Reviews

Does your branch or club have a new book which you would like reviewed? If you teach a class and are interested in reviewing books from a teaching point of view, please be in touch mag.editor@rscds.org

After the Rain: A Collection of Scottish Country Dances.

Published by RSCDS Belfast Branch.

Belfast Branch have a very good pedigree when it comes to books of dances, having published three books previously, so I was delighted to be asked to review their latest book After the Rain produced during the Covid pandemic. The book was funded by the Arts Council for Northern Island and the Ulster-Scots Agency, through the Ulster-Scots Community Network. The Branch was approached in the midst of the pandemic by the USCN who suggested that if they wanted to consider any project which would help them connect with their membership, and help to keep Scottish country dancing alive, then they would consider sponsoring such a venture. One of the branch members, Patricia Sides from the Castlereagh class, had already devised a dance for lockdown which could be danced either individually at home or in a set. This dance sowed the seeds for a proposal and the result was this book which is a free publication. Hard copies can be obtained with package and postage costs only, pdf copies by email from secretary@ rscdsbelfast.org. I particularly like the title After the Rain which I think really captures the spirit of this book of dances. There are 10 new dances all written by members of the branch with some being written during lockdown with suitable titles. All the dances are accompanied with music, with most of the tunes being original and some written specifically for the named dance. The first dance in the book, The Lock-in Dance a 4 x 32 bar jig, which inspired the idea for the book, was specifically written for dancing in lockdown and was devised with a teddy bear as a partner. How many people can remember dancing with a cuddly toy for a partner during lockdown? I certainly can, mine was a koala! This is a great little dance with a super tune written specifically for it by Nicky McMichan. The more times I read through this book, the more impressed I am at the variety and diversity of the dances. This is a book for all levels of dancer, none of them is particularly difficult although they are not all suitable for less experienced dancers. The music is also very good and the tunes seem well suited to the dances. I thoroughly enjoyed playing all of them. One observation on the tunes: it is interesting to note that all the strathspeys are pastorals, maybe this is a modern trend? I cannot single out any one dance or tune as a highlight as they all look wonderful, and I will be trying out every single one of the dances as soon as I can. David Queen, Ribble Valley Branch The Well Tuned Piano, Piano Music for Scottish Country Dancing with Don Bartlett

Back in the days of vinyl, I acquired an LP by a Canadian band, Don Bartlett and the Scotians Play Favourites. It was a thoroughly good listen and became one of my most used LPs. In 2019, when I was a depute director at Summer School in St Andrews, I was delighted to discover that Don was on the staff, and I had the great pleasure of working with him on the Younger Hall demonstration in Week 4. He chose excellent music, including some of his own compositions, for our set of dances, of which only one had an original tune. He was a real member of the team and his interaction with them was much appreciated by its members. Don has been using his time wisely over lockdown, and had produced a solo CD, a real toe-tapper. Several of the tunes he used for the above-mentioned demonstration reappear, and it is a genuine pleasure to hear them again. Don’s tempo is excellent throughout, and his playing has great lift and drive as his fingers dance over the keys. It really makes you want to be up dancing. All the arrangements on the CD are his own, some of which he has been playing since he started accompanying country dancing in the 1960s and some more recent. He includes no fewer than 19 of his own compositions, but also a range of traditional and familiar melodies, many by weel-kent names like Niel and Nathaniel Gow, James Scott Skinner and others - some sets are all his own tunes, some all traditional, and some a mixture. A particular favourite from among his own compositions is St Anne’s Cathedral, on track 12, which Don also chose as an alternative for the strathspey in the 2019 demonstration.

The CD is also available as a download, but this does not include the booklet, which, in addition to interesting snippets of information about each dance, contains the instructions for four dances not published elsewhere. Copies of the CD are available from TACsound here: https://sound.tac-rscds.org/. Don is happy to make sheet music for any of his compositions available to musicians, only asking that, if the tune is recorded, he should be credited as the composer, and that he should be sent a copy of the recording. Contact Don at don.bartlett@ veritrack.ca.

Anne Robertson, Oban and Lorn/Glasgow branch

Bill Ewan’s Lockdown Sessions: A selection of live music recorded during 2020

As an American relatively new to Scottish music I was hesitant to write about Bill’s CD. Then I was pleasantly surprised by his inclusion of many American tunes of the jazz and big band eras. These are tunes Bill played on Facebook during lockdown and many may be familiar to you. With production support and encouragement from Ewan Galloway, the idea for a CD that could be used to support the British Heart Foundation was realized. As of this writing Bill has raised £1500 for the 60th birthday of this charity. And yet Bill did not think he would be producing a CD at age 80! Bill has included tunes from such jazz greats from the 1920s such as Duke Ellington, the originator of big band jazz; Ella Fitzgerald, the queen of jazz, and Stephen Foster of the 1850s, known as the father of American music. There is a taste of ragtime music by Hal Biddy and Kerry Mills. The big band leader and master of swing, Glen Miller’s tune, Moonlight Serenade, is featured. Nashville sound is represented by Jim Reeves. The backbone of jazz is improvisation and true to this style, Bill added his interpretation to the tunes he chose to feature.

As well as American composers, Scottish tunesmiths are very well represented here. Bill himself is a composer – several of his own tunes are here, including Milton Brae for the strathspey Dunfermline to Sarasota, which Bill’s cousin, Margo Priestley, devised for the Dunfermline Branch 90th Anniversary Book. And we have Joe (Mr Piano) Henderson, born in Glasgow, who will be remembered by older readers (myself included), and Felix Burns, born in Perth in 1864, as well as all our regular SCD composers for the set dance tracks.

All in all, a lovely CD which everyone will enjoy listening to! Donna Weidenfeller Harry Andrews

Scottish Reeling: How to Dance And Enjoy The Eleven Popular Scottish Reels, (eBook Edition

By David Yarwood, £1.99.

How times have changed, and for the better! At an RSCDS AGM Forum many years ago, I remember a member having the temerity to mention the words “ceilidh dancing”. This was not well received. The same applied to Reeling: “Why should we help them dance our dances incorrectly?” was the general attitude. So, I was pleased to be asked to review this little eBook by David Yarwood, who has attended RSCDS classes as well as SCD Groups and London Reels, and is knowledgeable about the different styles of Scottish dancing. The eleven dances are: The Dashing White Sergeant; Duke of Perth; The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh; The Eightsome Reel; The Foursome Reel; Hamilton House; Inverness Country Dance; The Machine Without Horses; Mairi’s Wedding; and The Reel of the 51st Division. Each dance starts with a straightforward instruction, the difference is that each part is designated by a letter, not the usual “Bars 1-8”, although the bars are explained later. This is followed by a set of Keith Rose Diagrams, especially done for this Reelers’ version. Then there are Tips, explaining each of the Letter parts, and finally Advanced Tips, such as dancing Doubles in the Duke of Perth, or the Aberdonian for The Reel of the 51st Division and the Inverness Country Dance. After the dances, there is an appendix: Tradition (a little history about SCD and these dances): Figures (explaining the Formations); Glossary; Diagram Symbols (an explanation of Keith Rose’s symbols); and suggested videos to watch. This eBook is very well laid out, so that it is just as useful for beginners as it is a crib/reminder for dancers going to a ball/ wedding etc. It can be downloaded to a tiny iPod or mobile phone, which can easily be slipped into a sporran or evening bag; the phone probably is anyway! How would it benefit RSCDS members? By dancing the Reelers’ way at a Highland Ball or wedding you will be able to dance until dawn without feeling fatigued. More importantly, if people arrive at your class/group expecting to learn the above dances in an hour or so, rather than explain in a friendly way why it is not possible, you could suggest that they buy this eBook. By inviting them to leave their email address you could keep in touch and encourage them to join WHITE ROSE FESTIVALyour class/group after their Ball/wedding. Peter Knight, London Branch ... of Scottish Country Dancing

WHITE ROSE FESTIVAL

The 66th annual

... of Scottish Country Dancing

WHITE ROSE FESTIVAL Saturday 9th July 2022, 1.30pm, Gateways School, Harewood, Leeds LS17 9LE

Massed General Dancing Demonstration Groups Highland & Ladies’ Step Dancing Children’s Groups Evening Dance

Music throughout by Susan MacFadyen & her Scottish Dance Band

We welcome full teams of 8-10, but can make arrangements for smaller groups or individuals

Full details from the website

whiterosefestival.uk