Yorkshire Grey (The)

 YORKSHIRE GREY. English, Country Dance Tune (6/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Kidson suggests the 'A' part was derived from "Hunting the Hare" or "Green Gown." The second, ‘B’, part is two measures longer (six in total) than the ‘A’ part music. The air appears in Charles and Samuel Thompson's Complete Collection of Country Dances and Cotillions for the Harpsichord (c. 1775). The Yorkshire Grey was breed of horse favoured by medieval knights for its load carrying capacity, a feature not lost later when strong horses were needed by the military for hauling caissons. In the 18th century the Yorkshire Grey was adopted by the stage coach companies as the preferred engine, which explains the number of pubs with that name on the old trunk routes.

Printed source: Kidson (Old English Country Dances), 1890; g. 15.

X:1 T:Yorkshire Grey M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig S:Frank Kidson – Old English Country Dances (1890) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D dcd AFA|dfd ecA|dcd AFA|dec d3:|
 * dA=c BAG|eBd ^cBA|dA=c BAG|eBd ^cBA|efg fed|eBc d3:||

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