The Marlborough - Playford

Playford writes:

Note: Each Strain is to be play'd twice over.

The first Man and 2. Wo. sett to each other, and then Figure the whole Figure round their own Partners The other two do the same Then 1. Man turn the 2. wo. cross with the Minuet Step, the other two do the same; then Hands quite round; then turn Hands, sides half round, and back again; the first Couple being at the top, both cast off and turn.

The music is a medley. The A strain is 12 bars of reel. The B strain is 4 bars of minuet, and the C is 16 bars of minuet. Playford says all strains twice, but that's too much music for the dance. In the Neal collection the same tune has the C strain once and that seems likely to be what was intended. Each Strain is to be play'd twice over. is a stock phrase Playford probably inserted without thought.

At the end of the A sections everyone is back where they started. At the end of the B sections everyone is progressed and improper. Then Playford says then Hands quite round; then turn Hands, sides half round, and back again; the first Couple being at the top. Only after a circle round and two half turns over and back, everyone is where they were at the end of the B sections — with the 1s at the bottom not at the top.

So I shall change the then Hands quite round; to a half circle. But that only takes 2 bars, so I'll add a fall back, come forward.

The first Duke of Marlborough, was John Churchill, the title a gift from Queen Anne in 1702 for his military triumphs on the Continent over the French. After the Battle of Blenheim, 1704, again with the assistance of the Crown, he built Blenheim Palace. His wife fell out of favor with the queen and he exiled himself to the Continent, not returning to favor until George I took the throne in 1714.