These three volumes endeavour to give a glimpse of the work and stature of Pat Shaw through an insight into the man himself, his own dances and his research into English dances of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Pat Shaw 2 Collection of Dances 2 Another Look at Playford 2
‘Pat Shaw 1917-1977’ is a book of memories of Pat Shaw that was developed from around 180 individual memories – from those written at the time of his death to those collected in the last few years. Indeed some of the writers herein have long been dead themselves which shows just how important the written word is to enable future generations to appreciate and share in events long gone and learn about this remarkable man. The Pat Shaw Collection was first published in 1986. With renewed interest in his life through the memories of his friends in ‘Pat Shaw 1917-1977’ edited by Brenda Godrich, it seems the right time to republish Books 1-3 of his dances in a single more friendly form. ‘Another Look at Playford’ was the title of a monthly dance event at Cecil Sharp House, London from October 1959 to April 1972 when Pat Shaw studied some of the English dances of the 17th and 18th centuries, which he had researched. The book contains 120 dances from this collection many of which have not been readily available before for modern usage.