Annotation:Circus Hornpipe
X:1 T:Circus Hornpipe M:C L:1/8 R:Hornpipe Q:"Allegro" B:Thomas Wilson - Companion to the Ball Room (1816, p. 140) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G G>AB>c d>Bg>e|d>BG>B A>F D2|G>Bd>B G>ce>d|c>BA>G B2A2| G>AB>c d>Bg>e|d>BG>B A>F D2|G>FG>A G>ed>c|B>AG>F G2G2|| d>^cd>c d>BA>G|d>^cd>c d>gf>e|d>^cd>e d>BA>G|F>GA>F D2D2| d>^cd>c d>BA>G|d>^cd>c d>gf>e|d>^cd>e d>BA>G|B>cd>B G2G2||
CIRCUS HORNPIPE. AKA and see "Mrs. Wybrow's New Broad Sword Hornpipe." Scottish, English; Hornpipe (cut time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "Circus Hornpipe" was originally published as "Mrs. Wybrow's New Broad Sword Hornpipe," composed by James Sanderson in 1799 and published by him on single-sheet issues. Mrs. Wybrow was, like Miss Adams, Miss Gayton, and others, a stage dancer at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th who specialized in solo hornpipe dancing for the stage. Sanderson composed this piece expressly for her signature dance, which she performed at Covent Garden Theatre and other venues, one of which was John Astley's famous Royal Circus (in both London and Edinburgh), hence London dancing master Thomas Wilson's title of "Circus Hornpipe." There are other 'Broad Sword Hornpipes' as well, taught by period dancing masters. Regency era dance and music researcher Paul Cooper writes that the broadsword hornpipe may have been a comic dance, "perhaps performed in faux-armour," that may have been derived from or otherwise connected to fencing or military drill, presumably danced with elegance and refinement when interpreted for the stage[1].
