Hi readers! Have you heard? There is a new Jane Austen inspired mystery to be released tomorrow – Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball by debut author, Ridgway Kennedy. And I’m especially excited about this book because it combines two of my loves – Jane Austen and music! 

Today Ridgway is stopping by to answer some of my questions and share about how music and dance will feature in his novel, Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball. Friends, please help me in welcoming Ridgway to Austenesque Reviews. 🤗

Hi Ridgway! Thank you so much for visiting Austenesque Reviews. Since you are new to many of us, why don’t we begin with you telling us a little about yourself. When did you first encounter Jane Austen? What was your first impression?

I am confident I am new to all of you. The Austenesque world has been a brand-new revelation to me. I know there were some readers interested in Miss Austen and her work, but I had no idea of the size and passion of the community.

First encounter? First close encounter was listening to Emma on a long road trip from New Jersey to a dance week in Kentucky. But the seeds for this project were planted when Jane, my wife, plotted our itinerary for a trip to England a few years ago and led us to Chawton Cottage. The spirit of Miss Austen grew more vivid. On the same day, we visited Portsmouth (my only ‘must-see’ on the itinerary) and trod the decks of HMS Victory.

That sounds like a memorable day for sure! I understand that tomorrow you are celebrating the release of your first book – Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball – on Jane Austen’s birthday! How fitting!  Congratulations! It sounds ominous and intriguing! Can you tell us a little more about it? What inspired you to write this story?

A little more? A cozy mystery, an exploration of music and dance in words, a bit of landlocked nautical fiction (well, we do go to sea briefly) and – not to be too bold – maybe a touch of literary fiction that imagines the inspirations behind Miss Austen’s last novel.

Inspiration? A full answer would be labeled “Too Much Information.” But maybe, if you want to get to heart of it, you can find it in this little excerpt from the story. Miss Austen and Mr Worth are talking about their fears. Miss Austen is speaking:

“I do not believe that I fear death, for death is part of the nature of things and remains a matter of divine providence. I have faith, and I am confident that the faithful will be rewarded in God’s Kingdom. If I have a fear, it is of disappearing. I am rather proud of my books. I know, pride. A sin. I must repent. And yet, I confess, I am proud of my scribblings. They are my children. I should like for them to have a good life.

“I should like, in death, not to disappear without a trace.”

Oh, Jane, you don’t need to worry about that! 😏 I love that not only is Jane Austen featured as a main character in your story, but that your story will also feature some of your passions – music and dancing! Can you share some of your background with dancing and as a dance leader with us?

I have been involved in folk music since the Great Folk Scare of the 1960s. But it took me until the 1990s to discover the world of traditional dance. I’ve been calling dances, primarily contras, squares and community dances with a dab of English and wee bit o’ Scottish for nearly 30 years. As a result, I’ve been granted the opportunity work with a large number extraordinarily talented dance musicians.

Early on in the writing of Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball, I realized that she was an extraordinarily talented classical musician. What would happen, I thought to myself, if you dropped her into the world of dance musicians? I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to note that she actually becomes an honored member of a dance band.

That sounds very plausible to me. What have you learned about dancing in Jane Austen’s time? How will readers see it featured in Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball?

Thanks to several Regency-era dance experts I spoke with, I learned a fair amount about the music and choreography of the era. I have often heard complaints from such folk about how dancing was depicted in film and television adaptations of Miss Austen’s work. My objective in this book was to capture the living essence—the spirit of dancing—and avoid “a great gnashing of teeth.” So the tune selections, the choreography that is mentioned, the controversy over the waltz, the selection of music and dances by dancers and not the master of ceremonies—I tried to depict all of that accurately in the Regency style as dance experts have interpreted it.

More to the heart of the matter, I believe there is a through line that runs from Mr Playford’s dances in the 17^th Century, through Miss Austen’s era, and right up to the present. My goal the story was to focus on the living spirit of music and dance and avoid “teeth gnashing” distractions.

Miss Austen the Musician:
Jane, a Joyful Noise, and More

The story includes a great deal of interaction between Miss Austen, the dancing master and other musician. Almost all of it—their engagement through music—evolved during the writing. It was not in the book as it was originally.

Through reading Miss Austen’s books, letters, biographies and other material, I had a vague awareness that she played the pianoforte and sang; that she was a parlor musician. When I started writing, I looked a little deeper. The discovery that most significantly caught my attention was the collection of her music books. Digitized and available online, I saw that she was reading and in some cases, copying extremely complex music; high-level classical compositions. It was then I realized: she could really play.

This little epiphany created a whole new layer to the story.

As a dance caller – I’ve been leading contras, squares and other dances for nearly three decades – I have spent hundreds of hours on stage with dance musicians. I’ve gotten to know them, how they communicate, their backgrounds and their foibles. And I can usually spot a classically trained musician in a band. The violinist who plays in two or three positions up the neck vs. a folk fiddler who spends most of his or her time in first position. There’s a difference in bowing, too. A longer stroke, maybe. You feel the difference. And a folk band with an oboe or cello or horn. Those aren’t instruments you learn to play sitting in on Irish sessions or standing around the campfire at the Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax.

My vision of Miss Austen as a technically gifted musician created new opportunities. What happens if you need to play a tune but don’t have the sheet music you have always relied upon? What’s it like to play with another person you don’t know; how do you communicate? What is it like, meeting professional musicians? You’ve not of the same social class but you have this common skill and interest you want to share. Which is more important: social class or artistic/musician class? What happens when you throw a classical, paper-trained musician into a group of dance musicians who work with lead sheets—simple notations for melody and chords—at most?

What’s it like to be part of a band—or more properly for the period—a consort. And how do you come up with a name for your little group?

A later scene where Miss Austen plays with the other musicians who are hired for the ball captures, I think, a real sense of the special aura that surrounds a talented group of musicians playing en ensemble. The music serves as therapy, in a way. And Jane “gets it” – begins to understand this less constrained way of playing.

But it is in the scenes where Miss Austen first plays, and later grows comfortable accompanying Mr Worth, that two things happen. Certainly, there’s the music, and it is special. Beyond that, there is the unspoken communication; a nod, raising an eyebrow, lifting one’s chin; the beginnings of a special type of intimate relationship.

They have one dance together, too. And all the music and dance build up to the presentation of “The Dancing Master’s New tune” near the end of the story. The gift of a tune; that’s just the sort of thing musicians will do.

Mr Worth, the dancing master, during a moment of quiet reflection in the story:

If religion were music, he thought he might be a truly religious man. But, was not music a religion? Where did that which was sacred end and perfect harmony begin?

As the story comes to its end, perhaps the same thing might be said of romance.

~~~

Here is sample of “O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music,” which is a part of the musical accompaniment readers can enjoy with this novel.

If the audio-player doesn’t work, just click this link to sample.~~~Thank you so much for answering my questions, Ridgway! I’m interested in learning more about Jane Austen’s experiences with the dance band and her encounters with the dance master, Mr. Worth. I wish you all the best with your debut release – Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball.  

~ Book Description ~

With her 40th birthday approaching and with three well-received novels in hand, Miss Jane Austen determines that she will host a ball. She has her reasons – quite sensible reasons. With the end of the war, the nation is in economic turmoil and, close to home, her brother’s bank is in distress. She has gained confidence and sees a way to gain her own means and independence.

A dancing master is sent for; a dancing master arrives. There is confusion, music, a literary rescue mission, a murder, a mystery and a puzzle that must be solved; even if the quest flies in the face of propriety. A mousetrap is set; it captures the wrong prey. Honor must be served, even if it involves headlong flight. And a mystery must be unraveled, even if it involves dark secrets.

Music & Dance

One unusual aspect of the story is the degree to which music and dance pervade its telling. The act of playing music together brings people into a special kind of intimate relationship. The story weaves in scenes of dance preparations, making music, teaching dancing and provides an inside look at a ball from the musicians’ and dance leader’s perspective. One scene follows a couple down the set through a longways dance.

A line on the cover promises “a novel with musical accompaniment” as we plan to provide readers with “audio illustrations” – online access to custom tracks that will be recorded to go along with the book. Some e-readers may even be able to click and hear the music. Most of the melodies will be tunes Miss Austen might have heard, danced to and even played. But there is one newly composed melody—The Dancing Master’s New Tune we’ll call it for now—that takes a prominent place in the tale.

~ About Ridgway ~

Ridge Kennedy’s day jobs have included set designer, university professor, newspaper reporter, tech writer, publisher, advertising/PR guy, IT specialist and more. His involvement in folk music began during the Great Folk Scare of the 1960s as a song leader. “I always wanted to grow up to be Pete Seeger,” he says. After discovering the world of traditional American and English Country Dance, he became a dance caller and has been the “dancing master” at hundreds of contra, square, English and other dances around the US. For more information visit www.ridgekennedy.com. Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball is his first novel.

 

~~~

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Today, Ridgway brings with him a lovely paperback of Murder & Miss Austen’s Ball for me to give away to one lucky winner! Woot woot!!! 😃

To enter this giveaway leave a question, comment, or some love for Ridgway below!

• This giveaway is open to US residents.  Thank you, Ridgway!
• This giveaway ends December 22nd.