George Butterworth

A Collection of Playford Tunes CM142

These 62 tunes come from the whole range of Playford publications of the ‘Dancing Master’.

Some are transposed, some are altered very slightly, and his version of the ‘Tithe Pig’ is quite a mystery! These are single line pieces suitable for any melody instrument, but particularly the violin. (19 pages of music)

£6.00

download a specimen page here

George Butterworth

19 Playford Dances for Piano CM105

£5.00

Butterworth’s original manuscripts are available to see here. (When you get on the site, click on Volume 3 Folk Dances)

They feature ‘corrections’ and I thought at first that they were Butterworth’s own revisions. There is the occasional direction to ‘thicken’ and some examples of ‘thickening’ (horrible word!), none of which I felt added to these delightful arrangements: quite the contrary. I have come to believe, however, that these are Cecil Sharp’s revisions, and I have stripped them out of my edition. It is curious that Cecil Sharp published his own versions, in Butterworth’s lifetime, I believe: several of these owe rather a lot to Butterworth’s, using exactly the same transpositions.

Here is a link to Cecil Sharp’s versions, so you can judge for yourselves! And do let me know what you think!

George Butterworth

19 Playford Dances for Violin and Piano CM105A

arranged by Tony Urbainczyk

I have tried to retain Butterworth’s articulations throughout this set, but have provided them with bowing signs to make them suitable for the violin. Keys have remained the same apart from the first dance.

click here to download a preview of part of the first dance

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sheet music by George Butterworth

Playford collections by George Butterworth