"Hole in the wall" from John Playford's Dancing Master, performed by Doves Figary

[@annefitzgerald3571]

I fell in love with this tune when I was 18 and learning the dance. Now I am 84 and cannot dance but I still love Hole in the Wall.

[@LaurenceGray-et7sb]

I learned this tune approximately forty years ago when I was playing soprano recorder with a recorder group that was part of a local SCA chapter in Norfolk, Virginia. Occasionally we would play this tune for the dances. I knew it as "Hole In The Wall" and did not know that it was attributed to Henry Purcell who is one of my favorite de-composers from Great Britain. I know about Purcell and his music because I was raised in a musically literate home with two parents who both listened to and enjoyed a wide and eclectic variety of music. My mother was a music teacher and she taught me how to play the piano and read music when I was a child.

[@jbarlow3800]

I don’t know what I love the most, the song, the musicians, the arrangement, the recording, or the name Doves Figary.

[@DovesFigary]

Delighted you like it :-)

[@annhinchliffe8314]

If that is Jeremy Barlow who published the complete Playford, then this is a splendid compliment. If not the same J Barlow: thank you anyway!

[@PhillipYewTree]

Great interpretation. Loved the bass. A joy to dance too

[@dlou3264]

This is wonderful. Beautifully done! Life at it's most beautiful, most comforting, sweetest, best. Wow.

[@Charlie-fx9dp]

Really very pretty version... From France.

[@jsivonenVR]

Awesome song, heartwarming performance ❤

[@accordiona]

Wonderful performance and trio!! 👏👏👏👏👏

[@davehibbert6328]

A beautiful piece, well played and a joy to listen to

[@brendamalloy6259]

lovely sound, well done!

[@alfonsoprincipe4773]

Vero very good

[@crisscross6003]

Fine playing!

[@marydodge5699]

Lovely.

[@akimbogeo]

It is said that the dance that accompanies this tune was young George Washington’s favorite. It includes a segment where a male leans close in to each of the female dancers present.

[@annhinchliffe8314]

george herquet, can you point me towards any evidence for this interesting comment? The dance was published by Playford in 1698 (3 years after Purcell's music was first performed, so probably Purcell's original composition which Playford borrowed). It could still have been danced when Washington was a young man in the 1750s and 1760s -- he was known for his elegant and lively dancing -- and I'd love to know of any specific reference to this dance. With ref to the 'leaning' segment you mention: that's not in the original Playford instructions (see on-line facsimiles) but again you may have evidence of a different version. If it's a version seen on TV or film, then it won't be a surprise that the choreographer, as frequently happens, invented this move!

[@frida8090]

grazie

[@puppychow1858]

Help with sheet music for violin!

[@MichaelLevine-n6y]

I would like to play this tune on a D penny whistle, which does not have the needed D#. Any suggestions what might be substituted?

[@silwen9412]

Кросивое ^__^

[@larsstrik]

is this an original setting

[@JacarandaMusic]

Sorry to only notice these comments so long after they were made! - don't seem to get notifications of them. Stephen the guitarist here; I made the arrangement so am very happy its appreciated :-)

[@soslothful]

Seems to me it might be better to repair the hole rather than sit about playing music. What if there's a draft and some gets a cold and dies? They'd feel pretty bad then I bet.

[@thomaskurth8335]

1698

[@1alvar]

this tune belongs to HENRY PURCELL, I PLAY IT ON THE HARPSICHORD,

[@BBKoVI]

+1alvar Purcell arranged it, the tune was originally published by Playford.

[@paulcaswell2813]

There'll forever be arguments. Remember that Playford was Purcell's publisher. There's a very grey area as to whose was whose...

[@annhinchliffe8314]

My money is on Purcell as composer; his version (stage music for Aphra Behn's play Abdelazar) was performed in 1695, published in Playford's "Dancing Master" 1698. Playford wasn't really a composer and got most of the Dancing Master tunes from ballads and stage plays. That was quite acceptable in those days. Playford was good friends with lots of famous composers (plus Sam Pepys), and Purcell wrote an elegy to John P after JP died -- so Purcell evidently wasn't offended.