Jenny Pluck Pears jig

Adapted from the notation of the tune in John Playford’s "English Dancing Master", published in London, 1651.

Note the change of metre from 6/8 to 3/4 in the "B" part.

.. Here’s a rendering of the tune by the Jig Mad Wolf Ceilidh Band, playing at the Chipping Sodbury Festival, South Glos, England:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAuN1aM8CV4

play video

Most of the dancers nearest to the band are visitors from France. Considering that they’d probably never done that dance before, and also had to cope with instructions given in English, I reckon that they did pretty well … :-)

just played this at a ceilidh tonight on Swedish Bagpipes.. fit’s rather well.. nice dance too.. quite old apparently and rather courtly.. I think it’s Playford originally..?

Glad you found a use for the tune, paul flute.

Yes indeed, first published by Thomas Playford in 1651, as I said in my initial post …

So presumably the tune is older than the above date !

I’ve captured the bare-bones ABC of Leveret’s version of Jenny Pluck Pears. As requested by Mark from the Bristol session.

Notes from the Leveret sleeve: "Andy [Cutting] first heard Jenny Pluck Pears played by Ian Dedic in a session at the Swan in Denham village, but there’s also a version of it in Playford’s English Dancing Master…"

X: 1
T: Jenny Plucks Pears
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Em
|: E2B B2A | B3/2c/2B A3/2G/2F | G2G A3/2B/2G | F2E E2D :|
|: F3/2G/2F D2E | E3/2F/2E B,2F | G2G A3/2B/2G | F2E E2D :|
| E2E F3/2G/2A | G3/2F/2E D2B, | E2E F3/2G/2A | G3/2F/2E D2B, |
| B2B A2F | G3/2F/2E D2B, | ^C3/2D/2E D3/2^C/2D | E2E E3 |

For future clarity, the Leveret CD I mentioned is called "New Anything".

Nicely paired, beautifully rendered set by The Shivelight Duo, Sam Doolin and Harriet Power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9LIEYT9LzA

play video

For the sake of completeness, this is how I transcribed the bare bones of the intro and the outro to the Leveret setting on New Anything.
X:1
T:Jenny Pluck Pears
R: jig
M:3/2
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
K:Eaeo
E2|"free tempo]""e"B2A2G3"d"AF2E2|"c"B2{B} A2G3"b"AF2E2|\
"e"B3AG3 FE2|"b"D3"a"^C"d"D2"e"E6|
"Em"B2A2G2"Bm7"A2F2E2|"Em"B2{B} A2G2"Bm7"A2F2E2|\
"Em"B2A2G3\ FE2|"_slower""D"D3"a"^CD2"Em"E6!fine!|]

Ignore my chords.I forgot to take them out. You don’t need them