Annotation:How D'ye Do Sir (2)

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HOW D'YE DO, SIR? [2]. English, Morris Dance Tune (6/8 and 9/8 time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. From the village of Headington, Oxfordshire, in England's Cotswolds. Frank Kidson compares the air with "Blowzabella." The Headington morris tradition was unbroken for centuries, until the latter 19th century when it died out for a period of 30 years. The Headington morris dancers were revived in 1897, with some of the old team members participating. However, the last fiddler had died, and his place was taken by Mark Cox for a few years, before William Kimber took over as the team's musician. The dance "How D'ye Do, Sir?" is a handkerchief dance, but instead of allowing the material the fly free, the handkerchiefs are wrapped round the hands to represent boxing gloves.

Source for notated version: Mark Cox (Headington) [Neal].

Printed sources: Bacon (The Morris Ring), 1974; p. 182. Neal (Espérance Morris Book, vol. 2), 1912; no. 6, p. 22. Mallinson (Mally's Cotswold Morris Book, vol. 2), 1988; no. 66, p. 31.

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