Farewell to Benbecula
32 bar Strathspey for 3 couples 3 x 32
1–2 1st & 2nd couples set with nearer hands joined
3–4 1st & 2nd couples half turn partner 2H & finish in the centre with the 1st couple facing down & the 2nd couple facing up.
5–6 1st & 2nd couples, nearer hands joined, set advancing, passing the other couple by the left.
7–8 1st & 2nd couples half turn partner 2H & finish on the sides with the 1st couple in 2nd place facing out.
9–14 2nd, 1st & 3rd couples dance a right shoulder reel of three on the sides of the set. 1W & 3W also 1M & 2M pass right to begin. 1St couple again face out in 2nd place on #14.
15–16 1W & 2W change places LH while 1M & 2M change places RH.
17–20 1st couple petronella turn to the right finishing in the centre of the dance & set.
21–24 1st couple turn partner RH x1&1/4 to own sides & face in.
25–32 1st, 2nd & 3rd couples dance a Slip Knot for 3 couples
Bars:
25-26 1st, 2nd and 3rd couples, giving right hands, turn partners half‐way round to finish in the middle facing down, each woman turning to the right under her partner’s arm into allemande hold.
27-29 3rd couple, followed by 2nd and 1st couples, curve round and dance up the women’s side, releasing right hands at the end of bar 5.
30 The men, continuing to dance up the women’s side, begin to turn as they pass their partners across in front of them. The women take a long step towards the middle.
31-32 1st couple, in third place, turn with the left hand to own sides. At the same time 3rd and 2nd couples dance left hands across halfway round to finish on own sides in the order 2, 3, 1.
Deirdre MacCuish Bark: January 2014.
For Theresa Malek to celebrate a special birthday:
Theresa’s ancestors were cleared from Benbecula in the 1840s & compelled to emigrate to North America.
Recommended Music: Farewell to Benbecula by Marian Anderson (Ask Deirdre)
The tunes played by Marian are “Farewell to Benbecula”, “Calum’s Road”
And the third is a Muriel Johnston tune “The Inman’s of Allanton” or Ribble Valley CD: David Queen’s Strathspey.
The Montgomeries’ Rant
RSCDS Book 10 – No. 1
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
1 – 8 1st couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place on opposite sides. 1st couple, giving left hands, cross over and 1st woman casts up one place while 1st man casts off one place. 1st woman finishes between 2nd couple facing 2nd man with 1st man between 3rd couple facing 3rd woman. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.
9 – 16 1st woman with 2nd couple and 1st man with 3rd couple dance reels of three across the set. 1st woman and 2nd man and 1st man and 3rd woman pass by the right to begin. On bar 16, 1st couple, with nearer hands joined, face 2nd woman.
17 – 24 1st couple set to 2nd woman. 1st couple turn towards each other and change hands to face 3rd man and set. 1st couple move round to face 3rd woman and set. 1st couple turn towards each other and change hands to face 2nd man and set. 1st couple finish facing second corners.
25 – 30 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance reels of three on the sides. 1st couple pass second corners by the right to begin.
31 – 32 1st couple, giving right hands, cross to second place on own sides.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
The Register of Dances at Castle Menzies, 1749.
Original tune: Lord Eglintoune (John Riddell, c. 1766) but usually danced to Lady Montgomerie (Lord Eglintoune, 1796).
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TACNotes:’
17-24 1st woman is on her partner’s left to begin &, on bar 24, turns L about, with assistance from her partner, to face her second corner.