Annotation:Morisco

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MORISCO. AKA - "La Morisque." AKA and see "Mouresque (La)." English, Country Dance Tune (2/2 time). G Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD. The melody was first published by Thoinot Arbeau (1520-1595) in his Orchesographie (1589). "La Morisque" or Morisco is the French term for what is known as the morris dance or Moresc in England, also called the Moresca in Corsica. Thus the title "Morisco" is simply a generic title for any vehicle for morris dancing.

Morris dancers, from Chambers Book of Days

Seventeenth century London music publisher John Playford, for example, printed different "Moriscos" in various editions of his Apollo's Banquet and Dancing Master. Dance revivalist Cecil J. Sharp thought the morris dance was likely Moorish in origin, probably from Morocco; the name 'morris' being a derivative (for more information see Sharp & MacIlwaine's The Morris Book, London, Novello and Company, 1907). A "La Mourisqe" is Dance No. 5 in Flemish composer Tylman Susate's (c. 1510/15 to after 1570) Het derde musyck boexken...alderhande danserye (1551), set for an eight-part ensemble (treble, tenor and bass recorders, tenor and bass viols). It also can be found in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (c. 1615) and Jehan Tabouret's (1520-95) Orchesograhie (late 16th century).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; p. 2 (appears under the title "Albany Assembly," the name of a modern dance set to the tune). Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 9.

Recorded sources:

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