Danceries. Wind band - Kenneth Hesketh

The term Danceries can be found in a copy of Playford's Dancing Master which is an extensive collection of folk and popular tunes of the 17th Century (and no doubt earlier). The melodies themselves are a mixture of new and old(although where the old occurs, it has been adapted in mood and composition and is often interspersed with completely new material). The harmonies and rhythms bring a breath of the new into these themes and add to the drama of theset.