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Dance The Chapman 1154

Reel · 32 bars · 3 couples · Longwise - 4   (Progression: 213)

Devised by
Unknown
Intensity
888 888 888 844 = 91% (1 turn), 69% (whole dance)
Formations
Steps
  • Pas-de-Basque, Skip-Change, Slip-Step
Published in
Recommended Music
Extra Info
The Chapman

In isolated Highland crofts or hill farms in the south, the arrival of the chapman with his heavily laden pony was an event of major importance. His coming was often the first contact the rural Scots had had with the outside world in many months. With the chapman, the pedlar, the cadger, came not only merchandise that could not be produced at home, the luxuries of a rather elementary life, but, of perhaps equal value, news from beyond the glen.

Even in the towns, shops were few and the inhabitants relied upon the chapman for the delivery of foodstuffs as well as kitchen and household utensils.

It is not surprising, then, that a dance should be called “The Chapman” for these early commercial travellers were generally held in affection by the country people as the following poem by Robert Burns indicates.

As Tam the chapman on a day
Wi’ Death foregather’d by the way,
Weel pleas’d he greets a wight so famous,
And Death was nae less pleas’d wi’ Thomas,
Wha cheerfully lays down his pack,
And there blaws up a hearty crack:
His social, friendly, honest heart
Sae tickled Death, they could na part;
Sae, after viewing knives and garters,
Death taks him hame to gie him quarters.

In music, another pedlar was immortalised by Nathaniel Gow whose reel “John Cheap the Chapman” was included in *Part Second of the Complete Repository of Original Scots Tunes, Strathspeys, Jigs and Dances …” published by Niel Gow and Sons (1802).

NameArtistAlbumMediaTrkTypeTimePaceClip
The Chapman Alastair Hunter & the Lorne Scottish Dance Band Book 25. Twelve Scottish Country Dances CD+ 2 R32 84:41 35.1
The Chapman 3/4L · R32
1–
All set | Circle6 L
9–
All set, Circle6 R, finishing for
17–
1c+2c+3c promenade, at the end 1c cast and 2c dance up (2,1,3)
25–
1c+3c RHA ; 2c+1c LHA
The Chapman 3/4L · R32
1-8
1s+2s+3s set & circle 6H round to left
9-16
1s+2s+3s set & circle 6H round to right
17-24
1s+2s+3s dance Promenade, 1s casting to 2nd place
25-32
1s+3s dance RH across, 2s+1s dance LH across

Sorry, this browser doesn't seem to do SVG graphics :^(

NameDateOwnerLast changed
Easter Course CGB Kuckucksnest 2019 2019-04-21 Martin McWilliam May 21, 2019, 4:32 p.m.
Surbiton 2018 April 14th - 70th Anniversary DAY SCHOOL Evening Dance 2018-04-14 Jenny Kendrick April 7, 2018, 6:51 p.m.
FSCDC 5 June 2012 2012-06-05 Anselm Lingnau June 5, 2012, 4:49 p.m.

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