Tune Req: Harrogate Lodge / Merry Girls of York

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harrogate Lodge / Merry Girls of York
From: GUEST,redmax
Date: 18 Jul 07 - 03:48 AM

Many thanks. Probably a lapse on Kidson's part, then.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Harrogate Lodge / Merry Girls of York
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 06:53 PM

Here is the entry on Hodsoll from Kidson's British Music Publishers, c.1900:

Hodsall, William.

'A music seller who in 1794 was at Seven Oaks, Kent, and who about or prior to the year 1800 entered into the premises formerly occupied by John Bland, at 45, Holborn. His name is in the directory for 1800 till at least 1830. He issued sheet music and sets of yearly country dances in the usual form, oblong 8vo and oblong 4to. He published also two thin folio volumes entitled 'Terpsichore's Gift,' the work consists of his separately published sheet songs and pieces. Another of his publications, in oblong quarto, bears the same title and allegorical vignette.'

The only copy of Hodsall's 1810 collection that I know of is in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library at Cecil Sharp House in London (QS 35.3 2223(d.)); the full title is A Collection of the most Fashionable Country Dances for the Year 1810 for the Piano Forte or Harp: with proper figures.

A full contents listing can be seen at The Colonial Music Institute: Dance Figures Index:English Country Dances, 1700-1827:

Hodsoll 1810

It would appear that the tune doesn't appear in that year's collection at all, so that's the best I can do for now; except to point out for others who may be interested that both of Kidson's dance collections (which are not that easy to find except through antiquarian dealers at relatively stiff prices) can be seen at http://www.englishcountrydancing.org/:

Old English Country Dances

Dances of the Olden Time

The music is scanned and the text is transcribed as html. I can't say that I like the gaudy page background, but then I didn't do the work.

Subject: Tune Req: Harrogate Lodge / Merry Girls of York
From: GUEST,redmax
Date: 17 Jul 07 - 05:23 AM

Not exactly a tune request, but a source request. Kidson printed this tune in his 'Old English Country Dances' (1890). He called it The Merry Girls of York, but mentioned that "The same dance is inserted in Hodsall's Country Dances for 1810. It is there called "Harrogate Lodge"

I've done some searching, and can't find a copy of 'Hodsall's Country Dances for 1810'. The name may be spelled Hodsoll, and the full title may be his "Annual Collection of Twenty-four Favourite Country Dances for the year 1810" but even iwith this info I can't find the item.

The reason for my curiosity is simply that I'm from Harrogate, and I was interested to see this tune actually printed under this title rather than a second hand reference to its existence