John Playford was a music publisher whose family dominated music publication in England for years. He was a clerk at Temple Church and worked out of a shop which he maintained there. Though his original publications were loyalist tracts for the restoration of the King, Playford's most important publications and collections all dealt with music. In his work Playford compiled a number of books on musical theory and comprised a number of lesson books as well. He had a penchant for older English songs and folk music as well as an eye for formulating instrumental collections. The body of his publishing endeavors included composers such as Purcell, Locke, William Lawes, Henry Lawes, and Simpson. A variety of works were published by Playford, the most important being "The English Dancing Master: Or, Plain and Easy Rules for the Dancing of Country Dances, with the Tune to Each Dance." Other publications included "The Whole Book of Psalms," "A Musical Banquet," "Musick's Recreation," "Catch that Catch Can," "Court Ayres," "A Briefe Introduction to the Skill of Musick," and "Apollo's Banquet for the Treble Violin." ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi