This week we will continue to focus on dances from the Ardbrae Ball. The list of dances looks ambitious but we will not be repeating the dances taught in the first half after the break.
COLLICHUR
Book 30 No. 1
(Jig)
MUSIC DESCRIPTION
Bars
1 – 8 1st couple set and cast off one place then dance down between 3rd couple and cast up to 2nd place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.
9 – 16 2nd and 1st couples right and left.
17 – 24 1st man dances a reel of three with 3rd couple while 1st woman dances a reel of three with 2nd couple. (Fig.)
25 – 32 1st couple dance between 2nd and 3rd women, man casts up and woman casts down; they meet in the middle, dance between 2nd and 3rd men and cast as before to finish in 2nd place on own sides of the dance.
Repeat having passed a couple.
Source: Alexander Bowman, MS
Laing Collection
Tune: Lochleven Side
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TACNotes:’
31-33 1st cpl finish repetition as for their first turn but in 3rd place, then step down.
THE DUNDEE WHALER
The Ormskirk Scottish Dances by Roy Clowes
Strathspey. Four Couple Longways Set
Music Description
Bars
1 – 8 Second and fourth couples dance petronella, finishing in partner’s place.
9 – 16 First and second couples; third and fourth couples dance ladies’ chain.
17 – 24 First and third couples dance petronella, finishing in partner’s place.
25 – 26 First lady changes place with second man, giving left hands.
27 – 28 First lady changes place with third lady and first man changes place with second lady, giving right hands.
29 – 30 First lady changes place with fourth man, and first man changes place with third man, giving left hands.
31 – 32 First man changes places with fourth lady, giving right hands.
Repeat from new places.
Tune: Timor the Tartar (Kerr’s Collection)
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Pasted into the Memorial Edition of The Ormskirk Scottish Dances, is the following note by Bob Donald who was responsible for collating, printing and distributing the book after Roy Clowes’ death and who had detailed knowledge of the devisor’s intentions :
“1. The Dundee Whaler
Bars 17-24: The question posed here is whether in this sequence of changes across the dance, the
dancers would slip into place or turn with a polite turn. The answer is quite unequivocal,
the dancers SLIP into place.
The reason is that in this figure, Roy is representing the tacking to and from of the ship and
therefore the line followed by the leading dancers to the foot of the set has sharp changes of
direction just as the ship would have.”
The Reel of the 51st Division
Book 13 – No. 10
32-bar reel for three couples in a four-couple longwise set
Bars Description
1 – 8 1st couple set to each other and cast off two places, meet below 3rd couple and lead up the middle to face first corners. 2nd couple step up on bars 3-4.
9 – 12 1st couple set to and turn first corners with the right hand, finishing in a diagonal line by joining left hands with partner.
13 – 14 1st couple and first corners balance in line.
15 – 16 1st couple, releasing right hands with corners, turn each other one and a quarter times to face second corners.
17 – 22 1st couple repeat bars 9-14 with second corners.
23 – 24 1st couple cross to second place on own sides.
25 – 32 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance six hands round and back.
Repeat, having passed a couple.
Devised by Jimmy Atkinson, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and Peter Oliver, Seaforth Highlanders (London Scottish), with advice from Tom Harris-Hunter, Royal Army Service Corps while all were interned in the Prisoner of War camp at Laufen in Germany.
Original tune: The Drunken Piper or Highland Rory
Alex. McLeod, c. 1880
The original instructions in the form of notes, written by Tom Harris-Hunter on a scruffy piece of paper when he was a prisoner of war, clearly show that the dance was intended for a five couple set as it is still danced in Perthshire.
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TACNotes:’
1-8 Set (no stealing) bars 1-2, cast bars 3-5, dance in to meet on bar 6, lead up on bar 7 to face corners on bar 8.
THE PIPER AND THE PENGUIN
The Scotia Suite of Scottish Country Dances devised by Roy Goldring
(Reel for Four Couples in a Square Set)
Bars Description
1 – 4 The women dance round their corners, passing in front of them to begin.
5 – 8 The women dance right hands across and remain in the centre.
9 – 12 The women dance round their partners, passing in front of them to begin.
13 – 16 The women dance left hands across and finish in original places.
17 – 32 The men repeat bars 1–16, but dance in front of partners before dancing right hands across, and in front of their corners before dancing left hands across.
33 – 36 1st and 3rd couples, giving right hands, turn partners one and a quarter times.
37 – 40 1st man, followed by his partner, dances between 4th couple and cast back to place. Similarly, 3rd couple dance between 2nd couple and cast back to place.
41 – 48 1st and 3rd couple dance rights and lefts.
49 – 64 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 33–48, 2nd couple dancing between 1st couple and 4th couple dancing between 3rd couple.
65 – 72 The women dance in and pull back right shoulders (2 bars), dance out (2 bars), and cast clockwise half way round the set to opposite woman’s place.
73 – 80 The men repeat bars 65–72, but pull back left shoulders at the end of bar 74, and cast anticlockwise.
81 – 84 All turn partners with the right hand, just over once round, to finish in promenade hold facing anticlockwise.
85 – 88 All promenade halfway round the set. On bar 87, all release right hands and the men lead their partners to original places ready for the bow and curtsey.