We're using cookies to make this site more secure, featureful and efficient.

Issue 1366: Adding a large amount of information about dances in this publication

Object
Glendarroch Scottish Dance Sheets (Publication)
Submitter
Murrough Landon (murrough)
Assigned to
Murrough Landon
Priority
Normal
Disposition
Fixed
Description

For my own curiosity I recently decided to look at copy of the Glendarroch dance sheets in the British Library. Comparing with whats in SCDDB I noticed detailed information was missing for many of the dances and decided to go through them all. This has resulted in a very long message.

I havent formally adopted this publication as unfortunately the British Library copy is missing seven of the 50 sheets. The Scottish Dance Archive website (http://www.dancearchives.co.uk) does have very faithful digital copies of all the sheets. However I did spot a couple of errors (which I told them about and which they have now corrected) so might not be authoritative for those Ive not seen. I hope I have not added too many errors of my own…

For the publication as a whole, it is currently marked as having no tunes. In fact sheet 4 does have the music score for the tunes of both its dances (reproduced from other sources). If SCDDB should link them they are:

  • The Landlady of Inver Inn (Neil Gow, 1st collection, p27) for the dance Inver Inn
  • Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself (Neil Gow, 2nd repository, p21) for the dance Shake Yourself

Many of the dances do not have a date in SCDDB. In those cases I have given the copyright date on the sheet which may of course not be the date the dance was actually devised. I am not sure what the policy is there.

Sheet 1:
Dance: Earlstoun Loch (R32, 5/5L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1966
    Dance: Loch Doon Castle (S32, 5/5L)
  • Formations: only half figure of 8; hands round 3 & back, hands round 4 & back; only 8 bars of reel of 5, so not complete reel

Sheet 2:
Dance: Airie Bennan (J32, 5/5L)

  • Formations: maybe hands across with setting instead of hands across half?

Dance: Lochskerrow (S32, 5/5L)

  • Steps: add Strathspey Setting
  • Formations: NO full hands across; only half hands across with setting
  • Tune: here spelled “Sheriff Muir” (not “Sherrifmuir”. This is given as an alternate title to Kafoozalum, ie not a separate tune (see SDA copy of the text at http://www.dancearchives.co.uk/dances/glendarroch/lochskerrow.htm. I am no expert on tunes but I suspect the SCDDB entry for Sherrifmuir (http://my.strathspey.org/dd/tune/1599/) may be a mistake. I tried looking at tunes websites and found other options, eg “The Battle of Sheriff Muir” but I think thats different again.

Sheet 3 MISSING from British Library

Sheet 4:
Dance: Shake Yourself (J32)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Date: sheet copyright 1966
  • Music: tune is claimed to be by Niel Gow (at least in his collections)
    Dance: Inver Inn
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Date: sheet copyright 1966

Sheet 5:
Dance: My Ain Hoose (J32, 2/4L)

  • OK
    Dance: The Rose Tree (R32, 2/4L)
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque

Sheet 6:
Dance: Miss Stewart’s Jig (J32, 2/4L)

  • OK
    Dance: Roaring Jelly (J32, 3/4L)
  • OK

Sheet 7 (NB The Caledonian Reel is the first of two pages, opposite from SCDDB order):
Dance: The Caledonian Reel (Medley S48+R48 highland steps)
Dance: The Speyside Reel (Medley S48+R48 highland steps)

  • I dont know enough about highland steps to comment on these but note that The Caledonian Reel is marked as “h” (Highland) whereas The Speyside Reel is “Medley”. Actually both are the same S48+R48 type and both have highland steps. So Im not sure what choice to make but it seems a bit inconsistent to describe the dance type differently.

Sheet 8:
Dance: MacDonald of the Isles (S32, 3/3L)

  • OK
    Dance: McEwan’s Reel (J32, 3/4L)
  • Formations: hands round 6 half; figure of 8 half

Sheet 9:
Dance: My Heather Hills (J48, 3/3L)

  • OK

Sheet 10:
Dance: The Creel (R32, 4/4L)

  • OK

Sheet 11:
Dance: The Fountain (J32, 4/4L)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add set and turn partner?

Sheet 12:
Dance: Auchencairn (R32)

  • Formations: Not full 16 bar petronella but several quarter petronella; also has hands across 4.

Sheet 13:
Dance: Crossmichael (S32, 3/4L)

  • Steps: add Strathspey Setting
  • Formations: add hands round 3; chase special; hands round 6 half

Sheet 14:
Dance: Flitting (J32, 4/4L)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add reel of four half (all in prom hold)

Sheet 15:
Dance: The Green Well of Scotland (S48, 4/4L)

  • Progression: 4321 (done twice)
  • Steps: add Strathspey Setting
  • Formations: add hands round 4 half; hands round 8 half; grand chain half.

Sheet 16:
Dance: Glenlochar (R64, 4/4L)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque

Sheet 17:
Dance: Drambuie (J160, 4S)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque (also High cutting, balance, polka - first two covered by “highland” presumably)
  • Formations: add grand chain half. NB reels of 8 are not quite Schiehallion reels as either W or M stand still.

Sheet 18 (NB Polharrow burn is the first of two pages, opposite from SCDDB order):
Dance: Polharrow Burn (R32, 5/5L)

  • OK
    Dance: Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (S32, 5/5L)
  • Formations: add hands round 4 half; hands round 10 half. NB both grand chain and reel of 4 are only half.
  • Tune: stated as “The Marchioness of Huntly’s Strathspey by William Marshall 1748-1833” (for more details see http://www.dancearchives.co.uk/dances/glendarroch/cairnsmore.htm). I think this is different from the David Grant tune given. The recording (https://my.strathspey.org/dd/recording/1776/) has tune “Marchioness of Huntly” (https://my.strathspey.org/dd/tune/1067/) which I suspect is what Foss was referring to - but I am not a music expert.

Sheet 19:
Dance: Fortnight at St Andrews (S32, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1967
  • Steps: add Strathspey Setting
  • Formations: add hands across 4 half, petronella quarter (approx), highland schottische in DTr formation(?), half reels of 3 on sides

Sheet 20:
Dance: The Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton Reel (R40, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1967
  • Formations: add reel of four half diagonal; balance in line; something like a corner chain?

Sheet 21:
Dance: The Waterfall (J64, 4/4L)

  • Formations: add hands across 4; chase half

Sheet 22:
Dance: Dundrennan (S49, 4/4L)

  • Formations: add back to back; advance&retire (one step, special?); reel of 8 half; hands round 6 half

Sheet 23:
Dance: London Reel (R32, 3/4L)

  • OK

Sheet 24:
Dance: The Belfast Almanac (J32, 2/4L)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque

Sheet 25:
Dance: Alister McAlister (S32, 3/4L)

  • OK

Sheet 26:
Dance: The Heights of Alma (R32, 2/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1968
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add hands across 4 half

Sheet 27:
Dance: Christina McLellan (R32, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1968 (both dances)
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add petronella half
    Dance: Sheena’s Fancy (J32, 3/4L)
  • Date: sheet copyright 1968 (both dances)
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque, Slip-Step
  • Formations: add hands round 6 & back

Sheet 28:
Dance: The Luckenbooth Brooch (J32, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1968
  • OK otherwise

Sheet 29:
Dance: The Bannockburn Reel (R32, 4/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1968
  • Formations: also hands across 4 & back; rights and left half

Sheets 30-34 MISSING from British Library

Sheet 35:
Dance: The Killiecrankie Reel (R32, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1969
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add arches

Sheet 36:
Dance: Miss Fleming’s Jig (J32, 3/4L)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque

Sheet 37:
Dance: Millquarter (S32, 4/4L)

  • Formations: add hands round 4 half; hands round 6 half; hands round 8 half; right & left half; grand chain for 8 half (actually just 3 hands)

Sheet 38:
Dance: Stroangassel (R32, 3/4L)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Tune: spelled “Callum Beg” - maybe a mistake? (SCDDB has “Callum Beag”).

Sheet 39:
Dance: Miss Taylor’s Reel (R32, 3/4L)

  • No date on sheet (1969 presumed as sheets either side are copyright in 1969).
  • Formations: add advance and retire (1 step); advance and retire (2 steps); reel of three on side
    Question: current formation system has no distinction between 8 and 6 bar reels, does the new formation system?
  • Tune: given as “Miss Taylor’s Reel - Keith”. Presumably another alias for “Miss Taylor” in SCDDB. This link (http://richardrobinson.tunebook.org.uk/Tune/3969?index=36) has the title Foss uses and has the same details as SCDDB.

Sheet 40:
Dance: The Marquis of Huntly’s Farewell (S32, 3/4L)

  • Formations: add advance and retire; advance and retire (1 step)

Sheet 41:
Dance: Balmaclellan (J48, 4/4L)

  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add hands across 4 half; reel of 4 half
    NB the text on the Scottish Dance Archives page (http://www.dancearchives.co.uk/dances/glendarroch/balmaclellan.htm) originally had “half reels of three on the sides” whereas the sheet has “half reels of four”. This is now corrected.

Sheet 42:
(Technique sheet, no dances or tunes).

Sheet 43:
Dance: The Lovat Scouts (R32, 2/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1970
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add hands across half

Sheet 44:
Dance: The Kirrie Kebbuck (S32, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1970
  • Steps: add Strathspey Setting
  • Formations: NO hands across! Add hands round 4; hands round 6; grand chain half. NB advance and retire 1 step (not 2 steps)

Sheet 45:
Dance: The Thrums Cairn (R32, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1970

Sheet 46:
Dance: Glengrant (S32, 2/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1970
  • Steps: add Strathspey Setting
  • Formations: add lead down cross and cast up; rights and lefts [but only 3/4]; advance and retire (1 step); hands round 4

Sheet 47:
Dance: Gladstone (R32, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1970
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: add hands across 4 with setting; reel of 4 half; petronella half (8 bars)

Sheet 48:
Dance: The Laird o’ Thrums (S32, 4/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1970
  • Steps: add Strathspey Setting
  • Formations: add advance and retire 1 step

Sheet 49 MISSING from British Library

Sheet 50:
Dance: Fine Fettle (J48, 3/4L)

  • Date: sheet copyright 1976.
  • Steps: add Pas-de-Basque
  • Formations: NO full reel of three (only half reels)

Previous Actions

  • Date  Jan. 31, 2018, 11:51 a.m.
  • User  Murrough Landon (murrough)

New issue submitted

  • Date  Feb. 8, 2018, 8:21 p.m.
  • User  Murrough Landon (murrough)

Assigned changed to »murrough« (previously »None«)
Disposition changed to »Being handled« (previously »New«)

I will start working my way through what has just become a self imposed task.

  • Date  Feb. 16, 2018, 12:12 a.m.
  • User  Murrough Landon (murrough)

I have made a first attempt at most of the above. Even more tedious than I had expected but a useful learning exercise. Making a second pass and third over the sheets (Keith kindly sent me a PDF) revealed a couple of mistakes and omissions in my original submission.

I added missing progressions, steps and formations where it was clear which existing ones to use.

About half the dances had “devised” dates already set to the copyright date of their original sheet, so I assumed this was expected and filled in many of the missing ones following that scheme - but then found that Anselm would have preferred I had not - a lesson in not inferring too much from existing data.

There are still a few left over questions:

  • Tunes for Lochskerrow. Checking again in the traditional tune archive website, the tune Kafoozalum has Sherrifmuir as an alias. So I think SCDDB should reflect this but will ask Eric for detailed guidance.
  • Devised dates for two Derek Haynes dances (My Heather Hills, Blervie Castle) are set to 1991, which is the date of his subsequent Carnforth books, despite being originally published 20-25 years earlier in the Glendarroch sheets. I didnt yet change these but think they should be changed.
  • Apparently inconsistent (to me anyway) dance types for The Caledonian Reel and The Speyside Reel.
  • Date  Feb. 16, 2018, 12:25 a.m.
  • User  Eric Ferguson (EricFerguson)

Hi Murrough. As for tune issues, I am rather ignorant. You would do better to ask Anselm and some of his musician-editors. Greetings. Eric

  • Date  March 7, 2018, 7:40 p.m.
  • User  Murrough Landon (murrough)

Disposition changed to »Fixed« (previously »Being handled«)

After making another pass though the data I have now completed these updates as far as I can (including correcting a few errors and omissions in my original report). Most of the information is marked complete and correct except where I was uncertain about tunes or unusual formations not really matching existing formation entries. I also worked out dance intensities for almost all these dances and uploaded them.

There are still some outstanding questions mainly about tunes but I think they will best be dealt with by opening separate specific issues for the corresponding dances than by adding to this already excessively long issue. So I will marked this one as fixed which is mostly true.