Thursday 2 January 2014
Tune of the Day: Kendal House
Traditional English dance tune
This melody first appeared in John Johnson's Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 6, published in London in 1751. Kendal House, Isleworth, Middlesex, was the residence of the rather notorious Ermengarde de Schulenburg, Dutchess of Kendal, and mistress of King George I. Upon her death in 1743, Kendal House became a public park or place of amusement, where one could fish on the grounds, stroll among tree-lined rural paths and formal gardens, and enjoy entertainment in the house itself, which boasted a well-lit long room of some sixty feet for dancing.