The 25 four-part dances in this edition are just about the only pieces by a London wait from this period to have survived in full consort settings, which gives them great importance in the history of English theatre music. Ives probably intended them to be played by two violins, tenor viol or viola, bass viol or bass violin with two theorboes, but other combinations are possible. The theorboes can be omitted or be replaced by a keyboard, and the collection is also suitable for consorts of viols, recorders or cornetts and sackbuts.

“Here one finds a blend of the scholarly and the modern practical needs of the performer and student that many, more famous publishing houses would do well to emulate. This is exemplified by the offer of an alternative version of the tenor part (using treble clef) as a free download. These traits, in combination with the involvement of editors such as Peter Holman, one of this country's most esteemed scholar-performers, put Edition HH at the forefront of the publication of neglected repertoire.” The Consort