Annotation:Mr. Parker

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X:1 T:Mr. Parker M:C L:1/8 B:Neil Stewart – Royal Circus Tunes No. 3 (c. 1791, p. 1) N:Stewart published 8 small volumes of tunes played N:at the Edinburgh Royal Circus in the 1790’s. See also N:John Watlen’s circus collection. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A E2|A2A2 B3B|c4 c2B2|c3B c3^d|e4 e2 B>c| d2d2 c2A2|B2G2E2 ed|c2d2B3A|A6:| |:c2|B2e2e2^d2|e6 B>c|d2d2 c3B|B6 ed| c2A2e4|EFGA Bc d2|c3d c2B2|A6:|]



MR. PARKER. English (?), Country Dance Tune (whole time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. William Parker was the leader of the equestrian troupe at the Edinburgh Royal Circus in the 1791 season. He was noted for his performances of the Manual Exercise and for jumping over gates, and his music in the show was evocative of the hunt[1]. Mrs. Sophia Parker, his wife, was also employed as a principal dancer.

Additional notes

Source for notated version: -

Printed sources : - Neil Stewart (A Selection of Favorite Airs as Performed at the Royal Circus Edinburgh and Sadlers Wells London No. 3), 1791; p. 1.

Recorded sources: -



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  1. Kim Baston, "The Celebrated Circus Tunes: Music and Musicians in an Eighteenth-Century Circus", Popular Entertainment Studies, Vol. 9, Issue 1-2, 2018, p. 11.