John Kirkpatrick's English Choice brings together 101 tunes spanning seven centuries of English dance music, personally selected by John Kirkpatrick, one of the foremost champions and interpreters of the English traditional music repertoire.

Drawing on more than forty years of playing experience, John presents a collection shaped by his lifelong love of traditional dance and the strong rhythms that bring English dance music to life. The tunes have been chosen particularly for their rhythmic character, offering plenty of opportunity for musicians to add energy, expression and their own individual style to the music.

Each of the 101 tunes is presented with melody, chords and variations, making the collection suitable for a wide variety of instruments. Particular consideration has been given to tunes that sit naturally on the push-pull scale of the melodeon and other squeeze-boxes, making this an especially valuable collection for melodeon players.

Although the melodeon arrived much later than many of the musical traditions represented here, its distinctive character is remarkably well suited to the rhythms and phrasing of English dance music. The collection therefore combines centuries-old repertoire with John's extensive practical experience of playing this music for dancing.

Two companion CDs are available separately: Orlando's Return and Garrick's Delight. Across the two recordings, John plays every tune featured in the book on his various squeeze-boxes, joined on many tracks by his son Benji Kirkpatrick on guitar or bouzouki. The recordings provide an excellent opportunity to hear the tunes as played by John and to follow the music or play along.

Key Features:

• 101 English traditional dance tunes
• Repertoire spanning seven centuries of English dance music
• Selected and presented by John Kirkpatrick
• Includes melody, chords and variations
• Particularly well suited to melodeon and other squeeze-boxes
• Suitable for a wide variety of melody instruments
• Strong emphasis on traditional English dance rhythms
• Ideal for playing, sessions, performance and repertoire building
• Two companion CDs available separately
• Orlando's Return and Garrick's Delight together feature all 101 tunes from the book
• CDs feature John Kirkpatrick on various squeeze-boxes
• Benji Kirkpatrick joins him on guitar or bouzouki on many tracks
• Includes a FREE Hamcor Publishing Treble Clef Key Signature Bookmark

For players interested in the distinctive sound and rhythm of English traditional music, John Kirkpatrick's English Choice provides an extensive and characterful collection of 101 tunes, combining centuries of dance repertoire with the experience and enthusiasm of one of its best-known modern interpreters.

The 101 tunes are:

*** EXCLUSIVE FREE BOOKMARK OFFER ***

Every John Kirkpatrick's English Choice music book includes a FREE Hamcor Publishing Treble Clef Key Signature Bookmark a practical reference tool to help with reading and learning key signatures.

• Premium 350gsm silk card, laminated and printed on both sides
• 210mm 55mm
• All major key signatures with their relative minor keys
• Staff note names for lines and spaces
• Ideal for flautists, students and teachers
• A useful companion for lessons, practice and exam preparation