The Wind on Loch Fyne

Peter Hastings

Message 21693 · 27 Jun 2000 19:46:43 · Fixed-width font · Whole thread

This dance does require a certain amount of strength (and preparedness) if
it is to be danced as written :

2 bars to set

2 bars to circle half way

2 bars to turn partner BH

2 bars to circle half way

This may explain the popularity of the alternatives - circle one place
rather than half way (which changes the progression but doesn't destroy
the dance) or move while turning.

However all the crispness is lost in doing either of these and so is much
of the vigour of the dance. John Bowie Dickson was a great champion of
vigour in strathspeys (and much else in life, forbye) and I'm sure he
wrote exactly what he wanted to be done. He never wrote a sludgy
strathspey in his life.

my $0.02

Peter Hastings
Royal Observatory
Edinburgh
:)