The Drummer

[John Wood]

I have been studying your book ‘Another Look at Playford’ and congratulate you on its excellence. I have a small query which I hope you can answer. With many of the dances there are notes mentioning similar dances or others with the same name, ‘The Duke of Gloucester’ for one. However, there is no mention under ‘The Drummer’ of the dance of the same name in Thompson 1757 which appears in Charles Bolton’s Retreads Vol.7 with the same tune, though barred differently. Is there an explanation for this, please? I know it is not important, it’s just my curiosity.

[Marjorie Fennessy]

Pat put ‘usual’ tune and Nic said it was “The Piper o’ Dundee”. Personally I would imagine it was a popular tune that turned up in many variants all over the country from Scotland to London. Do you have any information regarding this tune’s origins or why it was barred differently?

[Robert Moir]

Charles Bolton’s version in his Retreads series is the most commonly done version nowadays. Basically it is very simple but Charles Bolton added his ideas and it is well liked by modern dancers.

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