Video: The Festival Man
Video: The Festival Man
The Festival Man
RSCDS Book 48
32-bar jig for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1–4 1st couple set and, giving right hands, cross down to second place on opposite sides. 2nd couple step up on bars 3–4.
5–8 1st couple set and, giving left hands, turn three quarters round, to finish 1st woman between 2nd couple and 1st man between 3rd couple, facing opposite sides.
9–12 1st woman and 2nd couple, 1st man and 3rd couple dance a half reel of three across the set. 1st woman and 2nd man, 1st man and 3rd woman pass by the left to begin. On bar 12, 1st couple pass by the left.
13–16 1st man and 2nd couple, 1st woman and 3rd couple dance a half reel of three across the set. 1st man and 2nd woman, 1st woman and 3rd man pass by the left to begin. On bar 16, 1st couple finish in the middle of the set, 1st woman facing up, 1st man facing down.
17–20 2nd, 1st and 3rd women and, at the same time, 2nd, 1st and 3rd men, dance right hands across.
21–24 1st woman dances up and casts to second place and 1st man dances down and casts up to second place. At the same time, 2nd and 3rd men, 2nd and 3rd women set and, giving right hands, change places.
25–32 3rd, 1st and 2nd couples dance set and rotate for three couples.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Devised by Sheila Trafford, Newcastle Branch.
For John Cass who founded the Newcastle Festival of Scottish Country Dancing and has convened it for 30 years.
Video: Blooms of Bon Accord
BLOOMS OF BON ACCORD
THE DEESIDE BOOK OF SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCES, Part 2 by John Drewry
Reel : 4 couples : 32 bars
Tune : “Blooms of Bon Accord” by J. Scott Skinner, The Scottish Violinist, page 32
In this dance 3rd and 4th couples start on wrong sides.
1–8 1st and 2nd couples, joining nearer hands, set on the sides, dance right hands across once round, then 1st couple cast off to second place while 2nd couple dance up to top place. 3rd and 4th couples dance similarly. On bars 7– 8, 4th couple cast up to third place, while 3rd couple dance down to fourth place. (They are still on wrong sides)
9–16 1st couple, giving right hands, cross the dance, cast up on wrong sides behind 2nd couple, then dance in to join hands in promenade hold facing down. 4th couple, similarly, cross the dance, cast off on own sides behind 3rd couple, then dance in to join hands in promenade hold facing up.
13–16 1st and 4th couples dance round one another, the ladies passing right shoulders, so that 1st couple finish in the middle of the men’s side facing up, while 4th couple finish in the middle of the ladies’ side facing down.
17–24 1st couple, dancing together, dance a reel of three on the men’s side with 2nd man and 3rd lady. 1st couple pass 2nd man by the right to begin, and finish in the centre of the dance in third place facing up. 4th couple, similarly, dance a reel of three on the ladies’ side with 3rd man and 2nd lady. 4th couple pass 3rd man by the right to begin, and finish in the centre of the dance in second place facing down.
25–28 Dropping left hands, 1st and 4th couples dance right hands across once round. At the end, 1st and 4th men retain hold of their partners by the right hand and turn towards them, so that 4th couple finish in second place facing up, while 1st couple finish in third place facing down.
29–32 4th couple lead up between 2nd couple, crossing over to own sides, and cast off to second place, while 1st couple lead down between 3rd couple, crossing over to wrong sides, and cast up to third place.
The finishing order is 2, 4, 1, 3 with 1st and 3rd couples on wrong sides.
Repeat with a new top couple.
This dance was devised in 1971 to commemorate the winning by the City of Aberdeen of the “Britain in Bloom” Competition for the third successive year. Since then Aberdeen has won the competition several more times, and has even been barred from entry some years to give other cities a chance.