In this lively romp through seven centuries of English dance music, John Kirkpatrick shares the passion that has led him to become one of the foremost champions and interpreters of our native traditions.  Driven always by his love of dancing, John has constantly been striving to inject the maximum amount of energy and life into these lovely simple old tunes.  In fact, as any dance musician will tell you, the simpler the tune is, the more opportunity you are allowed to add your own kind of zest into its performance.
 
Here John presents 101 examples that are tailor-made for the strong rhythmic approach inspired by English dance steps and rhythms. With melody, chords and variations, the book is ideally suited for any instrument, but one of the prime factors in the selection of the tunes has been the fact that they sit so happily on the push-pull squeeze-box scale. Although the melodeon came along long after the style and substance of this music was well established, it's breathtaking how perfectly the one can match the other. 
 
On the two accompanying C.D.s - Orlando's Return (DMPCD0301) and Garrick's Delight (DMPCD0302) - you can hear John playing every one of these tunes on his various squeeze-boxes, joined on many of them by his son Benji on guitar or bouzouki. You can follow the dots and play along  at your leisure. With over forty years' playing experience behind him, you couldn't be in safer hands. This collection is an absolute must not only for melodeon players, but for anybody who likes their music with an uncompromising English accent.
 
Contents
 
Alexandra
Alf Gray's Jig
Battle of Prague, The
Big Ship, The
Black Joak, The
Bobby Shafto
Bonnets So Blue
Brickmakers, The
Brunswick
Captain Macintosh
Charming Maid, The
Colosseum, The
Contented Farmer, The
Croaking Cardinal, The
Dam It
Dandy Dancer, The
Dannish Waltz, The
Dennis Crowther's No. 3
Derby Hunt, The
Double Change Sides
Down the Sides and Up the Middle
Dr. Fausters’ Tumblers
Dutch Pins
Evesham Stick Dance, The
Fairy Prince, The
First of September, The
Flaxley Green Dance, The
Garrick's Delight
General Hill's Favourite
Goathland Square Eight, The
Good Old Way, The
Gypsies' Round, The
Haphazard
Hasty Money
Hexham Races
Holborn March
Hunt the Hare
Hunt the Squirrel (Polka)
Hunt the Squirrel (Hornpipe)
Hunting the Squirrel (Jig)
Hyde Park
Irish Washerwoman, The
Jack's Alive
Jingling Geordie, The
John of Paris
John of the Greeny Cheshire Way
John Peel
King Edward The Second's Jig
Kirkgate Hornpipe, The
Lass of Dallogill, The
Leap Over The Garter
Lilliburlero
Long Odds
Merry Wakefield
Milesian, The
Militia, The
Miss Gayton's Hornpipe
Mr. Cosgill's Delight
New White Hart Hornpipe, The
Nymph, The
Orlando's Return
Oscar Woods’ Jig
Penny on the Water
Philibelula All The Way
Physical Snob, The
Polly Put The Kettle On
Prince of Wales’ Jig, The
Prince Regent, The
Prince William
Princess Caroline's Waltz
Radstock Jig, The
Red Joak, The
Red Lion Hornpipe, The
Regent's Hornpipe, The
Rufty Tufty
Runaway, The
Russian Cavalry
Sailor's Delight, The
Shepton Hornpipe, The
Sheringham Breakdown, The
Shrewsbury Waltz, The
Sick And Very Bad
Soldier's Wedding, The
Squirrel, The
Sussex Bonny Breast Knot, The
Tank, The
Tempest, The
Thorpe Malsor Trumpet Tune
Tink A Tink
Touch the Thing
Touchstone, The
Trip to the Cottage
True Joak, The
Washington Hornpipe, The
We Will Down with the French
Welch Hornpipe, The
White Joak, The
Whitehaven Volunteers, The
Wilson's Favourite
Wiltshire Six-Hand Reel, The
Yellow Joak, The