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John Playford was born in Norwich in 1623 and died in London in 1686. He served an apprenticeship with a publisher for seven years. A bookseller and publisher, Playford is best known for his publication of The English Dancing Master in 1651. Other editions appeared until 1686. This work contains both the music and notations for the performance of English country dances. Although many of the tunes in the book are attributed to him today, he probably did not write any of them. Most were traditional melodies that had existed for years.
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