Annotation:Mayor of Garratt (The)
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MAYOR OF GARRATT. English, Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody is unique to London publishers Charles and Samuel Thompson's 1765 country dance collection. The Mayor of Garratt is a satirical play written in 1765 by Samuel Foote, which premiered at the Haymarket Theatre. The Garrat elections [1] were spoof elections held in the town of Garrat, Surrey, that were extremely popular in the mid-18th century, and apparently grew out of a popular local amusement at a minor political problem. The celebration was sustained for some time by the village tavern owners, who paid the cost of the celebrations, however, by the end of the century they ceased their underwriting and the event died out.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Thompson (Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 2), 1765; No. 164.
Recorded sources: