The musicians and dancers of the Taborers Society rehearse their latest production:
A mummers play re-enactment of the famous Tournament held at Smithfield in June 1467 to cement the marriage of Margaret, sister of Edward IV to Charles the Bold of Burgundy.
All to be accompanied by a choice selection of music for pipe & tabor, medieval trumpets and other assorted instruments of the period.
Margaret of York, born at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire, was about to become La Duchesse of Burgundy and have a moresk of 6 dancers dressed as monkeys and a monkey taborer at her wedding in Bruges in 1468 to Charles the Bold. We play perhaps her original tune from the Gresley Manuscript c. 1480-1520, which may be a moresk tune of the period, it includes “slows” which seem to suggest “lepes”. Inspired by the Gresley Prenes a Gard Rose Moresk choreography, members of Pilgrim Morris dance a modern morris jig in Ducklington style to the La Duchesse tune.
The Smithfield Tournament for La Duchesse Mumming Play Script v1c