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BROUN'S REEL (archives)
Editor: Joyce Cochrane
Published by Rosemary Robins
NEWSLETTER No. 101 May 2005
So I'm driving along to school last week, slightly later than usual, though that was fortuitous as it turned out, when Radio Humberside starts to play Scottish Dance music! Our local radio station does not usually include Jimmy Shand in its repertoire, and so it certainly made me sit up and listen. It was of course the start of an interview with George Main, who has featured in all the local media since the AGM.
Unfortunately I wasn't there to see George receive his Scroll of Merit from the branch, recognising all that he's done for Scottish Country Dancing in this area and the sheer length of time he's been running classes, but I understand from those who attended the AGM that George was very moved to have been acknowledged in this way. It really is very satisfying to be so appreciated. Many congratulations, George. I didn't know until the interview that George had originally begun adults and children's classes in Driffield - I wonder if any of my pupils' parents (or grandparents!) were among them?
Next day I was talking to the caretaker in the gym where we occasionally held dances way back then, and he brought up George, who he'd dealt with at these dances. Did I know him? I certainly did! Did you see him on the telly last night? inquired Alan, on Look North? Half of the staff mentioned him to me, it seemed - and then they mentioned the article in the Driffield Times too. So it's official - Wetwang is the centre for Scottish Country Dancing, and it's thanks to George.
It's great to see George recognized. I'd like to give some more praise and recognition to all those other teachers who've kept Scottish Country Dancing alive for us too - to Malcolm in York for the amount I've learnt from him, let alone his own class; to Mike George for all his encouragement and work in the earlier days and for encouraging me to take it seriously and go to St Andrews; to Mike again for all he has done and is still doing for Scottish Dancing in Cottingham; and finally, to all of your teachers for keeping us going. Last of all, if you weren't such a nice appreciative crowd, we might have given up long since - so you all deserve some of the credit.
Joyce Cochrane
Life's full of surprises - not always pleasant ones - but since the nice ones have outweighed the disappointing ones over the last eight weeks or so, I'll share a few with you.
First came the flowers, all totally unexpected. A PHALAENOPSIS (O.K. an orchid - I had to look it up in my RHS book!) from my neighbour who is in his eighties, for power-cleaning his drive and doing a little gardening; a bouquet from George Main for making tea at his classes, and a blue hydrangea plant (and an HMV voucher) from the Branch for printing, collating and stapling Broun 's Reel and keeping the postal customers happy. A big THANK YOU for both; I bought a Lesley Garrett CD.
Then came the birthdays and wedding celebration invitations. Alick bringing a lovely cake to SD class to mark his 85 tth , a friend's 60 th birthday ceilidh, Joyce's 50 th birthday SD and ceilidh celebration, Brenda & Michael's Golden Wedding anniversary dance, and Nancy & Norman's Diamond Wedding anniversary ceilidh. At the time of writing, some of these events have yet to take place, but what a wonderful time we spent with Nancy and Norman at Leven Sports Hall with the White Horse Ceilidh Band. A request for donations in lieu of presents raised £338 for the RNLI. There can be no doubt that SCD keeps the old joints and muscles moving, if somewhat creakily. I'm not sure where Nancy and Norman started their Scottish dancing but I think I can remember them being at George Thomson's adult education classes at St Andrew's School in Kirkella in the early 1970s. Their party also gave us an opportunity to renew friendships with Pat Carter and Audrey & Reg Appleby. Congratulations, Nancy and Norman - not many people achieve Diamond status these days!
Then on to Joyce's birthday celebration at Woodmansey Village Hall, a most enjoyable mix of Scottish and ceilidh dancing to cater for everyone's taste, with excellent music supplied by David Oswald and his band. I didn't do any counting but there must have been around 100 people there and it was good to see a number of dancers from the York area, and further afield, and we all enjoyed watching the children dance! It was good to see Clare and Marjorie (Keech) there too. Sadly I could not stay to the end because of an early start travelling to London on Sunday but I enjoyed the supper, cake and wine before departing, and with half of the programme still to go, no-one has told me what time the revellers left the hall!
Now, how about a surprise for Joyce? If she were to receive all the text for Broun's Reel by the published copy date, she would be truly surprised. Everyone who has teachers as friends knows the pressure under which they work and it amazes me how Joyce manages to come up with Broun's Reel each quarter, and still smiling!
Rosemary Robins, Willerby
An Appreciation of 30th April 2005 .
What a night! What an occasion to recall with great joy when Joyce, our dear Editor of Broun's Reel, reached a magnificent "fun filled Fiftieth"; well done Joyce; you looked so radiant and happy with such a hall full of friends; and then to be 'shot' by a group of photographers and given V.I.P. treatment.
Full marks too for her choice of programme incorporating ceilidh dances and for choosing David Oswa1d's Band from 'north of the border'; David also taught "Riverside Jig" saying that it is the current popular dance of the moment up in Scotland. His band was outstanding and contributed considerably to such a successful evening. We are all aware of the wonderful sound of Scottish Country Dance music and how it just makes us want to "move" to its rhythm.
During several dances we had to 'move on' to one partner after another; this is what I consider to be "innocent flirting" . Well, it was with great joy that it enabled me to hold He1en and Rita (Yorkites) in my arms for a "wee fling". What a way to think I'm retaining my youth .... The general atmosphere was simply one of happy people joining Joyce on reaching this milestone of an evening - and with Thanks to all for contributing to the "Faith Supper of a Lifetime!" Then we reached the magic moment when we raised our charged glasses to our popular V.I.P. of the night: Joyce!
Mention must be made of Michae1 George and also Ma1co1m Brown who performed their considerable talents as Masters of Ceremony to perfection matching the quality of music from the Band, and most of the dancers on the floor; alas, I slipped up a couple of times 'getting lost' but happiness was the keynote of the evening and any dancing errors were soon forgotten.
Then we had a surprise "turn": A1istair Brown marching in clutching his bagpipes and ready to play three tunes all of which required break-neck fingering of his pipe to produce a truly magnificent "Skirl 0' the pipes" with emotional spirit fit for this momentous occasion.
Finally, Auld Land Syne was sung with so much spirit that I felt that Rabbie hisse1f was wi' us. Thank You and Well Done Joyce; you kept some 'octowhatsits' feeling so much younger, so do keep up your favourite "movement to music", keep meeting so many nice people and may you long carry on this great Scottish Country Dancing heritage.
Joyce, Lang may yer 1um reek.
Alick McTurk, Willerby
Congratulations on the one hundredth edition of Broun' s Reel. As I said on a previous occasion at an AGM, our Branch is rather widespread and our quarterly information paper keeps us in touch and informed.
I often look back on my collection from issue no 1 and smile at what the branch and its members have done and achieved. There is joy and sadness when one reads of our members and their families.
I must admit Broun's Reel upset me once - Sid and I had been teaching Mairi's Wedding for many years at the Thistle Club, Famagusta and had laboured what we thought was the correct way of passing your partner in the half reels, to the extent that we even had what was then the correct interpretation broadcast on British Forces Radio (for a person who was returning to UK to live near St. Andrews). You can imagine our surprise and dismay to discover, when the branch was formed, that we had been performing the reels incorrectly - the correct way being published in our magazine. However for old times' sakes we occasionally dance the reels incorrectly, hoping to get away with it.
Thank everyone for the work they do in the production of Broun's Reel.
Barbara Douglas, Pickering Class
many thanks!
Thank you to so many people for your help on April 30th. First of all, thank you to Ann and Brenda for looking after the kitchen, and to Mike and Malcolm for MCing the programme. Ann and Clare - the cake you organized was absolutely splendid, and Alistair's piping was a wonderful surprise: I don't know whether he knew that the last in his set, The Clumsy Lover, is a particular favourite! Thank you to the band for playing so brilliantly, and to all of you for coming (especially those who came from a distance) and for making my non-SCD friends so welcome. Finally thank you to all those who couldn't read the instruction "no Presents Please" and gave me such a variety of lovely presents, and to the combined Hull area groups for their great generosity. You all gave me a wonderful night which I shan't forget.
Joyce Cochrane
NEWSLETTER No. 102 September 2005
| Editorial | St.Andrews 2005 | AGM 2005 |
What for you makes a really good dance? Various factors can influence this, and we all weight them differently. It could be because the dance is easy, and so everyone can dance it anywhere, and everyone can enjoy it. It may have something just a little different about it, which makes it stand out, or it may combine figures known from just a couple of other dances in a new or different way. It may be completely different from anything else, so that even though it may seem difficult, we remember it and it becomes a favourite. Sometimes the tune is so wonderful that it lifts even a fairly mediocre dance; or perhaps the tune and the dance are perfectly "married". Or is there something you associate with the dance that gives you a good feeling?
At St Andrews this summer I came across a dance that went straight to Number 1 in my personal Top Ten Strathspeys. It would have been a very good dance in any circumstances, I thought, but it has the most wonderful tune (in a minor key) and this was played quite stunningly for my class by Mo Rutherford. The dance is The Dream Catcher, by Eileen Orr, and contains a new figure called the swirl, devised by Alex Gray, which is delightful to dance and (if the dancers watch their phrasing and each other!) to watch too. It has a very pleasing symmetry, with Part 3 echoing Part 1, and beginning and ending with a circle. Part 2, the filling in the sandwich is also symmetrical. And it all flows beautifully!
Many of you will know that Clare and John went to Canada last October. They'd been struck by Native American crafts, and for Christmas they gave me a beautiful, dainty pair of earrings in the form of dreamcatchers which Clare had bought there. I'd taken these with me to St. Andrews, and it just so happened that I was wearing these earrings on the day that we learned the dance. This was by chance and not design: unlike the rest of you who went to St. Andrews, I'm sure, I'd not even opened my copy of Book 45. The Dream Catcher is not a dance that Clare ever did, but it is now permanently associated with her for me. So there you are - symmetry, a new figure, flow, a wonderful tune "married" to the dance, something different but not too difficult, and a fond association.
If you have particular favourites, or a dance which is very special to you for whatever reason, do write and tell us.
To you all, welcome back to a new season of dancing, and I hope that you enjoy The Dream Catcher, the other dances from Book 45 and all your dancing this season.
Joyce Cochrane
I started my journey on a breezy but sunny Sunday morning, a lovely day for a drive up to St Andrews. The roads were clear and I made good time avoiding all the speed cameras on the A1. Booking in on arrival was the same as usual, finding out which room had been allocated to whom. My room was next to Heather Fish - always good to have a friendly face close by.
I was determined to arrive early (usually I arrive just in time for dinner) and go in for tea, which was good. There I was able to met up with friends and acquaintances that I'd not seen for a couple of years.
After dinner Chris Hare, Jean McInnes & myself decided to go for a walk into St Andrews and guess what? The fair had arrived. So after a short walk around the town and a quick look at the sea, we arrived back just in time for a glass of wine and a bit of socializing.
Classes take place in various halls throughout St. Andrews. My first class each morning was in Madras College and the teacher was Jenny Green, who was to teach us book 45. I enjoyed learning these dances, especially The Saltire Strathspey and The Dream Catcher. My second class each morning was Ladies Step: I did enjoy these classes and I did work very hard, even if it couldn't be seen, and I did learn a lot. Duncan Brown played lovely music for us to dance to.
We attended Dances every evening except for Tuesday when Lesley Digby organised a number of us to visited Edinburgh to see a demonstration of dancing by Edinburgh forward it was excellent. Thank you Lesley.
Thursday is always a special evening at The Younger Hall, as this is the dance when the demonstrations take place. We were well represented by Alan Highet and Laura Brown in the Country Dancing and Lyndsey Brown in Ladies Step dance displays. Lyndsey did great as she stepped in at the last minute to take the place of someone who was ill. In the Highland dancing Laura Brown took part, and Duncan Brown played the violin for the Ladies' Step-Dance. Malcolm danced in the Highland demonstration in week 3, still one of the best!
From our branch in the 4 th week we had 29 members attending: this included 3 first timers, Erica Penfold from York, and Jennifer Hignall brought along her 2 granddaughters, Kate & Rosie. Joyce Cochrane attended the 3 rd week; Ian and Helen Russell danced in the second week, and Helen taught the Teacher's Certificate class during the second fortnight. Peter Clark taught during the first fortnight. I must just say that Pat Clark either taught, played or danced for all the 4 weeks of Summer School. What energy!
A good time was had by all.
Ann Pinder, Beverley
Many thanks to Ann for her report. When we were talking about it and trying to work out what percentage of our members had been to St. Andrews this summer, we wondered if any other branch could boast quite the numbers we'd sent there this summer. Does anyone know of a branch with a greater percentage of members attending Summer School?
AGM in Perth 4-6 th November 2005
AGMs and business meetings are words that we normally dread, and we greatly appreciate AGMs which are kept short to leave more time for dancing. However the AGM of the RSCDS is a meeting with a difference. All members of the R.S.C.D.S. can attend and enjoy a really good weekend of dancing as well as finding out a bit more about the organisation of the R.S.C.D.S.
If you find November a bit dreary why not consider a trip to Perth. Allan and I greatly enjoyed last year's AGM in Perth and are hoping to go again this year. Last year there were over 700 dancers on the floor in the large sports hall on both Friday and Saturday nights. There was still plenty of space and it was fantastic to see over 90 sets on the floor with everyone really enjoying the dancing.
This year Colin Dewar and his band are playing at the Ball on the Friday evening and Marion Anderson and her band are playing at the dance on Saturday evening. David Hall is going to teach a general class on the Saturday morning and there is also discussion time for members. I found the AGM on the Saturday afternoon really interesting as an observer. I particularly enjoyed watching the presentations of the Scrolls of Honour and hearing what people had done for branches as far away as Boston and Tokyo as well as the British nominees. To me it is fascinating to hear of the activities of the R.S.C.D.S all over the world, and I enjoy the feeling of belonging to a world-wide organisation.
There is plenty of accommodation available in Perth and we got a very good deal indeed from a hotel in the centre. Perth is a lovely town - in a very short time, we managed to buy a cagoule for Allan and a dress for me that I wore to our daughter's wedding. If you had time for a longer break, the trees in Perthshire were really beautiful with their autumn colours glinting in the sunshine- to carry on up the A9 to Inverness and further north would be really tempting. There is plenty of time for socialising at the A.G.M., and everyone mixes well in terms of dancing . I noticed how after Summer School people tend to say - see you at the AGM in Perth.
So do have a look at the programme for the RSCDS Annual Conference and AGM this year.
Margaret Highet, York
NEWSLETTER No. 103 December 2005
| Editorial | Around the World | Day School 05 | Refund policy |
Resolutions are always made at New Year, I know, but if I leave my dancing resolutions until the next issue in February, all I will be able to do is tell you which I've not managed to keep! Thinking ahead, then, here are my resolutions for 2006 insofar as they have to do with Scottish Country Dancing, in no particular order of importance:
• I will not talk while the MC or the class teacher is talking;
• I will always smile at my partner (even if my health or their dancing is atrocious);
• I will never shove or push my partner into the correct place (or the incorrect place!);
• I will not grimace if someone shoves or pushes me into the right place;
• I will not push into the line that is being made up (even if it means I get to dance in 4th place), and I shall (very tactfully) suggest to my partner that we ought to drop to the end of the line, if necessary;
• I will try to do what the class teacher says rather than what I think he's said, which means that I won't daydream during re-caps or while a dance is being taught;
• I will make sure that I'm lined up straight to start the dance (even if I think I'm right and they are wrong - it's for the teacher or the MC to sort that one out);
• I will make small gestures indicating direction to my partner rather than great expansive sweeps of the hand;
• I will not get irritated by someone else making great expansive gestures;
• I will not get irritated by someone telling me where to go when I already know ;
• I will not get irritated by someone telling me where to go - when they are wrong;
• I will not get irritated when someone doesn't tell me where to go when I'm lost (I seem to get irritated very easily - is this the menopause?)
• I will try to be really complimentary to my class whenever I can (after all, it's not their fault that Year 9 didn't get their homework in);
• I will dance on my toes (OK, the balls of my feet) as much as I can;
• I will try to keep my feet/knees/hips turned out;
• I will listen to the music and try to dance to it as it deserves - especially when it's live;
• I will make sure my handing helps the people I'm dancing with;
• I will smile at my partner and at the others in the set - and anyone else!
• I will try to get Broun's Reel to Rosemary on time!
A mixture of basic etiquette, self-control and dancing - let's hope I can keep it up till next December. Now, what about you?
Joyce Cochrane
Around the World in Five Weeks!
Tuesday morning arrived - we both looked at each other, and quietly screamed - The day had finally arrived when we were to set off on our Grand World Tour! The train left on time, and apart from an unscheduled stop (while the driver checked that the reported fault didn't actually exist), we arrived safely in London. Getting our luggage down the stairs to the underground was a problem (no lifts yet at Kings Cross!), and it was a bit embarrassing when my case got stuck in the barrier, but a helpful passer-by solved that problem, and from then on we were on our way.
The next morning, there we were in South Africa - we were met at the airport by Terry Lynne Harris (whom we had met in Grenoble a couple of years ago), and Wouter Joubert who we had only seen on video, but whom we have got to know through email. He also wrote the dance "Knotwork" in Book 44. We set off in Terry Lynne's car on the short journey to Pretoria, where they both live and work, and to Wouter's house where we were to stay for the next few days.
During the next few days we toured various parts of Pretoria and district, including a visit to the Voortrekker Monument where Helen was pushed around in a wheelchair by a very informative guide, who gave us the history of how the Boers made their way up from Cape Town to Pretoria to get away from the British (it is a two day journey by car today, along good roads, so they must have been pretty desperate). We also went out to see a meteor crater about 20 miles outside Pretoria - as craters go, this one is pretty young, only about 220,000 years old, but it still very impressive; it is over 100 metres deep and nearly a mile across. We had lunch in the car park after we had walked back, and I was kept quite busy videoing the exotic bird that had discovered this was great place to feed.
On the Thursday night I taught the branch class, and they had prepared a meal so that we could eat, meet and talk before the class. On the Friday evening we went with Wouter to the synagogue where he is 50% of the choir (the rest of the choir was a young lady with a terrific voice), and then on for dinner with Wouter's mother-in-law. On the Saturday we had a day school in the morning, with me taking the advanced class while the senior teacher from Johannesburg (and the South African examiner), Margo Monteith, took the beginners - after a break I then taught the combined class and I was quite relieved to hear later from Helen that the other teacher had been agreeing with what I was saying! In the evening we had a branch ball which was great fun, and where I had to pick up a couple of dances that were new to me. Again we had home made catering for the interval, which was fascinating and excellent. It was here that they presented us with a book containing three new dances that they had written especially for us - it has its own personalised cover and everything, - it even had some blank pages where those who wanted wrote their own comments! The next day Wouter and Terry took us out for our trip to the Drakensburg; it was an all day drive, through very varying scenery until we reached the start of the mountains and the Long Tom Pass where the retreating Boers managed to shoot back at the pursuing British, and finished up at our cabins where we were to stay the night. The view towards the mountains was breathtaking, and we sat on the veranda as Wouter prepared our barbecue, sparks shooting up into the night sky - by then the temperature had dropped (clear skies, and "Look, there is the Milky Way and Southern Cross"), so we ate inside with a roaring wood burning stove. The next day we went to tourist spots, such as "God's Window", with spectacular views from the top of the escarpment over the surrounding area, and small old tourist towns, where there were a couple of "natives" in blanket type clothes, lots of rings round their necks, who had to put away their mobile phones before I could video them! We even went into a shop where they had silk worms - they make rough silk blankets and clothes! And finally back to Pretoria for a final meal with Wouter and his family. The next day (Tuesday) we went for coffee with Margo in Johannesburg, listening to the SCD problems in the area (mainly a case of all the young teachers they have trained over the years deciding that their future lay outside S. Africa - apparently everyone is equal, except that not being white gives you clear edge in the job market!).
And so on to Perth, Western Australia. Another new, spread out, city of bungalows, except that unlike Pretoria where they all had high fences, sliding gates and bars at the windows we were now into open plan estates. We were met at the airport by Anne and Trevor Walker (we had briefly met Anne at St Andrews) who were to put us up for the next few days - another very full site seeing trip had been organised - for example we went to the Perth Mint on the afternoon we arrived, where we saw gold being melted and poured to make a gold bar! We also had the opportunity to try and lift a gold bar - you know those films where they lift boxes of bars? Well don't believe them! I couldn't lift the bar with my hand over the top. During Thursday we went into Perth and looked around the city park (spectacular views over the city and harbour), and then out of the city to go round an aquarium - you know the sort of thing, moving floor-way while you look up at the sharks overhead. The next day we went to Fremantle, which is just down the coast - a much older town, with really old buildings (OK, 150 years old!) - our most vivid memory is of sitting in the sun having a drink and wedges, listening to an opera singer as she sang and signed the CDs she was selling. On the Thursday and Friday nights I had to sing for my supper, taking classes and giving them dances that I thought they would enjoy - as one was classed as general/intermediate, and the other as advanced / low impact it was quite a challenge trying to give them what we both wanted! We left Perth on the Saturday, feeling as if we had known Anne and Trevor all our lives.
Then we arrived in Melbourne, to be met at the top of the aircraft ramp by our hostess Heather Byers who even arranged for us to be taken by motorised transport to the baggage area. Our week in Melbourne was very varied, from trips into the city by ourselves, (Heather put us on the train and we went to the old City Gaol where Ned Kelly was hanged), to a day's outing down the Mornington Peninsular. I suppose this is the most important thing about Australia - it is just so big. Looking at a map of Australia, you can find Melbourne on the bottom right hand side. On a bigger scale, it is at the top of what looks like a very large bay, and the right hand side of the bay is Mornington Peninsular - nearly a two hour drive from one end to the other! We also met up with Jan Green who used to live in Tockwith, before marrying an Australian and moving out there. She took us out one day to look at some really grand Victorian mansions, and the next day we went via a small zoo to stay overnight at their house. At the zoo we saw kangaroos lying on their sides and backs, apparently sunbathing. The wallaby was a lot more fun, as she grasped our hands so that she didn't have to stretch so far while we fed her some apple.
The following morning we looked out of our bedroom window to the top of the hill, and using the zoom on the video we could really see the wild kangaroos grazing. Jan and Geoff's house relies on solar power and wind power for most of the electricity, which means that I had to use the computer point to get enough voltage to run my razor!
Next day they took us via their local town of Yea, (where we were interested to see that they had their own Shire Hall), to the Australian Winter school at Dookie. The site was an agricultural college about 5 miles from the one street town of Dookie, and the accommodation was very mixed, from modern student rooms in 3 storey blocks to bungalows containing about a dozen single rooms. There were about 250 students on the course, including some children with ages ranging from 5 to 15, and the teachers came from the UK (Eric Finley, who is going to be our teacher at Harrogate), the US (Elaine Brunken - Helen thought she was brilliant), and New Zealand, as well as Australia. The musicians included three from the UK - Ian Slater from Leeds, and Maureen Rutherford and Neil Copeland from Perth. We had classes in the morning (for the first 3 days I had Eric & Helen had Elaine), and for the first 2 days I had music provided by Chris Duncan, an excellent Australian fiddler. The afternoons were filled with various activities, including a session when the various teachers got together to talk about next year's exam tour, and we even had a session called "Meet the Browns" when we talked about the Management Board and the new exam structure. We also had to spend a couple of sessions in the afternoons going into Dookie and videoing some of their younger dancers performing the dances from book 45. There was dancing most nights, from informal on the first night to a grand ball near the end, and including a Fancy Dress night, with prizes for the best ideas and costumes. There was a ceilidh one night, with the usual wide selection of acts, and the last night the week finished with a dinner at which presentations were made, and both Chris and Ian played (did you know that Ian was the UK classical accordion champion when he was 16?).
On the Sunday, back in Melbourne, we met up with Ian and some of the committee, and went out to a local reservoir to look for kangaroos (Ian said he saw them, but I'm not convinced) - and then on to a place with a host of birds, from White Cockatoos to brightly coloured Rosellas (red parrots). The day finished with us going on to someone's house for a very sociable evening meal.
Monday found us travelling on to Sydney for a couple of nights - it was almost tropical when we arrived, but was much cooler the next few days. We still managed to see the harbour bridge and the opera house (outside only, but we did walk all the way round it), as well as a 2 hour boat trip round the harbour. We also went on a tour bus, which pointed out all the really major points of interest, and on the monorail which covers the centre and is a lot quicker! This only served to point out how much time we really needed to spend in Sydney to see the sites! On the Tuesday night we were picked up by Keith Napier (of Napier's Index) and went to their house for dinner with him and Morag (one of the three Australian examiners). The food was excellent and the conversation invigorating.
And finally we were off on our last leg of our journey, to Tokyo and Japan. Arriving first thing in the morning we bought our bus tickets to catch the bus across Tokyo, something like a 2 hour journey. There we were met by Ken and taken to his house (some of you will remember Ken & Noko who stayed with us in the Summer). In the afternoon we went out with Ken, to see a local shrine, and had a short trip on a monorail. In the evening I went with them to the local hot baths - this had the feel of a David Lloyd sports centre, all modern glass and chrome. After over an hour in the main pool doing water aerobics to Beatles songs (I like the idea of no deep end - just chest height from one end to the other, and obviously not very cold!), we went to the Jacuzzi pool for a rest and sit down - then on from the mixed section to the Men Only section and the outside really hot pool and the stars above. Finally after drying off, we went for a drink in the bar to re-hydrate. The next afternoon we did our only dancing in Japan, when we met up with our friends in a wonderful hall over a swimming pool. It had a lovely wooden floor, glass walls, mirrors down one side, and we danced the afternoon away. Then back to Ken and Noko's for a small party with the various friends we have made.
The following day we went out with our friend Tom to a few sites around Tokyo - did you know they had their very own small version of the Statue of Liberty, down on the beach in Tokyo harbour (they had to import the sand!) - we got to this particular area on a driverless train - it was only slightly worrying. We also went to a park and gardens set in what used to be an air base. We have a wonderful picture of Helen surrounded by a vast mass of Cosmos flowers, all pale pink and pale blue.
At the weekend we went with Tom by "shinkansen" (bullet train) to Kyoto, and they really are fast and comfortable. We went and saw various shrines during our short stay, including the Golden Temple and the world famous zen garden (a few rocks in a "sea" of pebbles). Our hotel in Kyoto was just underneath a "Tower", so one night after dinner we climbed into the lift to see Kyoto by night - lights spreading out as far as the mountains. Before returning to Tokyo we went on to Kobe, and by taxi across the Akashi bridge - currently the longest suspension bridge in the world, having moved the Humber bridge down to number two! We then went on to an earthquake museum, to see just how far the earth moves at a fault line (about a metre) - they even had chairs you could sit in and experience an earthquake as violent as the one they had a few years ago.
Finally we returned to Tokyo by "shinkansen", and this time the weather was good enough to see Mount Fuji on the way, - it really is very impressive. That night we had dinner with Ken, Noko and their son and one of their two daughters, just returned from a trip to Milan.
And so we came to the end of a really wonderful trip - everyone we met was charming and helpful, and unstinting of their generosity and time, showing once again that Scottish Dancing brings the nicest people together from all over the world.
Malcolm Brown, York
Branch Finance - Refund Policy
Readers who attend the AGM and study the annual finance reports will know that the Branch finances are in a healthy state. Consequently the Branch Committee is always happy to give a full refund to persons who have paid in advance for a Branch Event (e.g. dance, day or weekend school) and then cannot attend due to illness or for a compassionate reason, provided that they notify the event Organiser or a Committee Member beforehand.
Therefore please worry not when putting your money up-front!
Philip Ashworth, Branch Treasurer
It was good to welcome our own "home-grown" teacher to our Day School . I remember the first time I danced with Duncan, who was then about 7. The dance included and allemande which he did with great aplomb in promenade hold.
Duncan was just a baby when the Branch was formed. He was brought up with Scottish music and dancing to be the gifted musician and dancer he is today.
He and Pat, our musician, have good rapport. They inspired us. Duncan knew what we needed and what we could achieve. He worked us hard and we learned a lot in the afternoon. Our footwork and formations improved and we tried to keep it up during the evening dance. Thank you, Duncan and Pat, for being patient with us.
We were worried how our new format of Day School would work out. I thought it was a success and it would be good to have feedback for future Day Schools.
I should like to thank all who helped. There were so many helpers that the "kitchen staff" was able to enjoy the class and the dance.
The only hitch was the mix up with the band about the starting time of the dance, but, as George pointed out, it gave us more time to socialise and read the cribs!
It is good to dance to a band and the music lifted us. We forgot our tiredness and enjoyed dancing the night away.
Jean McInnes, Hessle
NEWSLETTER No. 104 February 2006
It was only at the last committee that I realised that (after some earlier suggestions that I'd forgotten might happen) Book 45 will be the last book that the RSCDS intends to publish. Philip and I looked at each other in some dismay and wondered if this were really a wise move on the part of the RSCDS. Researching and collecting dances and publishing books has been part of the aims of the RSCDS from the start; every year we've become used to receiving a book, pocket edition or set of leaflet dances. So this feels like a real departure.
I'm told that some of the books have received some criticism, as has the editorial policy behind them. OK, so we rarely dance anything from Leaflet 33, but Book 33 was a cracker! (Did anyone ever tell that to the publications committee?) Henceforth, dances will be published in the bulletin/magazine - not as convenient for teachers or musicians, unless you've unlimited space for storage. One thing that publishing a book does, too, is give a kind of currency to dances, so that the same new dances are presented world-wide. With no future books, does this mean that local groups will increasingly produce more and more of their own dances? Or does it mean that only the best dances will filter out of their own local areas to gain a wider circulation? Time maybe will tell.
For many RSCDS members, one of the only tangible benefits they get from their membership is the book which comes once a year. If this is their view, they may wonder what the point is of joining the RSCDS. It won't affect what they do now at all, and they can still carry on dancing in the future just as they do now. In spite of the huge numbers we've been sending to St. Andrews in recent years (and you need to be a member to do that!) most of our members still don't go or have never been. There is a slight reduction on admission to branch dances, but you need to go to quite a few dances before you make on the deal. So how much point is there really to membership?
Most of the teachers who take your classes locally have been trained by the RSCDS. OK, so they've had to pay for courses or paid to stay ay St. Andrews, but it's the expertise of the RSCDS accumulated since 1923 which really can't be bought or priced. It's not just your teacher's knowledge - it's that inherited tradition rescued and nurtured by Miss Milligan and Mrs. Stewart. Then there's all the work done by so many people in their own time for the RSCDS, both locally and at national level - people teaching at all sorts of levels, people working on committees, doing their best for the society and for Scottish Dancing. All those things come at no cost to you, so what value have they: are they free or are they priceless? And will you renew your subscription even if you're not getting a book?
Joyce Cochrane
(With apologies to Mrs Beeton)
This past year, 2005, whilst attending 98 dance sessions i.e: Balls, formal dances and classes, I have had the opportunity of dancing 425 different dances. 83 of these 425 were new to me, and 214 were danced but once. The database of the dances that Susan & I have danced over the years contains the names of nearly 1500 dances (and this is small when compared with the 12000 plus dances already available worldwide). Only 128 out of these 1500 dances are sufficiently popular to have been included in more than one programme during this past year. But, assuming programmes of, say, 16 dances, and one programme a week for a year, then it would be possible to dance (16x52) = 832 dances. In such a case, again assuming that there were no repetitions, only about half of the contents of my database would be aired. In such a case less than a tenth of all the dances ever written could be danced. So many dances, and so rarely do we meet them.
Rather like pop tunes, these "lost" dances have had their brief and heady success, and then only appear again when clearing out the attic of the mind. For example, who remembers Cairn Edward, The Braes of Balluder , or Miss Gabrielle's Reel? Cairn Edward is met in a Class situation occasionally, and Balluder's Braes is but a map reference, at least in the areas whence I cull my lists. As for Miss Gabrielle's Reel, I suppose I may assume with some confidence that young Gabby is at least 14 years older than she was when I danced her dance that only once. It is likely that somewhere, in some club or group, these dances remain a favourite, and not just with the deviser. Of course, it may be that the club has become defunct as the members have grown older...
I am not going to bemoan the steadily increasing average age of club and of Branch membership. This is too recurrent a theme in so much that is written about Scottish Country Dancing. A similar situation obtains in many leisure activities where participants band together to form a club (or its equivalent) and then find after a decade or so that new, young members just are not joining up to carry on what the founder members regard as the good work. The organising committee eagerly seeks those who will take over the running of the group. Calls go out, and money is spent, trying to attract new blood. All to no avail. In our own activity much effort and many resources go into the encouragement of Scottish Country Dancing in schools in an attempt to arouse interest amongst young children, in the presumed hope that they will continue to dance as they grow older. However, Scottish Country Dancing taught in schools suffers from the same problem as so many other activities taught in schools. There is no way that the majority of school leavers are going to continue to voluntarily participate in an activity they associate with School -- even if they enjoyed it. They have so many other activities that can occupy their attention. Shakespeare listed Seven Ages for Man, and doubtless would include Woman in a modern rewrite, but there would be many more Ages needed to encompass modern life. It would not include topics forgotten from school until perhaps that Age is reached when one's own offspring are being introduced into the real world. The Age for yielding to the strains of Scottish Country Dance music, if at all, will have to wait for many more years to pass. So what solution may be offered?
One solution, which possibly raises more questions than the answer, is that it is from older people, with more time to spend on themselves, that a fresh membership could be attracted. Of course, being older, such dancers will no longer be as supple as of yore, and flight during pas de basque and travel step, may be more difficult to achieve. To a teacher it could be less exciting to extract conformity from the dancing ability of these returnees. Perhaps bringing mature dancers back into the fold will not be as rewarding as seeing an 18-year old leap about with toes so exquisitely pointed that the said toes are nearly touching the insole.. (Lucky, lucky 18-year old!) But the mature re-entrants will be the more able to afford their club and Society fees, and pay full price for their Saturday dance tickets, whilst their technique need lack neither precision nor correctness.
They will need instruction in the dancing art that should make use of teaching techniques appropriate to their requirements. I suspect that the classic order of learning, efficient and economic though it may be, in which footwork (ie: steps, and formations), then dances are taught, might have to change. This change would follow what happens in practice. Because of the lack of classes dedicated to newcomers, they have to learn on the hoof, whilst dancing. Footwork becomes just one more stumbling block to their maintaining their place in the manoeuvres. The initial effort of trying to keep feet in time with the music (which ploughs on regardless) and remembering where to go next in the dance, even remembering who is their partner, can be mind-blowing. Experienced dancers may help with comforting remarks such as "We all have these problems when we start", or "It doesn't matter if you go wrong - it's your partner's fault, anyway". But going wrong does matter to the beginner, if only because of being so thrust into an embarrassing prominence. It is difficult to convince beginners that "learning a dance" is easier if the footwork is sound because the footwork seems less important to them than being in the right place at the right time when actually in the dance. The main problem remains relevant instruction. Few would disagree that learning about an activity like Scottish Country Dancing is much easier if it can be taught to a group of beginners of similar inability. Organising a class just for a beginner or two is expensive both in effort and in cash. Trying to include beginners in a Class attended by more experienced dancers who attend because they hope to gain from advanced instruction, creates other difficulties. This Branch is lucky in having Teachers who will try to encompass all ability standards in their one Class. But for every beginner who stays this course, there will be some who retire, hurt. Such, one may muse philosophically, is life; but the question is begged. Can we afford to lose even one prospective dancer?
This is not to say that learners of whatever age do not need learn how to dance correctly. Some years ago, taking a Branch day school, Derek Haynes remarked that it was worth learning to dance correctly because it was so much easier to dance correctly than to continue to dance incorrectly. That good technique is important is unquestionable. And yes, I would agree that the earlier the start the better. For a late starter knowledge of how the activity should be practised is vital to finding effective shortcuts to accommodate one's infirmities! Another thought, to raise yet more questions, might be: use the Internet. A beginner could download video or film clips demonstrating the various steps and formations, even dances. Seen on a computer screen, clips showing people dancing, and enjoying themselves , could be infectious. Viewers could practice steps in the privacy of their own home (as say the ubiquitous they), and in consequence, perhaps feel more comfortable when at a future class or club night. Of course, such provision needs to be tailored both to the medium and to the intended audience. One would hope for a brightly lit and well decorated background, personable dancers, several cameras cutting to different shots, to smiling faces and to neat foot work, perhaps even demonstrations in slow-motion. These requirements would absorb much fine gold in the realisation. Could some of the resources used for the School programmes be deflected? The videos currently available could be retained as being more relevant to an audience already interested and having some knowledge. As a spin-off there is the possibility that if Scottish Country Dancing was available on the Internet, not only might one attract more mature entrants, but that some younger ones might be (re)infected with the bug. Think on!
Anyway, here is THE LIST for 2005.
As usual, in the Notes column
* indicates that the dance is one from the RSCDS collection,
A number in brackets indicates the position of the dance in last year's list, R means that the dance is reappearing after an absence,
FA marks the first appearance of that dance in these lists.
Again, I would stress that this list is composed just from those dances that I myself have had the opportunity of dancing. (I mention this disclaimer as, to my surprise, I find that I have achieved a mention of sorts in the RSCDS Members Magazine. How its editor came by the information I still do not know). You will see that The Montgomeries' Rant leads the pack again after a brief sojourn at 4 th place last year. I note that 8 strathspeys are included, which is more than usual. 10 dances from last year remain in the list. With the exception of Mrs MacPherson of Inveran, the remaining dances had all appeared in previous lists. Dances from the new Book 45 have proved popular in later programmes, sometimes appearing more frequently than the obligatory once in class . In 2005, Catch the Wind has appeared on 8 programmes, Napier's Index on 6 programmes, and Alan J. Smith on 4. It will be interesting to see how programme devisers take them up in the coming year.
Rank Dance Appearing Notes
1 The Montgomeries' Rant 17 times (4)*
2 Pelorus Jack 15 times (2)*
3 Cramond Bridge 13 times (11)
Mairi's Wedding (19)
The Sailor (7)*
6 Gang the Same Gate 12 times (R)*
MacDonald of the Isles (R)*
Neidpath Castle (R)*
9 Ian Powrie's Farewell.. 11 times (R)*
Sugar Candie (R)*
11 Bees of Maggieknockater 10 times (R)*
John of Bon Accord (R)*
Joie de Vivre (R)*
The Minister on the Loch (R)*
Miss Gibson's Strathspey (R)*
Miss Johnstone of Ardrossan (2)
Silver Tassie (11)*
18 Follow Me Home 9 times (R)*
General Stuart's Reel (R)*
Hooper's Jig (9)*
Irish Rover (15)
Kelloholm Jig (19)*
Mrs MacPherson of Inveran (FA)
The Reel of the 51 st Division (R)*
The Robertson Rant (R)*
Shiftin' Bobbins (R)*
Michael East, York
You will notice a few changes with the Membership Application Form this year. The first one is that the form now only takes up one side of paper. The second is that there is no list of alternative copies, and nothing about a subscription copy. Back in October (it should have been September but there was a mix up!) you received the first edition of the RSCDS magazine. This magazine is due to be published twice a year and one of them will include an indeterminate number of dances - there were two published in the first one and these were both a tribute to Eileen Watt who retired from the HQ staff last summer. The magazine replaces the bulletin and the subscription copy and the plan is to send it out to every member directly from the publishers.
The Annual Subscription is made up of a £10 fee which goes direct to the RSCDS and a £2 administration fee for the Branch. Each branch decides on its own administration fee. A person can be a member of more than one branch but their "home" branch is the one through which they pay their £10 fee to the Society. This explains what the Admin. Member is - a person who is a member of another branch but wants to support us as well. They are not included in the total number of members for a branch. Long Term membership was abolished in 2000 and our numbers of LT members are dwindling - at the start of the next subscription year we shall only have 7 left, at the start of the 2007 subscription year there will only be 2 left. Life membership was abolished in the 1970s but we still like to check that our records are correct and ask members to send their forms in so that we know that addresses are correct for sending out the Chairman's letter, etc.
When we had to distribute books and bulletins, we tried to keep postage costs down as much as possible by asking committee members and other contacts to distribute to their own groups, which is why we asked you to let us know which classes/groups you attended. This has had other benefits by showing us which classes/groups are getting more new members - Pickering has had an influx of new members after many years. The Branch dance in May will be in Pickering.
If members do not wish to attend the Day School or the Weekend School there is no point in them receiving forms which they do not want. We are also trying to save paper in a very minor way.
It would be very helpful if you could return your forms to your committee member or me around about the end of February, beginning of March. Thank you.
Helen Brown (York)
The Branch's finances are in a healthy state at the moment, thanks in part to those members who completed a 'Gift Aid' declaration in conjunction with their membership renewal last year. Thus armed, and with the help of the spadework done by my predecessor, Rita Eastwood, I was able to recover £129 of your 2005 subs, plus £540 of the subs paid in previous years, plus £33 interest thereon, making a total of £702, all from HMG.
However, the 2005 recovery is only about half that which I think could have been claimed if all eligible members had completed a declaration. If you made a declaration last year there is no need for another, but if you did not please consider it when renewing your subscription for 2006. The sole requirement for eligibility is that you are a UK tax payer of either income tax or capital gains tax. You don't have to be in employment - you may have an occupational pension which is taxed, or you may get dividends which attract a tax credit. In husband and wife cases it would be helpful if each submitted a form, if eligible - I do not think it possible (lawful) for one to claim for both spouses, even if he or she actually pays the combined subs.
Thank you once again to all who did help our finances in this way.
Philip Ashworth (Branch Treasurer)
My wife and I still enjoy Scottish Country Dancing and, now aged 85 and 87, we look forward each week to our classes taught by Mike George, George Main and Joyce Cochrane, to whom we are so extremely grateful. But, Aye, BUT! Who prefers/who puts forward such brain-taxing dances? Sometimes I think they are submitted as a challenge to our worthy teachers:- "Try and teach that to your miserable bunch of aspiring dancers!"
We owe so much especially in our later years to Scottish Country Dancing - not forgetting the music! How often we await "that first chord", and then... we're off... smiling faces... helping hands... friendship... sheer joy of living... moving to wonderful music... a feeling of exhilaration... we feel years younger... and so we are still enjoying life to the full as our feet keep time to the music; to us the two words "satisfied happiness" sum up the real magic of Scottish Country Dancing, and this surely is the real secret of a successful Scottish Country Dancing class.
Being well past the age of retirement, may we make a plea to all teachers: remember that we're dancing for fun, for joy, for delight and primarily for happiness. THANK YOU for telling us what to do and particularly "what comes next..."
Alick McTurk, Kirk Ella
Written as a celebration and appreciation of Clare Bunton's life.
8x32 bar reel for three couples in a four couple set
Tune (temporarily) Donald McLeod's Reel
1 - 4 First couple, giving right hands, cross over and cast off one place. Second couple step up on bars 3 and 4.
5 - 8 First couple, giving right hands, turn half way round and stay in centre of set facing each other, right hands joined. They set for two bars, the woman turning under the man's arm, and finish facing the women's side of the dance, looking out between second and third women, the first man BEHIND his partner.
9 - 16 First couple dance out through the women's side of the dance, the man casting behind third woman, first woman casting up round second woman. First couple dance into the centre, man still behind woman and face out between second and third men's places. First couple dance out through the men's side. First man casts down, first woman casts up. They dance into the centre and finish back to back facing first corners. MEANWHILE, second and third couples, giving right hands to their partners, cross over to opposite sides, then set on the opposite side. Second and third couples repeat the crossing and setting back to original places.
17-24 First couple dance Corners Pass and Turn with first and second corners. First couple finish in second place on own sides by passing each other by the right shoulder on bars 23 and 24.
25-32 Second, first and third couples dance six hands round and back.
Repeat from second place
Two of Clare's great qualities which Helen has tried to incorporate into this dance were her great sociability and the flight in her dancing. For flight and covering - try really moving on the Corners Pass and turn - for sociability, just count up the number of people who turn each other or take hands at some point! And isn't there room for a little harmless flirting as 1st lady looks back to check that her partner is actually following? Helen has taught this dance in several different countries and different continents - and it's amazing in how many of these places people knew Clare!
NEWSLETTER No. 105 May 2006
As behind the times as ever with news, I discovered in late March as I read the February edition of "The Living Tradition" a list of the winners of the 3rd Scots Trad Music Awards for December 2005. That Gordon Shand should win the Scottish Dance Band of the Year might not surprise those of us who've danced to him; this was a category sponsored by the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs. Having perversely started to read from the bottom of the list, I then noticed higher up that the RSCDS had sponsored the "Live Act of the Year" category - and that the winners were the Peatbog Faeries.
Now, though I share my enthusiasm for Scottish folk music with others from the branch - Gordon and June, Bill, Maureen and May for instance - I would not assume that even they had come across the Peatbog Faeries, let alone the rest of you. You may be thinking from the spelling "Faeries" that this is a gentle, New Age Celtic Twilight kind of a group - and you'd be dead wrong. The "Peatbogs" play up tempo fast traditionally-based music with added extras like sampled streams and birdsong (Celtic Twilight?) but also a toilet flushing! "So what's all this got to do with dancing?" someone will be muttering in the background.
What had surprised me was the pairing of the rather conservative RSCDS with the more anarchic Peatbog Faeries, and it led me to think about the way music is developing. We've noticed more and more younger members of dance bands - even some whole bands - and there has been an increasing interest in traditional music amongst the young in Scotland for some years. While there has been some growth of interest in ceilidh dancing too, the RSCDS has not really shared in this revival in Scottish traditions, or at any rate not in Scotland, though I believe that trends are different in Germany, Italy and Japan.
The under 30s (and even the under 40s) have grown up surrounded by all sorts of musical influences which are not the norm for most RSCDS members. Many dancers have very entrenched preferences music-wise: I've met people who think that only bands with two accordions are proper Scottish Dance bands, and people who think that a solo piano or piano and fiddle are somehow abandoning established SCD tradition. So far, most bands are fairly conventional, although James Gray at least shows distinct jazz influence, and once I saw a brilliant display from Dunedin using ragtime music; nevertheless I do wonder how long younger bands will stick with the convention. One critic accused Runrig of playing "lumpy porridge-rock" (to my horror!) but there are certainly a few (mostly older) bands out there playing lumpy porridge strathspeys. Increasingly, I think, the other influences around will begin to show in the music that is played, and we will need to accept this, though I would never want to lose traditional SCD music. Maybe in future, the RSCDS and the Peatbog Faeries won't seem incongruous together; both will play their part in the development of music for Scottish Country Dancing. If we insist on only one pure style of dance music, perhaps we will lose not only a generation of dancers but also a future generation of musicians.
Joyce Cochrane
Historical Dance Interpretation
Half right & left, back again, Down the mid: up again, Allemande Hands 6 round.
It is only when you see the instructions in the original publications and manuscripts that you understand the problems that the Society had in the early days. As those involved looked at the "original" wording it became necessary to interpret instructions which were far from clear.
I came across an original publication, printed by Preston, which contained a dance "The Rakes of Glasgow", which seemed similar to the dance of that name published by the Society in Book 11. Now the first appearance of the Allemande in Society publications is in Delvine Side (Book 2), so by the time Book 11 was published, the formation we all dance was well established as a progression, which normally took 8 bars. However the Preston version shows only 24 bars of music, and the instructions are those shown at the start of this article.
To fit this into 24 bars suggests that the Allemande was a much simpler movement, and more recent research indicates that it was just the man turning the lady under her arm, rather as in the dance "Not I". To obtain a progression, the "up again" would be to second place, and it then requires the fitting in of a "Turn the lady under her arm" and "6 hands round", perhaps just round to the left rather than round & back? Or perhaps the man turned the lady under her arm as they danced up the middle? Who knows?
A dance which was tackled much later by the Society (Book 27) was originally published by John Bowie of Perth, entitled Miss Murray, Lintrose.
While the original instructions are slightly longer than those shown above, they are far from helpful:
Cast back one couple: allemande half round; cast back another couple: allemande half round: lead up the middle: cast off: lead down one couple and cast up one couple: first lady allemande with 2 nd gent: first gent allemande with second lady.
In the Society version first couple cast off and join in an allemande behind the second couple, and then cast off again and dance an allemande behind the third couple - the final allemande they dance with the second couple, but not with their partners, resulting in the men changing places with each other on the last two bars.
If however the allemande merely refers to turning the lady under her arm (perhaps a full allemande means first with the right arm, then with the left, so "allemande half round" could mean just under the right arm?), perhaps we can construct a much more elegant dance. There is still a problem of fitting it to the music, in that looking at the words we don't know how many bars are required for each part. The leaflet from which I obtained the words is a modern publication, so although it prints the tune to last 48 bars, I have no way of knowing whether this is what was printed in the original - my reconstruction takes 40 bars, but I wouldn't like to bet much on its authenticity!
A copy of the Menzies Manuscript is on the Strathspey website, where you can see the original wording for such dances as Montgomeries' Rant and General Stuart's Reel. In fact reading this I get the impression that it was someone's crib or notes rather than a version printed for a wider audience. For example the author uses a phrase " flafing their hands", without any description as to what this means. The manuscript also contains a description of "Couteraller's Rant", which is the basis for the RSCDS version in Book 34. The Society version starts with six hands round and back, to increase the length to the more usual 32 bars, and is a Strathspey, which is based on the full title in the manuscript. However we dance Strathspeys a lot slower than they were danced in the 1750s, and if we speed things up the first 8 bars of people turning under arms becomes another version of what I will call a "historical allemande". (I am indebted to Jim Healy, firstly for transcribing the Manuscript, and also for pointing out the "allemande" movement in Couteraller's Rant)
Because we now have access to the some of the original versions, I find it interesting to see how differences have arisen depending on the route followed, for example the Scottish & Welsh dance traditions. The two examples I have come across are Euan's Jig (which becomes Evan's Jig in Welsh) and Dainty Davie (or the Welsh version, Dainty Davy). In Welsh country dancing "clapping" is much more complicated than our Scottish "single clap" - it becomes "together, right, together, left, together, both, together, right", as in the game children play. So while Dainty Davie is a 16 bar strathspey, with not much going for it, Dainty Davy is a 32 bar Reel, which is actually quite fun!
It is not that surprising that we have a few similar dances if we remember that our earliest source was Playford, and he and the early publishers such as Rutherford were just printing "country dances" - as far as I can see, it was the title which determined which country claimed ownership! So the Welsh claimed "Milford Haven" (Rutherford 1760) as one of theirs - not unreasonable as it is in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales.
However the original instructions would need little imagination to produce a dance that would fit easily into our "Scottish" tradition:
Foot it and cast off 2 nd couple: #1
Lead to the top, foot it and cast off #2
Hands round 4 at bottom #3
Right and Left at top #4
#1 represents a horizontal line with one dot above; #2 represents a horizontal line with two dots above;
#3 represents a horizontal line with one dot above & one dot below;
#4 represents a horizontal line with two dots above & below ---- I have assumed this marks the end of each 8 bars, but that is because I think in 32 bar phrases!
My interpretation would be:
1 - 8 1s set twice, cast off to 3 rd place (2s & 3s step up)
9 - 16 1s dance up to the top, (2s & 3s step down), set & cast into 2 nd place (2s step up)
17 - 24 1s & 3s four hands round and back
25 - 32 1s & 2s Rights & Lefts
With the right music (a Jig?), I think it would be quite danceable - but of course, that is only my interpretation!
Malcolm Brown, York
When I gave my Secretary's report at the AGM on 8 th April, I omitted to mention that Mike George was no longer organising the Cober Hill Weekend. I would like to apologise for not including this tribute in my report.
Mike took over the running of the Cober Hill weekend from Len Bird, whose idea it was originally, in about 1992. He has organised these weekends with great care and his plan was always that everyone should have a good time. Margaret Jepson taught for the first few years and then Barbara Caldicott took over, and, in the final few years, Angela Hollingworth taught the classes. For many years, George Meikle has provided the music for classes and dances and his expertise has been much appreciated.
Mike was keen for everybody to enjoy the surrounding countryside as well as the joys of the dance floor, so walks were and reconnoitred and organised. I think they have enjoyed these walks in fair weather and foul and one year they went slightly astray! Of course, Mike has always been supported by Brenda who stepped into the breach one year when Mike was very ill in hospital.
We very much appreciate the hard work involved in running these weekends and sadly an era has come to a close. Ian Barbour from Guisborough has taken over "our slot" at Cober Hill and we wish him luck in the future.
Thank you Mike.
Helen Brown, York
RSCDS SCROLL OF MERIT (BRANCH AWARD)
Last year, the branch awarded the first of the new scrolls designed by the Society to be awarded to members who had made a long-term and substantial contribution to Scottish Dancing within the Branch area. This year, we have again been able to award a Scroll, to two people - Mike and Brenda George. Mike's Cottingham classes have been a major driving force in the East Riding and it is thanks to encouragement from him and Brenda that I went to St. Andrews first and then took my teaching certificates. Although Mike has really been the front man, and has performed several roles on the committee at various times, Brenda has always been there behind him and working even harder than he has, if possible! Brenda, though never a committee member herself, has looked after all the catering equipment and provided squash, tea, coffee and squash for years. Mike and Brenda were awarded their scrolls during the interval of our 30th Anniversary Ball in Howden. Many congratulations!
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Wendy Lyons, from York, who recently passed her Teacher Certificate. Wendy travelled to Ingleton every fortnight over the winter to be trained by Maureen Haynes. Well done!
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2006 - 2007
Members of the York and North Humberside Local Association of the RSCDS voted onto the committee at the last A.G.M. are listed below.
Chairman : Ann Pinder 01482 - 881942
Secretary : Helen Brown 01904 - 488084
Treasurer : Rita Eastwood 01904 - 413020
Committee :
Malcolm Brown
Joyce Cochrane
Chris Hare
Margaret Highet
Jean McInnes
It was good to welcome again Pat and Peter Clark who are both internationally-renowned teachers and musicians. We all looked forward to the Day School knowing how much we had enjoyed the teaching of Pat and Peter's music last year, and we were not disappointed.
Pat had devised a new dance for the morning, "Johnny Cope", to the tune of that well-known Jacobite song. With Pat's expert tuition and Peter's sympathetic playing - what a difference being able to learn the steps at varying speeds - we were able to put on a good performance at the end of the morning. You may see it at next year's ceilidh.
There were 17 students in the morning at the Beginners' Class and 15 stayed on for the Intermediate I Advanced Class in the afternoon. The dance chosen for the afternoon was "The Auld Brig" by Jackie Johnstone. It was challenging and sorted out the Advanced from the Intermediate, and now we know what we are aiming at! It was a lovely dance when we saw it properly done. You may get a solo of that at the ceilidh!
In all, it was a very tiring but enjoyable day. At the evening dance it was possible to pick out those who had danced all day. The brain and feet were tired and muscles we didn't know we had, ached but we danced on to Ann's excellent programme. We look forward to next year's Day School. Meantime, if anyone wants to join us in Beverley, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, you would be very welcome.
Jean Mcinnes, Hessle.
The following message was sent to us on the occasion of our 30th Anniversary Ball:
The Management board of the RSCDS have asked me to send their good wishes to the York and North Humberside Branch for a successful ball.
The board recognises the contribution made by branches to Scottish dancing, and would like to thank all of those who have been involved in the branch during the last thirty years.
We hope that everyone present tonight has both a memorable and a very enjoyable evening.
Malcolm L. Brown, on behalf of the Management Board.
Firstly, a message from May:
May Johnson would like to thank everyone who attended Ian's funeral and all those who sent kind messages of sympathy. The total amount donated to St. Catherine's Hospice was £668.30.
I didn't know Ian nearly as well as Bill Bishop, who has written a tribute to Ian below. I did want to say something myself too, and I have also included part of Barbara Caldicott's obituary for the Leeds newsletter.
When there were not many of us of "our" generation when I first began dancing "away from home", those of us now in our 50s got to know each other quite well on the dance floor. Ian was always a nice dancer, and a good partner, steering you round with a very light touch. I can't recall when I first got to know May and Ian better than just as dance partners, but at some point we discovered a mutual love of Scottish traditional music, and Ian, May and I went to several concerts by the Battlefield Band together, some with Bill and Maureen Bishop as well. Ian, always so very courteous and well-mannered, had often seemed quite reserved, but I discovered a different side to him as he'd confidently go up and have long chats with Alan Reid - and then introduce me! Then, of course, there was the famous occasion when we met Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham at the Stephen Joseph theatre - Ian had grown up with Aly on Orkney, but Ian had gone to play football while Aly practiced the fiddle! Ian had a great knowledge of folk music and encouraged me to listen to the likes of Alison Kinnaird, of whom he made me a few tapes. Again, I'd thought him very serious at first, but as I got to know him better I discovered a really subtle sense of humour and joy in life. I am very glad that I knew Ian - my deepest condolences to May, on behalf of us all.
Joyce Cochrane
Ian Johnson - A Tribute
Ian Johnson died on the on the 2 nd of April in Dundee; it is especially sad that he was aged only fifty six. Born in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles he never lost his love of Scotland and things Scottish. Indeed it was Ian and May's intention to retire to Scotland before being so tragically struck down by the fatal disease which he bore with fortitude, optimism and cheerfulness.
Having been in the army and the CSOS he was far traveled and indulged his hobbies abroad, outdoors the Maclehose Trail in Hong Kong and wearing out boots in Ascension Island. It was in Bahrain that he met May whom he married in Scotland. Scottish Country Dancing started in the Bahamas progressing to Balls in Hong Kong. Returning to this country they resumed dancing in Scarborough making regular trips to Leeds to dance at the Club and the Branch and elsewhere.
That he was keen is apparent in the distance travelled and he brought to dancing the enthusiasm and thoroughness that he applied to his many other interests: music, photography and computers; combining them to great effect.
He was unstinting in his concern for others and his generosity knew no bounds; I am sure that we all have been enriched for knowing him. That he was well regarded by his fellow dances was evinced by the number who bade him farewell. Our deepest and sincere sympathies go to May.
Bill Bishop, Scarborough
It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of Ian Johnson. Ian and May have been great supporters of the Club for many years, travelling from Scarborough to dance with us. Ian has been MC for us several times at St. Chad's and also at the Autumn Weekend, and guided us with his quiet expertise. He has organised walks for the Autumn Weekend and produced colourful maps for all those taking part. He was enthusiastic about all aspects of Scottish Dancing: - being MC for us, being generous with his fine collection of music, giving us dancing-based quizzes at the Autumn Weekend and at Higham Hall in the Lake District where we see the New Year in with dancing. He will be greatly missed by the Scottish Dancing Community, for his mischievous sense of humour and for being a pleasure to with. We are enriched by the ways has touched all our lives. Our thoughts are with May and we hope to see her dancing again soon.
Barbara Caldicott, Leeds SCDC
NEWSLETTER No. 106 September 2006
| Obituaries: May O'Brien, Christine Goodfellow | |||
In the Chairman's letter, Ann wrote that one of the things she had most enjoyed in recent years was travelling to other branches and being able to enjoy their company and friendship, all due to Scottish Country Dancing. Some of us have danced in other parts of England and Scotland, and though we've known no-one there at first, our dancing has proved to be a key to admittance, a kind of universal passport - literally so in the case of Malcolm and Helen, the Russells, the Clarks and others who've been able to dance abroad, often in places where they don't speak the language. Dancing thus becomes an international language without words.
You sometimes hear people say "Oh, we dance that a lot down our way" or "You dance a totally different set of dances up/down here", and that is even with a "common currency" of dances from the RSCDS canon. If the RSCDS continues with the idea that it will not publish an annual book of dances, it worries me that the dances we all have in common will gradually be nudged out by dances only known in one particular area. This I think is a problem with dance programmes which do not have a clear majority of RSCDS dances, or ones with a long history like Mairi's Wedding and The Irish Rover: it's very difficult for the interchange of dancers between areas and branches which we often enjoy. Not that a few local dances shouldn't be present at all! If a dance is good enough, then let it appear.
In the past there have been different styles of dancing, and the rare archive films I've seen have been fascinating in this respect. One of the few surviving "regional" differences is the Edinburgh two-handed turn in skip-change, or so I'm told. Some of the different ideas around on finishing steps are also thought to originate from different regional traditions; different groups and areas have different ideas on what's important, or on what they like. Yet we can still go to Japan, Melbourne, Ontario or Inverness and join in dances we do at home, and I think this is something wonderful which the RSCDS has given us, making our lives richer and less parochial. (And yes, I always was a bit of a romantic!)
On a different note, you should have noticed that the paper and print quality of Broun's Reel has improved dramatically, since it is no longer produced on roneo at the Willerby Church office but at home on a super-duper printer by Rosemary. This may lead to some experiments in presentation/production style in the next few issues as I play around with the format! We usually follow the sequence editorial-reports & letters-dance programmes-member news,and we would still include all of those sections. Producing an A5 sized booklet might reduce or increase postage costs in accordance with size, weight and recent increase in postal charges. Many thanks to Rosemary for all her efficient and uncomplaining work.
Joyce Cochrane
The first time that we went to Summer School our application was, as usual, a little on the late side. We did get places but had to stay in "New Hall". It was a thoroughly enjoyable week with cramped but adequate accommodation, excellent food and easy access to all the dancing venues. However, all our friends kept telling us, how much more we would enjoy staying in University Hall complex which was solely occupied by dancers, rather than the mix of short stay visitors, golfers and other courses to be found at "New". On this occasion our application was not that much earlier but we were fortunate to be allocated a room in University Hall.
Any long distance drive is always a trying experience and this was no exception. Armed with the AA route finder instructions we set off up the A1 only to be diverted off it due to a road accident a little way beyond Scotch Comer. Having been diverted off the route there were no instructions as to where or how we could rejoin it! It was a case of following our intuition and vague memories of the geography of the area. In the end the route was to go through the Tyne Tunnel and back onto the Al above Newcastle. Once round the Edinburgh bypass the thought is that the journey is over, but this is not quite the case as there is still about another hour's driving to go. Why not let the train take the strain, using the Senior rail card and the early booking discount it may well be cheaper and less stressful? The theory is good but in practice Sunday is not a good day to travel. Railtrack or whatever the current authority is called tend to use Sunday for essential engineering work with the result that Ian Russell starting from almost the same point as us took three hours more for his journey than we did.
The room in University Hall was not en suite, but it was larger than the previous room and the toilet and washing facilities on the same floor were more than adequate. For the past fifteen years or so our holidays have been mainly hill walking or cycle touring where accommodation can range from occasional luxury to downright primitive we tend to travel light and be relatively undemanding.
Information on all classes and activities was always easily available. The RSCDS staff and volunteers were very friendly and helpful. The shop was well stocked with RSCDS and non RSCDS books, CDs and dance instructions. It was extremely easy to get carried away and finish with a hefty bill for must have purchases when there is such a large range of material on display. The James Senior shop was open for two hours on four days of the week and did a roaring trade. The making of dance shoes is not an exact science, which makes it important to try on the shoes to obtain the best possible fit. They were promoting the use of insoles as a means of obtaining increased comfort. It seemed unlikely that a 23 mm layer of plastic, no matter how expensive, would make a vast amount of difference, but perhaps they should be tried before they are condemned.
Speaking to some of the older dancers made us realise that there had been many changes over the years. In Miss Milligan's day the ladies' accommodation was distinctly off limits to the males. It was possible to carry a lady's luggage to the doors of Wardlaw but not beyond. Meals are now self-service with no formal occasions. At the first dinner the new intake for week four was welcomed by Linda Gaul who suggested that we should mix as much as possible rather than sit with our own group at meals. This certainly added interest and taught us that many of the problems that we face are fairly universal. We are fortunate that English is a universal language enabling us to have conversations with dancers from all round the world. The only group that have problems were the Japanese who tend to stick together and only have one or two in the group who act as interpreters. Having said this I don't think that I would fare any better if I were to attend a similar event in Tokyo, and I would probably not have sufficient courage to venture that far. Several dancers from North America were also musicians and had brought instruments with them. I wondered how they fared on their return journeys as the bomb scare for transatlantic flights meant that they would have been unable to take instruments as hand luggage and expensive violins would not stand up to rough treatment by baggage handlers.
Classes in the many and varied venues throughout the town appeared to go very well. I did not hear any significant grumbles about the quality and content of the classes. From a personal point of view I was faced with too many options. I had wanted to attend classes which dealt with the problems of teaching and imparting skills. Unfortunately that class did not have enough applicants for the first part of the week, and in the second half of the week I was only able to attend part of the morning class as I was already involved with the Highland class.
There were the usual evening dances in hall but on this occasion we decided that we would attend some of the dances held locally during the Summer school. Marian Anderson played for a dance in St. Andrews while Colin Dewar played for the dance at Cupar. Both were well worth attending for the music alone. The lady MC at Cupar deserved an award for tolerance, as the locals were even more unruly and difficult to control than Y & NH at their worst. Having said that I would not mind struggling to control our dances if we could have an attendance of over one hundred.
Lesley Digby arranged a coach and a block booking for the Edinburgh Branch RSCDS fringe event Dancing Forth on Wednesday evening. This was very popular with many more takers than places available. The venue of Edinburgh Academy with the circular central dancing area surrounded by tiered seating was ideal. The dancing programme arranged by Margo Priestley, Andrew Johnstone and Grant Bulloch was very slick, with dances blending into each other to make interesting formations and dancers slipping into and out of formations with changes of dance and tempo. The music and song provided by Mo Rutherford,Neil Copeland and Willie Johnstone was equally enjoyable, displaying all their considerable talents.
The Scottish Tourist Board organises the dance in the Younger Hall on Thursday evenings. If one is unable to get a ticket the only other way to gain access is to be in one of the demonstration teams provided by the RSCDS or to get a returned ticket from one of the demonstrators. Herein lies a tale. The country dance team was drawn from the Advanced class, the Step dance from the Advanced class with more than a sprinkling of teachers included The Highland team consisted of all the Intermediate and Advanced class which in my innocence I had joined. Our group contained three Russians, one Italian, five Scots and four English. Our medley consisted of Strathspey and Highland Reel, Sword Dance (for three) and a finishing routine involving high cuts, travelling steps in reel time and back steps. The twenty-year-old Russians had a great time and looked superb but my crumbling hip joints and rapidly fading recent memory made this an unforgettable experience which is not likely to be repeated in public!
The Saturday dance at the Younger Hall was an enjoyable event, which marked the conclusion of Linda Gaul's tenure as director of Summer school. The next director John Wilkinson was M C for the evening and the music was provided by the musicians who had played for the classes, sometimes as individuals and sometimes as a band. Another memorable evening to conclude a most enjoyable week.
Next year will be different as the University Hall complex is due to be refurbished and the accommodation is likely to be in the town at one of the other colleges. If you have not been to Summer school we would thoroughly recommend it. There is something for everyone irrespective of your dancing ability; the company is friendly and the atmosphere superb.
George Edwards, Willerby
We were based in the Wilfred Laurier university in Waterloo, near Toronto - this was the first time TAC had used this air-conditioned university, and we were very grateful because the outside temperatures were very high. Everyone was in a spacious single study bedroom, with a shared, interconnecting bathroom - no problem for Helen and me, but we did hear a few plaintive cries asking for their door to be unlocked from the other side!
The course started on the Sunday evening with a barbeque, followed by an orientation session where teachers, musicians and staff were introduced. The rest of the evening was followed by a dance and finished (as it did every evening) with a session in the party room with free refreshments, where we got into a very earnest discussion about music with Bobby Brown, the Canadian Scottish dance band leader.
The next day we started with the classes - every morning we had classes, with a different teacher for the first four days, all of them excellent, and a variety of solo musicians, so variety was the name of the game. In the afternoon there were optional classes, ranging from beginner's highland to English country, not forgetting a special "individual personal criticism" class which I decided to miss!
During the week a total of 29 individuals were working away towards their teaching qualifications (they had already been working at it for a week when we arrived!), and during the week you could go and stooge for them, either in the morning or the afternoon - I joined in one afternoon session - and each time you stooged a sticker was placed on your name badge. Of the 160 students on the course a total of 80 people stooged at one time or another (some people had several stickers on their badge).
There was some form of dancing every night - on the Monday we had a costume night, with a Shakespearian theme, with everything from Cleopatra to a shipwreck (made dancing a little tricky), but it was all great fun.
On the Wednesday afternoon a couple of trips were organised to nearby towns - we went by school bus, just as in the Simpsons, to the town of Stratford; it even has its own river Avon with swans, and a theatre. We had a very pleasant afternoon buying souvenirs, sitting outside having a drink, and watching the swans.
In the evening Ruth Jappy took us in a session of Old Tyme dancing, which turned out to be great fun - I could even be seen at one time trying to tango with a young lady from Japan.
On the Thursday night we had a ceilidh, with the usual wide array of unexpected talent, including a piper who suddenly found bubbles coming out of his pipes. I did my bit by joining up with one of our new friends, as he played while I performed the Broom Dance.
Saturday night began with everyone dressed up for the dinner, (with free pre-dinner drinks), and then the final ball which didn't finish until nearly midnight. Not that that stopped people from partying on into the night afterwards.
The final session on the Sunday morning was a combined class for everyone who was still around, with the three teachers taking a dance in turn.
It was pretty eventful week - I haven't mentioned that for the first three days they were busy removing the roof insulation, which caused more than a few problems for the teachers and the organisers. Or the session we had with Torf and his "Reel machine" (a series of wooden disks and loops to illustrate what really happens in a reel of three / four).
Helen sat and observed most of the classes (unless it got too cold or too noisy), and danced a few dances in the evenings - but throughout the week she said she felt included.
We met up with a few old friends, some we had met before our trip to Canada, and some we had met in Canada before we arrived at the school, but more importantly we made a lot of new friends - isn't SCD wonderful!
Some pictures of the course are available (for those people with web access) at http://tac-rscds.org/index.php?module=photoalbum&PHPWS_Album_op=view&PHPWS_Album_id=4
Malcolm Brown
DAY SCHOOL & EVENING DANCE, STOCKTON ON FOREST, 7th OCTOBER
This year we will repeat last year's popular formula, with an afternoon school only followed by a high tea and the evening dance. Members and previous attendees will have had an application form through the post; further application forms are available from Helen Brown.
The afternoon school will be taught by Helen Russell, with music from Pat Clark. The class will be held from 2.00 to 5.15, with a refreshment break, and will cost £7.00. High Tea is available at £4.00 (please book in advance). The evening dance, to Alan Ross and his band, will run from 7.30 to 11.00; again light refreshments are provided. If you attend the class you get a discount of £1 on the evening dance; otherwise, the full price is £8.00.
Catering for the Day School: If you can offer any help with catering for the High Tea, please contact Jean McInnes, who would be delighted to hear from you.
WEKEND SCHOOL, Cairn Hotel, Harrogate, 9 - 11 February 2007
Accommodation for the Weekend is fully booked. There will be a limited number of tickets available for Branch members only for the Saturday evening dance to Ceol na h'Alba. Details in December's Broun's Reel .
STEP CLASS, BEVERLEY
Sheila's class has begun again on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at St. Nicholas Church Centre in Holmechurch Lane, Beverley, starting at 8.00 pm. Although this has been a very popular class for the last few years, unfortunately the first night saw a very low attendance. Please try to get there if you can, as otherwise we may lose this class which some of us enjoy so much!
It was with great surprise and sadness that we recently heard of the death of May O'Brien. May had danced with the branch for several years, mainly in the Pickering and York area, before moving to Eire a few years ago. She had been ill for about a year, and although early treatment had looked promising, she passed away in early July. The letter we received from Maureen Chevens explained how, even though she was very ill, she still managed to get to her son's wedding a week earlier, as well as insisting that the local dance group hold their usual dance in the Kilgarvon village hall. She had become very involved with the local group in Eire, having been elected Secretary at the last AGM, and had taken on the work of categorising their CD collection of over 60 CDs - and she rang me earlier this summer to explain that her tape player had eaten a tape and to ask if I could send her a replacement.
May had kept up with her contacts in the York area, and even attended our Harrogate weekends - her friends in both the branch and in Eire will miss her, and we send our sympathy to her husband and family.
Malcolm Brown
Obituary- Christine Goodfellow
Christine Goodfellow was a founder member of the Branch and a Life member of the RSCDS. When the Branch was formed she lived in Driffield and danced with George Main's group in the town. A few years later she married and moved to York, but other commitments prevailed and she no longer danced though she still kept a keen interest in the Society. As she said a couple of years ago, she felt a Life member of the RSCDS meant a Life member of the RSCDS.
I first met Christine 40 years ago at the York Highland Ball held in the Assembly Rooms and we met up at other big dances in the area like Scarborough and Harrogate. Christine was a very nice dancer and we missed her when she decided not to come dancing any more.
Christine had not been well in recent years and developed a brain tumour. She died in June.
Helen Brown, York
POCKET EDITIONS and POCKET EDITION 42 - 45
Pocket editions of the RSCDS dances are being phased out and will not be reprinted once stock has been sold.
The Pocket Edition for Book 42 - 45 is for sale at approximately £3 (slightly less for members). If you would like a copy to complete your set or to save you carrying 4 big books, I intend to send an order in to HQ in the near future. If you would like to have one, please let me know as soon as possible. Payment may be made on receipt.
Helen Brown, York
Note from the editor:
I still have some pocket editions from Clare and Jock - secondhand but free.
NEWSLETTER No. 107 December 2006
So, Christmas is coming, and after an incredibly busy period at school, this editorial is being written rather closer to Christmas than usual. With Christmas presents in mind, I wondered what kind of presents I could give to my fellow dancers. Hmmm, not an easy task, so, in no particular order, here goes!
I thought I'd begin with Brenda George, but she thought she wouldn't recognise a new version of Mike which said "Of course, you're right, dear". I'd give my Monday class a radar which would keep them from dancing on top of the chairs at the side - if you saw us, you'd know why. I think that my class could also do with a different selective memory - one that remembers the correct instruction given three or four times, and not the mistake made once! I'd also give them a top-up supply of the forgiveness they show when I do get the odd thing wrong, or when I say something that less nice people might take offence at. Here's my list:
For Helen Brown: another room in the house, just for all the SCD stuff.
For Jean: a few more brain cells (I know where there are some as-new, never used ones)
Two presents for Helen Russell - first, a guidebook to Italy, since she's teaching there so often, and second, a notebook so that she can write the definitive guidebook to SCD in Italian.
For readers of Broun's Reel, editorials that make sense, make them think or make them laugh.
For Michael East, in recognition of his annual contribution to Broun's Reel, a Spanish text book called Listos .
For anyone who wants to build a wall, I carry a few stone round with me that I'd love to give away. (For myself, the ability to tell jokes that are funny, instead of efforts like that one!)
For Pat Clark, 26 hours in a day. She already does more in 24 hours than anyone I know!
For Rosemary, patience, because I must have exhausted most of hers.
For Malcolm and Helen Brown, some extra pages in their passport. Hmmm - they could do with a map of Dunnington as well, just in case they forget where their house is!
For the RSCDS in general, many more young people to take up dancing, so that it'll still be there when I reach the age that some of my class are now.
For non-dancers in their teens, 20s and 30s, the discovery of Scottish Country Dancing and all the wonderful times it can bring you.
And more seriously, if I could, I'd give you the promise of good health and happiness for the year ahead. Whatever you give or receive this Christmas, give it with love, as I give you my very best wishes.
Joyce Cochrane
DAY SCHOOL. 2006
I can't call this a report on the Day School as it is now two months since it took place, and Joyce has just asked me to write something as the deadline is today! I shall therefore call it "Memoirs of the Day School".
I remember it as a happy occasion when 33 students ( or perhaps we are now called learners to be politically correct) gathered at Stockton-on-Forest to be taught by Helen Russell accompanied by Pat Clark, both of whom are members of our Branch and well-acclaimed by the Society. We knew we were lucky to have them both.
Right from the start Helen put her own stamp on the class. The warm-up led to the formations of the dances, after we had learned how to count and go clockwise! We all did our best footwork, but what I remember best was how we were reminded of the courtesies of dancing - looking at one another (instead of at the floor)and using hands to help one another in a graceful way (e.g. don't have the other hand waving in the breeze). It was all very helpful. I don't remember ever being told (even by Miss Allie Anderson at school) the correct way to hold hands for three hands across. Helen, we are still remembering to do these things properly, and to get the phrasing right.
Helen amused us with anecdotes of other revered teachers. The only one I remember was Bill Ireland's interpretation of rights and lefts. When a man and woman meet they flirt, two women are catty but I can't remember what two men do. Can you?
Pat's music was as usual inspirational and she always knew exactly what Helen wanted. We were finding the afternoon tiring as it was longer than the usual session, but Pat raised our spirits with a rousing last tune and we finished with a flourish.
The evening dance was well attended and I heard that everyone enjoyed it. I was very sad to have to leave very reluctantly, because of a family crisis, just as the band struck up.
Jean Mclnnes, Hessle
CONGRATULATIONS
Many congratulations to Pat Clark, now of Kingussie but still a branch member, who was awarded a Scroll by the RSCDS at the Annual Conference at Aberdeen in November. Pat was nominated by the Committee for all her work in both teaching and accompanying Scottish Country Dance and Ladies' Step-Dance.
BRANCH CEILIDH. 27th JANUARY 2007. STOCKTON ON FOREST
The annual Branch Ceilidh will be held on 27th January (giving at least another week to polish up those turns!) at its usual venue, the village hall in Stockton-on-Forest. As last year, we are suggesting that turns last approximately 5 minutes - this seemed to work well; the only request so far has been for more Scottish dances, so we shall endeavour to put these in. However, most of the programme should still be accessible to beginners, visitors and occasional dancers. Usual admission prices of £3 (£4 to non-members) still apply, and you are asked to bring contributions to a Faith Supper. (Last year's experiment of a Burns Supper was successful but will only happen occasionally.) Please provide Joyce Cochrane (this year's MC) with details of any turns. Many thanks in advance!
NEWSLETTER No. 108 February 2007
Having scrapped the first five ideas for the editorial this time - the first and third were dreadfully self-indulgent, appealing to an audience of one, the second and fourth were too short, and I'd done the fifth before - I discovered that instead of thinking of idea number six, I'd spent a lot of time just playing about with names of dances, and these kept intruding into the development of the editorial. In the end, I realised that the names themselves were going to be the subject.
Dances come from very different sources, and from quite a wide period of history. Nevertheless, some themes can be easily identified in both older and contemporary dances. The first group that occurred to me consists of those dances named after people: some named in tribute to a family member (Miss Suzanne Barbour, the Laird of Milton's Daughter), to friends both living and departed, like our own Clare's Dance. In the past, when dances were named after an influential person, it was often a person of some local importance, like the Duchess of Gordon or Lady Sophia Anne of Bute - though what was special about the Duchess of Atholl's slipper? Nowadays, dances are more often named after influential dancing teachers or RSCDS dignitaries- Miss Gibson's Strathspey and Mrs. Stewart of Fasnacloich , though perhaps The Earl of Mansfield fits both categories. I rather like J.B.Milne , named after a popular cinema owner!
Then there are the dances named after places, either natural well-loved places: think of all those Braes, Balquidder , Mellinish and Breadalbane, to name but a few, or the built environment. Cramond Bridge was named after a Teacher Training College near Edinburgh where Scottish country dancing was on the curriculum. Hopetoun House is perhaps the built equivalent of naming a house after the local Earl; Bedrule is an example of a wistful look back into family history.
Many dances, particularly those we have from the 18th century, did not have their own names at all, but were named after the tune they were danced to, like The Fairy Dance and The Back o' Bennachie ; the Irish Rover is the modern version which springs to mind. Surely "I'll Gang Nae Mair tae Yon Toon " must have been a song title at one time? Some have a literary rather than a musical connection, like Fergus Mclvor (a Walter Scott character), or a connection with a legend - Bratach Bana and The Phantom Piper. It's noticeable that these all tend to be more modern dances. The tendency to name dances in Gaelic also seems recent: are earlier dances all highland or step dances?
Another modern trend has been to commemorate events, on private and grand scales both, from Royal Wedding to Anniversary Reel. Neil Gow's Farewell to Whisky may be named after the tune, but is a very endearing commemoration! Pipe tunes have often commemorated military events, but there is a substantial group of dances with military connections too: not only Reel of the 51st, but also Reel of the Royal Scots, 1415, and Angus MacLeod. Then there's the sheer quirkiness of Saw Ye My Wee Thing - surely another song tune? And finally, can anyone tell me why you'd name any dances after a fishing fly? And which dance is that? (Not You, Malcolm!)
HAVE I LEFT A CARBON FOOTPRINT. OR IS THAT JUST SLIPSTOP DUST I SEE ON THE FLOOR?
As I have mentioned in the past, Susan and I dance at many venues, mainly in Yorkshire, but not exclusively. As might be expected, we find that the programmes to which we dance in the different regions reflect local dancers preferences both for the dances used, and for the way in which they form the programme .
At some places the programmes come from one, sometimes always the same, compiler. Elsewhere, perhaps 18 people will contribute to the resulting 18 dances in the programme . Again, the programme may be the result of deliberations by a small group of dancers. From the nature of Scottish Country dancing, it must be expected that its exponents will have their own ideas about compiling programmes . Of course they know all about programmes . Of course they do. And, again, of course, it shows when they are charged with the production of a programme . Favourite titles fill the list of dances, with a passing acknowledgement of the concept that there should some each of reels, jigs, and strathspeys . But of the arrangement of a list of dances into a programme I have written before. If instead of writing, I had been speaking, and if I ate porridge, I could have used my breath to better effect. The main trait discernible in programme devisers is that they please themselves, and as my old granny used to say: if you please yourself, at least someone is pleased. As always, there are one or two notable exceptions.
At the evening dance itself, it is interesting to note the many different dancing techniques. I have always gained much instruction, even delight, in watching the relaxed and accurate footwork of fellow dancers. In my early dancing days I had great difficulty with the pas-de-basque step, which I started with what I can only describe as a convulsive kick. Eventually the step was mastered (at least to my satisfaction) by close observation of others. Teachers did not seem to understand my problem and were not able to help - this was possibly due to the fact that I did not myself know what was my problem so that I was not able to pose a question that could be answered. By observation, and almost by accident, I stumbled on what was for me the crux of the matter: the setting step starts before the initial beat. We all may benefit from watching other dancers. Particularly worth watching are those few, young enough and agile enough, to have developed an attractive style of dancing. Then there are those older ones who have retained their skills. From them we can learn. Just as we kindly ignore the travel steps in which the feet pass and do not close, and the pas de basque of two beats instead of three, because that is what we achieve ourselves. It is a sign of the ageing composition of the body of dancers that so many of us can no longer bounce about as once we were wont to do, to our great regret. With age, steps give way to timing, which includes the ability to be in the right place at the right moment and heading in the right direction. And eventually we graduate to the level I have reached. For just as I was beginning to feel that I was mastering the steps and even the timing, physical disabilities have downgraded me to being just another attendee at the dancing. Sometimes I think that Scottish Country Dancing should carry a health warning.
Of the dances themselves, I am always surprised that there are some that consistently appear on programmes year after year. Especially when I consider the rate at which new dances appear. I have heard calls for a moratorium on new dances. But with the increasing opportunities for publishing new dances (the internet and new magazines both providing extra showcases for new devisers) a moratorium is as likely as good, well-chosen, varied, and considerate programmes are few. Trends in popularity can be seen, as dances slip in and out of favour, but old favourites remain popular. Considerations of where dances are danced leads me to the conclusion that that the popularity of a dance is not reflected necessarily by the number of times I come across it during the year. Some dances are encountered at many different places over a wide area. Others are found in relatively few venues, where they seem to be danced almost to exha