Dances (once-through) in a square set

Bruce Herbold

Message 55708 · 15 Apr 2009 01:08:34 · Fixed-width font · Whole thread

For why such a wierd number of bars, I have always assumed that Round reel
of Eight was so short it was an easy way to 'beef up' the number of dances
on an LP and so we got a bunch of recordings for a not-very-good dance (15
according to dancedata). Mr. Goldring looked at this situation and decided
that all those recordings deserved better, or at least alternative dances to
do to them. And 'poof' a new 'tradition' was started and others started
doing the same. That's my guess -- anybody know better?

As for why 88 bars in Round Reel -- I suspect some very non-musical person
came up with 5 matching pairs of 8 bar figures and then tagged a circle on
the end. If only it had a circle at the start and the end, we'd have a
symmetric dance and all these useful 3x32 reels recorded that could be used
for demos and stuff. Oh well, if Ben Franklin had just put the plus and
negative signs on anodes differently, electronics would make so much more
sense. And if....

Bruce Herbold
San Francisco

On 4/14/09, Martin Sheffield <xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote:
>
> Robb asked :
> >
> > Is the point, Martin, merely that it's a longer sequence than 32, 40, or
> 48
> > bars
>
> No, it is not the length (88 bars), more the lack of logic to my way
> of thinking, the lack of necessity: fig 1 not leading into fig 2
> could just as easily be followed by fig 3 or fig 4...
>
> How can a 16-bar tune (the commonest form for our dances) fit into 88
> anyway? Why 88, for goodness' sake?
> 3x32 bars, on the other hand, appeals to my mathematician brain :
> part 1 for everyone, part 2 shared between tops and sides, part 3 for
> everyone : nice pattern, as Nottingham Lace, Dreamcatcher ...
> or 4x32 similarly as I Powrie's Farewell. In dances such as these,
> once you jhave embarked on a sequence, you feel you can't go wrong ,
> the figures fitting together in a compelling sequence.
>
> I have to admit, alll this is quite subjective. Robertson Rant has
> become compelling through 50 years of enjoyment -- I could not imagine
> doing it any other way, though, objectively, one could add or subtract
> a figure without actually messing up the dance, I expect most dancers
> are quite happy with Round Reel of Eight (et alia) and, since that is
> the way it is always done,they don't even feel that the music is not
> complete, cut off 8 bars too soon, as it seems to me.
>
> Martin (too late at night to reason very clearly, I'm afraid!)
>

--
Bruce Herbold