Comments

Question for dancers

Question for dancers

How would you dance to the Scottish reel
The Flowers of Edinburgh?

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by Random_notes

Re: Question for dancers

The two hand reel is simple dance for a couple. that is exciting and fun. Perhaps that might do? Dont think i know the tune though......

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by jig

Re: Question for dancers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBqe8IL3FE 8-) "a violent scramble"

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0922

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Midfield/3705/FlwrEdin.htm

http://www.srcf.ucam.org/round/dances/cdb/cdb1/flowers

http://www.danceandmusicindexes.org/DFIE/Source1/S0014876.htm

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

The lost tribe of Alba? :-D

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

I still think that the R.S.C.D.S. has the ol' pousette completely a*s backwards and generally screwed up...

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

I wondered what had happened to the White Heather Club:-)

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey

Re: Question for dancers

My living room sometimes, with Jimmy Shand and the band... ;-)

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

For those not familiar with its initials, it's the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society - http://www.rscds.org - an organisation devoted to destroying the soul of Scottish traditional music and reinforcing all the stereotypes you could ever imagine for the last 80 years.

Andy Stewart has a lot to answer for, but can't be blamed for this self-serving bunch of Morningside diddies.

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by Floss the Tethers

Re: Question for dancers

MacCruishkeen Ban, beware the ides of March... It'll be like a Doctor Who episode, only the robots will all be wearing kilts and evening gowns with tartan sashes... 8-)

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

That´s quite an easy dance. It´s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. With your hands on your hips you bring your knees in tight. Remember though, that it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane

# Posted on December 15th 2007 by Björn

Re: Question for dancers

That's over here ~ ;-)

Discussion: Something more to put you in that Christmas spirit?
# Posted on December 15th 2007 by ceolachan
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/16109

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

"The Flowers of Edinburgh"

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on February 22nd 2004 by noah.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2549
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2549/comments

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

Discussion: a simple question about Flowers of Edinburgh
# Posted on June 19th 2004 by vboyd100
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/3843

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

More dancing choices ~ in North America, Canada and the U.S. of A. ~ any 32 bar dance, for example a contra or a quadrille...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

The 'Ulster Clap Dance'...of which there are several varieties, most often danced to "Soldiers Joy"...

& ~ any 32 bar reel...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

If played with swing, as a hornpipe, there are other possible options...for example, any of the several versions of "Siamsa Bierta", the two-hand hornpipe...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Or ~ "The Jacky Tar"...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

That was merely a detour.
Is F.O.E. a 2-hand reel, country dance, Irish hornpipe, schottische, time-warp . . . or ~
all of the above?

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by Random_notes

Re: Question for dancers

All of the above ~ and then some... 8-)

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

Flowers of Edinburgh is also used for a Bampton morris dance. I can't find a video of Bampton morris themselves, but see http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=u-JFlpHhMLw

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by cathycook

Re: Question for dancers

scary bells there :-)

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey

Re: Question for dancers

Everything is bigger over there baz...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

More and bigger...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

Nice one CC... I had forgotten to mention that.

It would be great to have a Morris take on the tune in the 'comments' for it... Hint, hint... I'm surprised the Merry Highlander hasn't added one of the endless American takes on the tune, which was played around his interests. I'll have to prod him and wake him and after the grump, get him to contribute to this... ;-)

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

I'm posting a morris take on this tune in the Tunes section.

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by lazyhound

Re: Question for dancers

Ah, ok, that one.... To my mind its a hornpipe! 8-)

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by jig

Re: Question for dancers

Red Stags Morris
http://www.redstags.org/rs/index.html

~ more Morris associations ~ used for the 'Red Stags Morris' dance "Weobley Hankie Dance"...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

More to follow in the 'comments' for the tune, great hound dog.

Jig ~ YES! ~ the liklihood, and the earliest transcriptions, have this as a hornpipe. As has happened to many hornpipes, that flattening out, prevalent in North America and elsewhere, the tune became known as and used as a reel, as it is for dance there, contras and quadrilles, etc... I believe there is also a contra dance that is known by that name. I'll see if I can dig it out and add it here for further comparisons of how this tune has been and is used for dancing. We have known, played it and danced to it both with swing, as a hornpipe in that style, and straight, as a reel, as a couple dance and en-masse... 8-)

Here is a link so you can see how often it has come up in ABCs, one of the largest blocks of contributions I know of:

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/ndx/FL.html

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

& rant!!! ~ another way to dance to it...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

I am searching my memory to remember where the set comes from that Pat Ryan suggested the tune was used in Ireland for one of the figures but its just not there. I think it was a barn dance figure .

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey

Re: Question for dancers

Ok Ive been spending les stime at the PC and more at other things, but Ive been sucked in by the allure and temptations of bright mustards and the chaos and madness of traditional melodies and the strange comfort they bring to me...

The Flowers of Edinburgh is one of the old tunes still traditionally played in the Allegheny and Potomac Highlands of the USA and although its been standardized and played currently as posted here already, at one time (pre 1900 to 1960s probably ) it was a tune of great variation to the players of the afore mentioned region.

Samuel Bayard collected many versions between the 1930s and 60s from "ear" players and almost all of them would be considered "crooked" meaning they had measures of 6/4. These crooked tunes are very prominent in West Virginia as well.

However, not all versions were "crooked" but each player had a version all his own in keeping with the oldest standards and characteristics of the central/mid Appalachian tradition.
"c" emailed me and got me into this and its interesting that I play a unique version of this tune that I picked up somewhere. It is not "crooked" (I personally don't prefer crooked tunes.)

This version is not one you'd here in the jams around WV, MD and PA these days, but it is mine (and I really enjoy my personal setting of the tune )... As far as the category of reel/hornpipe? In the past it was really up to the player and how he laid it down... Currently, it is a tune that goes at a pretty brisk pace and Id say it wouldnt be called a hornpipe.

So from the hands of the merry-hielander...

X:1
T:Flowers of Edinburgh
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:160
K:G
|: (3DEF | G2GA B2AB | cBAG E2E2 | EFGE DEFG | AdBG E2GE | | D2DE G2GA | BGBd efge | dBAG EDEG | (3ABAG2 G2 :|
|: (3def | g2gf gbag | fefg a2az | edef edBd | de2d e2ge |
| dBGB d3d | edef g2fe | dBAG DEFG | (3ABAG2 G2 :|


# Posted on December 16th 2007 by The Merry Highlander

Re: Question for dancers

I'd meant for you to visit the tune for the likes of the previous, and interesting. I'm going to cut-and-paste and move it over there. ;-) This discussion probably wouldn't have carried forward without the section, but it could all easily fit into the 'comments' for the tune, along with the previous...

# Posted on December 16th 2007 by ceolachan

Re: Question for dancers

"The Virginia Reel", "The Auld/Old/Ol' Virginia Reel" ~ a longways dance or contra, of which there are various versions, major progression and minor... 8-)

I'm still looking and cogitatin'...

# Posted on December 17th 2007 by ceolachan

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