Reviews

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Book 52

Twelve dances, ranging from straightforward to complex. It is interesting to see the repetition of formations with several occurrences of corners pass and turn, and set and link for 2 couples, as well as a focus on newer formations, and variations on some older ones. City Lights has a pleasing variation on corners pass and turn, incorporating an allemande turn. Finishing with a birl adds enjoyment for active dancers! The Ullapool Ferry features the lively hello goodbye poussette to Muriel Johnstone’s music – I love a dance where I can make a connection to Scottish history or legend to emphasise the Scottish element in SCD. The ferry, The Loch Seaforth, crosses the waters of the Minch to Stornoway, Isle of Lewis – a stormy stretch of water, with the legend of the Blue Men who inhabit The Minch and control the storms. However, if a ship’s captain can speak a verse in Gaelic, they are given safe passage. Slytherin House has a smooth entry from hands across into the Snake Pass formation, combined with the music, endearing this dance to fans of Harry Potter. Instant recognition from my classes! Forty and Counting has an interesting variation on the three-couple chain progression which is challenging and lively. The Scallywag is a flirtatious jig with the allemande turn. Ruby Wilkinson’s Farewell to Cranshaws has intriguing music. Dancers need very precise phrasing to travel those interweaving reels of 4 on the diagonal, but they are enjoyable when mastered. Farewell to Balfour Road is a deceptively simple five-couple dance, which becomes more complex when the next couple begin on bar 17 and the class realise it’s a canon. A fun dance! My classes loved it. Ysobel Stewart of Fish Hoek, is an elegant strathspey with a tourbillion. The Aviator contains a challenging combination of half tandem reels and full reels of 3, with the exhilaration of dancing down as far as you can in the first 4 bars of the dance. Triple Happiness is a strathspey with corners pass and turn from the knot, much appreciated by both my classes. The Bon Viveur medley is interesting with its men’s chain, into Schiehallion reels, an easily remembered dance to great music. Trip to Timber Ridge is an enjoyable reel with corners pass and turn flowing into double triangles. Not having a chance to dance any of the dances before teaching them, it was extraordinarily helpful to watch videos of these dances, from a variety of dancers, young and old. The devisers are to be congratulated on the multiple variations on formations; thanks also to Ian R Muir for his music arrangements. The accompanying CD by Jim Lindsay and his Scottish Dance Band, has an interesting selection of recordings, some far from traditional when using modern music themes. Deirdre MacCuish Bark, Toronto Association

Dunfermline Branch 95th

Dunfermline Branch has released a book of dances, and a CD to celebrate their 90th Anniversary. The book contains 16 dances (7 reels, 3 jigs and 6 strathspeys), devised by members and friends of Dunfermline Branch. Frank Thomson and his Scottish country dance band have recorded the accompanying CD. Frank himself plays lead accordion with Sarah Beattie on fiddle, Dennis Morrison on bass and piano, and the versatile Nicky McMichan on drums. Although some of the tunes chosen by Frank are traditional, most of them are from a range of celebrated musicians from across the centuries including Nathaniel Gow, J Scott Skinner, Jimmy Shand, Jim Johnstone and Ian Powrie. There are also tunes composed by contemporary musicians such as Ian T Muir, Graeme Mitchell, Neil Barron, George Meikle and Alan Ross. Frank has skilfully put some great sets together which makes the CD ideal to listen to as well as to dance to. I particularly liked the sets for A Reel or Two for Sheila, Peacocks in the Glen, The Red Rose and Nethertown Nights. The dances have been devised to honour a number of people who have been involved in Dunfermline Branch, as well as iconic aspects of Dunfermline – the Louise Carnegie Gates, the Glen Pavilion and the peacocks in the Glen. There is a good range of dances suitable for both the experienced and the less experienced dancer. The Red Rose is a straightforward strathspey in a square set with lovely flowing movements danced to beautiful traditional tunes including Durisdeer, which is one of my favourites. A few dances contain formations which have become particular favourites with dancers in recent times: the half Celtic reel in Linktown Strathspey; the espagnole in Dunfermline to Sarasota; the schiehallion reel in Queen Margaret’s Crown and la baratte in 90 Years On. I also particularly liked Nethertown Nights which contains a split set and rotate formation and is danced to the beautiful traditional tune Bonnie Gallowa’. Some of the dances such as The Louise Carnegie Gates and A Jig for John Philip require dancers to dance with flight and energy and the set of tunes selected by Frank certainly give the dancers this in abundance.

At the end of the book the dances are also presented in diagram form and I found this particularly useful to clarify some of the dance instructions. The dances I have taught from this book have been well received and I feel that many of them will find their way into dance programmes across the dancing community. My husband, who is not a Scottish country dancer, has also enjoyed listening to the CD. Overall they make a great combination. Anne Thorn, RSCDS Helensburgh and District Branch