Tune Req: The French Ambassadors

Subject: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: GUEST,threelegsoman
Date: 13 Apr 18 - 03:24 AM

I have the sheet music for the tune "The French Ambassadors" in the key of G.
I wonder if anybody can help with a suitable set of chords for this tune. I am fairly sure that most of them are simply G, C and D or D7, but there are a couple of bars which obviously require something else and I need help in identifying what those chords should be please.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: Harry Rivers
Date: 13 Apr 18 - 08:24 AM

I don't know the tune.

I can't find it on youtube.

Any hints as to where I can hear it? In any key?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 13 Apr 18 - 10:52 AM

Here are my suggestions. The tune is quite fast, so if you like omit any chords that are only on the last beat of the bar. This is notated as Swarbrick's 5 part version- AABCC.

Mick

---

X: 1
T: The French Ambassador
S:Dave Swarbrick
D:Dave Swarbrick album: Lift The Lid And Listen
Q:1/4=246
K:G
M:4/4
L:1/4
"D"d ||:"G" B G "D" D F |"G" G3 d/d/ |"C" e d/d/ e/f/ g |"D" f3 e |"G" d B "C" c d/d/ |"C" e c "Am" A e |"Dm"=f e/d/ "A" ^c/d/e/c/ |"D" d e d d :||
"C" e> d e "D" f |"G" g B B B |"Em" e> f g f/e/ |"B7" ^d3 d |"Em" e B B A/B/ |"Am" c A A G/A/ |"G" B A/G/ "B" PF> E |"Em" E3 G ||
|: "D" F> G F/G/F/G/ |"D" A D D D |"G" G> A B A/G/ |"D" d3 e/f/ |"G" g B "Am"e A |"G" d G "D" F d |"G" B A/G/ "D" D F |"G" G3 d :|]

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: GUEST,threelegsoman
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 03:09 AM

Thanks for the response guys, particularly Mick Pearce. That is very helpful.
Harry Rivers, there are only two versions of the sheet music that I could find, one of which is at:
The French Ambassador sheet music in the key of Bb

The other:
The French Ambassador sheet music in the key of G

Both versions have a midi but it is played at a much slower tempo than the tune as played by Dave Swarbrick as described by Mick.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 10:52 AM

Thanks for posting. This is a good tune, which I plan to play at home.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: Helen
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 04:10 PM

DAVE SWARB - 10.The French Ambassador

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 07:55 PM

The ABC file has a tempo of 246. I don't think that's right. I have an electronic metronome, and it only goes to 204, and 204 sounds faster than the recording linked above.

'The French Ambassador' was published by Playford in 1706. I play for country dancers who would use such a tune, and our markings have been from 108 to 124. And often our Fearless Leader slows us down.

So, fellow catters, if you cannot play this tune at breakneck speed, don't despair. Many people are out there playing it slower.
==========
I don't like the return to D at the end of the first section. I play Dm A Dm.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: Stanron
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 08:03 PM

What GUEST.Mike Pearce(MCP) didn't say in his post is that his ABC file contains the chords. If you can find an on line ABC player like

http://www.mandolintab.net/abcconverter.php

copy his file into that and you will see the chords.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 09:26 PM

Leenia

You're right (sort of). I should have had that time signature as C| and a tempo of 1/2=123. It doesn't change the rate the 1/4 notes appear, but it does reflect the beat properly. My fault for posting in too much of a hurry. But when the dog insists he has to go out I can only obey!

Mick

---

X: 1
T: The French Ambassador
S:Dave Swarbrick
D:Dave Swarbrick album: Lift The Lid And Listen
Q:1/2=123
K:G
M:C|
L:1/4
"D"d ||:"G" B G "D" D F |"G" G3 d/d/ |"C" e d/d/ e/f/ g |"D" f3 e |"G" d B "C" c d/d/ |"C" e c "Am" A e |"Dm"=f e/d/ "A" ^c/d/e/c/ |"D" d e d d :||
"C" e> d e "D" f |"G" g B B B |"Em" e> f g f/e/ |"B7" ^d3 d |"Em" e B B A/B/ |"Am" c A A G/A/ |"G" B A/G/ "B" PF> E |"Em" E3 G ||
|: "D" F> G F/G/F/G/ |"D" A D D D |"G" G> A B A/G/ |"D" d3 e/f/ |"G" g B "Am"e A |"G" d G "D" F d |"G" B A/G/ "D" D F |"G" G3 d :|]

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: BobL
Date: 15 Apr 18 - 06:20 AM

The dance appears in Charles Bolton's "Retreads", and the tune was used for a new dance in the 1932 collection "Maggot Pie". Recordings, now long deleted but still around, were made for both - ask any (well, almost any) country dance club.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: leeneia
Date: 16 Apr 18 - 09:43 AM

Oh God. "Maggot Pie." Lord preserve us from precious country-dance editors.

Mike, thanks for the explanation.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The French Ambassadors
From: treewind
Date: 17 Apr 18 - 12:19 PM

The tune also appears in a 1699 publication by dancing master Thomas Bray, who calls it Rosamond's Pond. As republished in Chris Green's The Musick Meeting, it comes with a bass line, which you can hear approximately (within the limitations of an 8 bass melodeon) here: Rosamond's Pond/My Lord Cutts' Delight

I've always assumed that version preceded Playford's The French Ambassador, but it could be the other way round.