Will Kemp's Jig

Will Kemp's Jig

Will Kemp's Jig is the amazing story of a man who once danced all the way from London to Norwich (it is about 80 miles (132 km) and it took him nine days) and of how, in one town, a young lady came out and danced a mile with him to keep him company. That was in 1580, and he made a bet, that he could do this in less than 10 days. As you know, he won the bet and then wrote the tale as "The Nine Daie's wonder".

Will Kemp was bet a hundred pounds that he couldn't jig a hundred miles. As the story goes, he won the bet and the tune "Kemp's Jig" was written to celebrate the event. Kemp's Jig is a well known piece from the renaissance originally written for lute.
Will Kemp was known to be purveyor of "mad jests and merry jigs" and was a famous Elizabethan actor and a shareholder with Shakespeare in the Company of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It is probable that many of the Bard's comic roles were written with Kemp in mind.

Simple Melody



First page of simple guitar score



More including an account of the journey:

http://www.amaranthpublishing.com/Kemp.htm