St. Audries Holiday Camp Folk Week 2007
This page provides information about the Folk Music Week held from 1 to 8 September 2007. Here is the brochure and here is a poem from Beryl Jukes. Use this to link to Aidan Broadbridge's web site.
2008 information is just starting to become available.
The CD we recorded during the week is now available.
Holiday Week Folk Dance Music Volume 1
AR Productions AR001
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Click here for ordering information
Click here for a video clip taken during the week. You must have broadband or a fast connection to see this and Flash Player installed (help).
As far as we know, this is the first CD recorded during a week-long folk dance music training course. Over 30 musicians covering a range of ages and musical abilities arrived at St Audries Bay in Somerset on Saturday 1 September 2007 and were immediately schooled by the leaders, Aidan Broadbridge and Rod Stradling, in the ways to play reels and jigs - and in the necessary discipline to make recordings. Using the ballroom for large ensembles and a bungalow room for smaller groups, the recordings were made and later mixed by Aidan and Rod to make this CD. It includes mostly English folk dance music and features, along with several tracks suitable for a range of different dances, several tracks recorded specifically for particular current popular dances. The wide variety of instruments has allowed us to create quite a mixture of sounds on the CD, from the accordion band often associated with Scottish Country dances to arrangements reminiscent of medieval music.
We know that some of the recordings are not perfect – the environment at St Audries has given some of the recordings a certain ambience – but we have done our best to create foot-tapping dance music nevertheless. We hope that you will look beyond the occasional extraneous instrument click or other unexpected sound to embrace the fact that a group of willing musicians was able to achieve such a feat in just a week – learning a lot and having a great holiday at the same time!
Aidan and I thank all of the musicians for their dedication and forbearance and we hope that they will be pleased with what they have achieved. We also thank the staff at St Audries Bay Holiday Club for their support during the week.
Rod Stradling and Aidan Broadbridge
31 October 2007
Track Listing (time in minutes.seconds) Click on Sample for a brief audio clip or click on Instructions or Information to learn more about the dance or on Music to get a pdf of the music used.
1. Noise – a feature of the week! (0.23)
2. Reels, 7 x 32 bars; Farewell to Whiskey, Come Dance and Sing, The Girl I Left Behind Me. A set of reels suitable for any dance requiring generic reels. (4.09) Sample
3. Fanny Frail, 6 x 32 bars; Original, The Quaker. A generic step-hop dance tune specifically recorded for the Cornish dance of the same name by Beryl Jukes or for The Staffordshire Knot. (4.50) Sample Instructions
4. Edgeworth Bumpkins for Freeford Gardens, 7 x 32 bars. This tune is Edgeworth Bumpkins, often used for the dance Freeford Gardens devised by Kathryn and David Wright. (5.27) Information
5. The Queen’s Jig, 7 x 32 bars. A Playford dance dating back to 1701. (4.40) Instructions
6. Scottish-style Jigs, 8 x 32 bars; Captain White, A Hundred Pipers, The New Rigged Ship, Coleraine. This set is suitable for a range of dances requiring jigs but can be used for the Scottish Country Dance, Flying Spur, devised by John Drewry. (4.33) Instructions Sample
7. King Alfred’s Reel, 3 x 32 bars. For the dance of the same name by Diana Triplow with music written by Grahame O’Connor. (2.07) Instructions
8. The Lass o’ Killiecrankie, 6 x 24 bars. Suitable for a range of dances but specifically recorded for twice through the dance Oakwood by Geof Owen. (2.24) Information
9. Jack’s Maggot, 7 x 32 bars. A Playford dance dating back to 1703. (4.28) Instructions
10. Kneeland Romp, 3 x 40 bars. The tune is La Basque by Marin Marais but is often used for the dance Kneeland Romp by Gary Roodman. (2.13) Information
11. Gigg, Byrd, 7 x 32 bars. Suitable for a range of dances but specifically recorded for the dance Ducks on the Pond by Geof Owen.(4.44) Information Music
12. La Ronde, Susato, 4 x 32 bars. Suitable for a range of dances but specifically recorded for the dance of the same name by Geof Owen. (2.31) Sample Information Music
13. American Reels Set, 6 x 32 bars; Eliza Jane, Log Cabin, Oh! Susanna. A set of reels suitable for a range of dances. (3.24)
14. The Lincolnshire Poacher, 3 x 48 bars; Original, Old Towler. Suitable for the dance of the same name by Ellen Taylor. (2.44) Instructions
15. The Review or Bellisle’s March, 7 x 32 bars. Suitable for the dance of the same name by Kathryn and David Wright, published in Wright’s Humours. In this recording we have used the familiar Morris Dance tune similar to the tune published. (4.33) Information
16. Jig Set, 4 x 32 bars; Lady in the Boat, Rosin the Bow. Suitable for a range of dances but specifically recorded for the dance Middleton Hall by Geof Owen. (2.18) Information
Total playing time over 55 minutes. As far as we know, all of the music (except for King Alfred’s Reel, © Grahame O’Connor 2005) is traditional and not subject to copyright. The arrangements (except for King Alfred’s Reel, © Grahame O’Connor, 2005) are © R. Stradling and A. Broadbridge, 2007.
Rod Stradling and Aidan Broadbridge, 31 October 2007
Dance Instructions and Information
Instructions for Geof Owen’s dances can be found in his book, Calling the Tune, Book 7. Contact him through the internet or on 01922 682512.
Fanny Frail, a dance by Beryl Jukes (reproduced here with her permission)
Sicilian formation (identify 1st man) or longways (first couple improper) - 32 bar Hornpipe/Schottische
A1 1-4 1st man right elbow turn opposite (twice)
5-8 1st man left elbow turn partner
A2 1-4 2nd man right elbow turn opposite
5-8 2nd man left elbow turn partner
B1 Do-si-do opposite and then swing opposite (crossed hand hold) - put opposite back in place
B2 Face partner, women pull to a half pousette, swing partner, face new couple
Staffordshire Knot, a popular dance from the 1950’s
Longways set for 3 couples - 32 bar Hornpipe/Schottische
A1 Man 2 arms R with W 3, then L with W 1
A2 W 2 Arms R with M 1, then L with M 3
B1 Couple 1 cross down to hey in other line, then hey in own line back to top place
B2 While couple 1 casts to the bottom, couples 2 and 3 back to back. All swing partner (cross hand hold).
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King Alfred’s Reel, King Alfred the Great was reputedly born in Wantage and his statue stands in the Market Square. King Alfred's Reel was written by two members of the Wantage Folk Dance Club, Diana Triplow (dance) and Grahame O'Connor (music), to commemorate the Club's 30th Anniversary. It will be published in due course with other dances by Diana (and is reproduced here with her permission).
Longways set for 3 couples - 2nd couple improper - Progression: 231
A1 1st couple do a Grimstock hey solo: (Take inside hands and lead down between the 2nd couple, separate, go out through own side and meet at the bottom of the set; take inside hands and lead up through the 3rd couple, separate, go out through own side and meet at the top)
A2 Grimstock hey for everybody (1st couple facing down, 2nd and 3rd couples facing up)
B1 1-2 1st and 2nd men cross over quickly ‘hole-in-the-wall’ style, clapping their own hands twice in bar 2 as they fall back into new places
3-4 1st and 2nd ladies do the same (clap in bar 4)
5-8 All back-to-back partner
B2 1-2 1st and 3rd men cross as before
3-4 1st and 3rd ladies do the same
5-8 All two-hand-turn partner once around
Repeat the dance twice
© Diana Triplow 2005
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The Lincolnshire Poacher (Ellen Taylor, 1976), a dance composed in honour of Lincoln Folk Dance Club's 75th Anniversary in 1977 and which subsequently won a dance competition organised by the Lincoln Group.
Set dance for 3 couples
Bars 1 to 8 Grimstock hey for everybody (described in King Alfred's Reel above) plus one more change, finishing with 1st couple in middle places and 2nd couple at the top.
9 to 16 1st and 3rd couples circle left and back (slipping step)
17 to 24 Double cast to the left led by 2nd couple (skip change)
25 to 32 1st and 2nd couples right and left hand star
33 to 40 1st man half figure of 8 through 3rd couple, then through 2nd couple, while 1st woman half figure of 8 through 2nd couple then through 3rd couple (skip change)
41 to 48 1st and 2nd couple circular hey, 4 changes, beginning with partner, and 1st couple pass outside 3rd couple, who move up.
Repeat the dance twice.
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The Queen's Jig, longways for as many as will; in one part ( Playford, 11th Ed., 1701)
Duple minor-set.
A1 1-4 First man sides with second woman.
5-8 First man and second woman set and turn single.
A2 1-8 Second man and first woman do the same.
B1 1-2 First man changes places with second woman.
3-4 First woman changes places with second man.
5-8 The two men and the two women fall back two steps, cross over and change places (progressive).
B2 1-6 First and second couples right-hands-across.
7-8 All turn single.
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Jack's Maggot, longways duple minor set.
A1 1st man heys with the two women.
A2 1st woman goes the hey with the two men.
B1 R hands across; L hands across.
B2 1st corners cross, 2nd corners cross; hands-4 half way round, 1st couple cast down while 2nd couple lead up.
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Kneeland Romp is written by Gary Roodman. His books can be obtained from Cotswold Music or D. & A. Appleing, 55 Arle Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester (Tel : 01242 692 243) or from CDSS in the United States. You could also try a Google Search.
Freeford Gardens and The Review are both written by the Wrights of Lichfield. The dance instructions can be obtained from D. & A. Appleing, 55 Arle Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester, GL51 8LA (Tel : 01242 692 243) or from CDSS in the United States. You could also try a Google Search.
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Flying Spur is a typical Scottish Country Dance in the form of an 8 x 32 bar jig (skip change of step throughout). It is written by John Drewry, Canadian Book 18.
A1 1s cross RH, cast 1 place & dance 1/2 figures of 8 (1M round 2s & 1L round 3s) while 2s+3s set & cross RH.
A2 1s dance reels of 3 on own sides (1M RSh to 3L & 1L RSh to 2M) 1s end in centre (1L above 2s & 1M below 3s) while 2s+3s cast to meet on sides.
B1 1s set while 2s+3s cross Ladies under Mens arch,1s petronella turn onto opposite sides while 2s+3s cast to 1st/3rd places, 2s+1s+3s turn RH.
B2 1s lead down, cast up on opp sides & dance 1/2 figures of 8 to 2nd place own sides while 2s+3s dance R&L (start by changing place on sides).
If you would like to contact me, please call 01543 257419
or email me from my Home Page.