Sunday 22 March 2015
Tune of the Day: Stingo
Traditional English country dance tune
This English country dance tune appears under the title of “Stingo, or the Oyle of Barley” in the first edition of John Playford’s The Dancing Master, published in 1651. It carried that title through all editions until 1690, when the name was changed to “Cold and Raw”, after Thoms D'Urfey's song “Cold and Raw, the North did blow”. ‘Stingo’ is evidently a brewed alcoholic beverage, as ‘Oil of barley’ is a euphemism for strong beer.