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The Silver Lake, Tune from Thomas Hampton's Manuscript

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Source: Thomas Hampton's manuscript
Performer: Hampton, Thomas
Place Collected: Hereford
Date collected: c1870-1880

Thomas Hampton was born at Blaisdon in Gloucestershire (baptised March 1844), and probably worked on the canals for a while. By 1870 he was living in Hereford, being married there that year. He died in 1896, still resident at Bath St. Hereford. He left a manuscript containing tunes, which is now in the possession of his great-great granddaughter, Becky Dellow, who is researching both TH and the tunes. Although the manuscript was compiled in Hereford, Becky believes some of the tunes were remembered from TH’s childhood in Gloucestershire.

The Silver Lake was used for the Varsoviana (from Varsovia, the Latin name of Warsaw), a dance in 3/4 time combining elements of the mazurka, waltz and polka, which became widely popular about 1850. Becky Dellow has identified T. Westrop’s 120 Country Dance Tunes as Hampton’s source for the tune.
In the linked abc file this is tune number X:22