Ottawa Summer Class
No Video
The Accordion Player
Pam Stephens, Between the Rivers
A 32 bar reel for 3 couples
1 – 4 All three couples advance and retire.
5 – 8 1st couple dance in towards each other and cast off one place, as 2nd couple step up.
9 – 12 All three couples advance and retire.
13 – 16 1st couple turn 2nd corner with left hands once round, finishing back to back in the center facing the opposite side.
17 – 24 Dance inverting double triangles, 1st couple finishing facing 1st corners.
25 – 32 1st couple dance corners pass and turn with 1st corner; repeat with 2nd comer, finishing in second place on own sides.
Repeat from second place.
Devised by Pam Stephens.
Devisor’s note: Dedicated to Liz Donaldson, great musician and piano player, who impressed us all when she also took up the accordion!
Video: I’ll Gang Nea Mair Tae Yon Toon
I’ll Gang Nea Mair Tae Yon Toon
RSCDS Book 15
40-bar strathspey for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1-8 1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across and left hands back.
9 – 16 1st couple lead down the middle for three steps, lead up to the top of the set and turn with the right hand once round to finish in original places.
17 – 24 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples dance a grand chain.
25 – 28 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples set and, giving right hands, cross over.
29 – 32 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples repeat bars 25-28 back to places.
33 – 36 1st and 2nd couples set twice and, on the second setting, advance to form a diagonal line, 1st woman and 2nd man back to back. 1st and 2nd couples join both hands with partner.
37 – 40 1st and 2nd couples dance a half poussette.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
T Wilson: Analysis of the London Ballroom, 1825.
Original tune: Mr Patrick Duff Junior’s Strathspey (D Grant)
I’ll gang nae mair tae yon town,
O, never a’ my life again;
I’ll ne’er gae back tae yon town
To seek anither wife again.
These are the old words to a tune which appeared in Robert Bremner’s Scots Reels (1757), iin James Oswald’s Caledonian Pocket Companion (1759), and in James Aird’s First Book (circa 1784).
Robert Burns used this widely-known song as the basis for two poems and both were published in James Johnson’s The Scots Musical Museum, Volume 5.
The first, “I’ll Ay Ca’ in by Yon Town”, was written by Burns for his wife, Jean Armour (1767–1834), whom he at long last married in 1788.
In regard to the second, “O Wat Ye Wha’s in Yon Town”, Stenhouse said: “Both of the songs were composed in honour of ‘His Jean’, afterwards Mrs Burns.” This is not entirely true for the second song was written for Jean Lorimer, a friend of Burns for nearly all of his life and whom Burns called “Chloris”. Described by the poet as “one of the finest women in Scotland”, he wrote at least twenty-four songs in her honour. Typical of Burns, he changed the name “Jean”, which occurs several times in the song, to “Lucy” and sent a copy of “O Wat Ye Wha’s in Yon Town” to Lucy Johnstone Oswald, a distinguished amateur composer, a celebrated beauty and Burns’ “imcomparable woman” who was married to Richard Oswald of Auchincruive.
No Video
Blue Moon Rendezvous
32 bar jig for 3 couples
1-4 1st couple set and cast off one place, 2nd couple step up on bars 3 and 4.
5-8 1st couple set and turn three quarters round, giving left hands and end in the center, 1st man facing up, 1st woman facing down. Meanwhile, 2nd and 3rd couples turn once round, giving left hands and end facing out on own sides.
9-16 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance left shoulder reels of three on own sides. 1st man passes left shoulder with 2nd man and 1st woman passes left shoulder with 3rd woman to begin. 1st couple finish the reel by dancing towards each other through 2nd place, pulling back right shoulder to end back to back in the center facing own sides. 2nd and 3rd couples dance long loops at end of reels.
17-22 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six bars of double triangles.
23-24 1st couple, with two pas de basques and staying back to back, dance three quarters round to the right, to end 1st man facing up and 1st woman facing down. 2nd and 3rd couples continue setting.
25–28 1st man with 2nd couple and 1st woman with 3rd couple circle once round to the left (8 slip steps). 1st couple release right hands on 6th step and open out to finish in 2nd place own side. 2nd and 3rd couples retain hands with partners.
29-32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples circle once round to the left.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Music: “Linda Henderson of Alamo, California” ©2007 Andy Imbrie
This dance was devised by Fred DeMarse for Linda Henderson, originally from North Berwick, Scotland and currently of Alamo, California on the occasion of her first Scottish Country Dance workshop teaching engagement in Truckee, California on June 30th, 2007, which coincided with an occurrence of a Blue Moon.
Video: Campbell’s Frolic
Campbell’s Frolic
Book 15 – No. 3
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 2 1st and 2nd couples set.
3 – 6 1st and 2nd couples dance right hands across once round.
7 – 8 1st couple cast off one place and 2nd couple dance up to first place.
9 – 16 1st couple repeat bars 1-8 with 3rd couple, dancing left hands across on bars 11-14.
17 – 24 1st couple set, lead up to the top and cast off one place. 3rd couple step down on bars 19-20.
25 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
David Rutherford: Compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated
Country Dances both old and new …Vol 1, London, c. 1755.
Original tune: Campbell’s Frolic (Rutherford)