Video: Huntly Castle

Huntly Castle
Strathspey – 3 couples – 32 bars,
John Drewery, The Canadian Book of Scottish Country Dances

Huntly Castle, now a ruin, was formerly the seat of the Earls, lator the Marquises of Huntly – the chiefs of Clan Gordon.

Tune – “My Only Jo and Dearie O’ Gow’s Repository , 3rd Part, Pace 12, This is the tune to which Bum!s song “I goed a waeful gait yestreen” is usually set,

Bars

1 – 6 1st and 2nd couples set on the sides, then circle to the left once round to finish with 1st couple in top place,with nearer hands still joined, facing down. and 2nd couple in second place facing up.

7 – 8 1st and 2nd couples set,

9 – 16 1st and 2nd couples dance a Rondel to change places, 1st couple finish in second place facing out.

17 – 24 Reels of three on the sides.

To begin: – 1st couple dance out and down;
3rd couple, joining nearer hands, dance in and up;
2nd couple, joining nearer hands, dance in and down. |

All join inside hands with partners where possible in the reels.

At the end: – 2nd couple dance in to join nearer hands facing down;
1st couple dance to second place on own sides;
3rd couple dance in to join nearer hands facing up.

25 – 26 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples set,

27 – 30 Six hands round to the left. On Bar 30, all dance into the centre, pulling right shoulders back to face out.

31 – 32 All spiral out clockwise (in a chase) to own sides,

Repeat, having passed a couple,

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Video: The Wild Geese

The Wild Geese
Book 24 – No. 3
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set

1 – 4 1st and 3rd couples set advancing to join nearer hands in a line up and down the set, men with partners on their right. 1st and 3rd couples set. (Fig.)

5 – 8 1st couple, retaining right hands, turn three quarters and cast off to third place on own sides and, at the same time, 3rd couple turn with the right hand and lead up to first place.

9 – 16 3rd and 1st couples repeat bars 1-8 but in bars 15-16, 3rd couple cast off and 1st couple lead up to places.

17 – 24 1st couple lead down the middle and up to second place on own sides. 2nd couple step up on bars 19-20.

25 – 32 2nd and 1st couples dance rights and lefts.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Collected by Miss Jenny MacLachlan.
Original tune: Mrs MacPherson of Cluny (Joseph Lowe)

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Video: Ferla Mor

FERLA MOR
or THE BIG GREY MAN
THE DEESIDE BOOK OF SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES, Part 1, by JOHN DREWRY

The Ferla Mor (a corruption of the Gaelic “Am Fear Liath Mor”) or the Big Grey Man, is reputed to haunt the upper part of Ben Macdhui. Travellers usually encounter him when alone and in misty conditions – they become aware of his presence by a feeling that someone is following them.

In this dance, the first man becomes the Ferla Mor as he follows his partner during the reels — Bars 9 – 24.

Reel : 3 couples : 32 bars

Tune : “Lochiel House” by Angus Fitchet The Angus Fitchet S.D. Collection page 2 (Mozart Allan)

1 – 8 1st couple set to one another , then turn by the right hand half-way round moving down to face one another across the centre of the dance in second place; they set again then turn by the right hand once round to finish with 1st lady facing her first corner, and with 1st man immediately behind her facing in the same direction. (2nd couple step up on Bars 3 – 4)

9 – 16 1st couple dance a reel of three diagonally across the dance with their first corners. They begin by passing 2nd man by the right, and 1st man follows his partner as closely as convenient.

1st lady, with her partner still behind her, finishes the reel facing her second corner.

17 – 24 1st couple, with 1st man still following his partner, dance a reel of three with their second corners, passing 3rd man by the right.

On the last two steps, as she dances down the centre of the dance, 1st lady pulls her left shoulder back to face her partner and they turn by the left hand to face own first corners.

25 – 28 1st couple turn first corners by the right hand, then pass by the right to face second corners. (The corners dance four steps)

29 – 32 1st couple turn second corners by the right hand, then pass by the right to second place on own sides.

Repeat, having passed a couple.