five," "95." Scottish, English, Jig and Morris Dance Tune. G Major (Harding's, Kennedy, Raven, Sumner, Wade): A Major (Kerr). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Kerr): AABB (Hardings, Sumner): AA'BA' (Kennedy, Raven, Wade). Jean de Paris is the title of a French comic opera with music by François Adrien Boieldieu (1775-1834), first performed in Paris in 1812, and it is possible that this tune has some connection with the opera. The melody has been used for a single step dance in the North-West England morris dance tradition where it is popular under the title "Ninety-Five." Revealing that alternate title, this is sung by morris dancers: The girls go by and they wink one eye, ''It's will you marry me? No, not I;'' I'm ninety-five, I'm ninety five,  And to stay single I'll contrive. The tune is contained in the 19th century Joseph Kershaw Manuscript. Kershaw was a fiddle player who lived in the remote area of Slackcote, Saddleworth, North West England, who compiled his manuscript from 1820 onwards, according to Jamie Knowles.  Source for notated version: the 1823-26 music mss of papermaker and musician Joshua Gibbons (1778-1871, of Tealby, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire Wolds) [Sumner].  Printed sources: Hardings All-Round Collection, 1905; No. 131, p. 41. Knowles (The Joseph Kershaw Manuscript), 1993; No. 52 (appears as "Jean de Paris"). Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), vol. 2, 1954; p. 44. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; No. 3, p. 27. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 100. Sumner (Lincolnshire Collections, vol. 1: The Joshua Gibbons Manuscript), 1997; p. 68. Wade (Mally's North West Morris Book), 1988; p. 30.  Recorded sources: Cottey Light Industries CLI-903, Dexter et al - "Over the Water" (1993. The tune appears as "95").

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