Annotation:Persian Dance (A)
X:1 T:Persian Dance, The M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Country Dance Tune N: "Variant of Galopede, Yarmouth Reel, without the middle part" (John Chambers) B:Nathaniel Gow – “The Favorite Dances of 1812: Some of which are Composed B:& the whole arrange for the piano forte by Nath. Gow” (1812, p. 2) N:”As Performed at his Annual Ball in George Street Assembly Rooms the 3rd of March.” B: https://archive.org/details/TheFavoriteDancesOf1812/mode/2up Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G d/c/|B(B/c/) A(A/B/)|.G.G.G A/B/|{d}c/B/c/d/ {c}B/A/B/c/ |.A.A.A d/c/| B/d/c/B/ A/c/B/A/ |GGG A/B/|(c/B/A/G/ F/G/A/F/)|.G.G.G|| (d/c/)|(Bg/f/) e(e/d/)|(d/c/).B/.c/ A(d/c/)|B(g/f/) e/d/c/B/ |.A.A.A. d/c/| Bg/f/ e/d/c/B/|(d/c/B/c/) A(d/c/)|(B/d/c/B/) (A/c/B/A/)|GGG||
PERSIAN DANCE, A. AKA and see "Gallopede," "Persian Ricardo," "Yarmouth Reel." English, Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). England; Shropshire, Lincolnshire, East Anglia. G Major (Ashman, Manson): D Major (Sumner). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. The tune is well-known nowadays under the “Gallopede” title, especially at New England contra dances, although many early 19th century English fiddlers’ manuscripts list it under the “Persian” or “Persian Ricardo” title. The melody was printed by London publisher Thomas Preston in his Twenty-four Country Dances for 1801 as "Persian Ricardo." Nathaniel Gow published it as "Persian Dance (A)" in 1812, the cover proclaiming: ”As Performed at his Annual Ball in George Street Assembly Rooms the 3rd of March.” The Assembly Rooms in George Street remained Edinburgh's premiere venue for dancing assemblies throughout the first half of the 19th century, although it regularly housed concerts as well.
In addition to the printed collections below, it appears under that title in the separate 19th century music manuscripts of Lancashire musicians James Nuttall and William Tildsley, and in the 1858 music manuscript collection of William Clarke (Feltwell, Norfolk, East Anglia).
