The Guid Man of Ballangigh

Marie Disiewicz

Feb. 3, 2006, 10:48 a.m. (Message 44074)

Hi Everyone
I would like to know who was around when the RSCDS produced The
Guidman of Ballangigh in Book 30.

I have the printed music for 3 versions in The Playford Ball.
Three dances all different than the one in Book 30.
The spelling is a little different also.

I would love to know the Royal Scottish Country Dance history on this one.
Cheers
Marie from Surrey B.C. Canada_______________________________________________
http://strathspey.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/strathspey

Jean Martin

Feb. 3, 2006, 1:11 p.m. (Message 44089, in reply to message 44074)

Hi there, Marie
I had no involvement with RSCDS HQ Committees when Book 30 was produced but
we danced The Guidman here in Aberdeen.  It was danced as a SLOW jig and
required a lot of control, (cf. The Gentle Shepherd) which may be the reason
why it lost popularity.  The instructions I had originally exactly replicate
the movements in the Book 30 dance though they are expressed differently.
You mention a different spelling - is it Balangeich?
The dance was a favourite with Tibbie Cramb who was probably on the
Publications Committee at that time.  John Drewry may also have been on the
Committee and I'll check with him.
Jean Martin

Martin

Feb. 3, 2006, 1:42 p.m. (Message 44094, in reply to message 44089)

I remember first learning this as an English c d (a Playford dance, I 
believe).
When I announced (called, briefed) it at an SCD event, some alert souls told 
me I had it all wrong.
Checked my sources.
No, my memory had not  let me down.
But when the Society adopted the dance, it was changed without anyone 
telling me
;-)
Not to match Scottish style, or anything excusable, just changed.

(details for those interested:
ECD : 1-4: 1st man leads his pt down, cast back
5-8: 1st man leads 2nd man across, cast back.
9-12: 2nd man leads his pt up, cast back.
13-16:  2nd lady leads 1st lady across, cast back.
Each dancer (except 1st lady) dances an 8-bar sequence, picking up the 
person in his right after casting to original place.

SCD : 9-12: (2nd man stands still while) 1st & 2nd ladies dance across, cast 
back.
25-28: 4 hands round halfway in 4 bars is hardly typical to SCD, whereas it 
can be walked wide in ECD.)

And I still prefer the flow of the ECD version.

Martin,
in Grenoble, France

Elainerb

Feb. 3, 2006, 1:22 p.m. (Message 44091, in reply to message 44074)

This one was definitely an English dance fist. The original movements are  
similar (two people dancing through the other two and back to place in 4  bars)  
but the pairings are completely different and it flows  beautifully.  This is 
one of those dances that should have been left as an  English dance.  Not 
sure how some of these old English dances 'morph' into  a similar but different 
Scottish dancee that usually don't work as well.!
 
Marjorie has the history on this one and often uses this in her classes of  
English/Scottish similarities and differences etc.
 
Elaine

Jean Martin

Feb. 3, 2006, 2:46 p.m. (Message 44103, in reply to message 44091)

Marie et Al
I agree with Elaine about the English origins of this dance BUT  The Guidman
of Balangigh was James V of Scotland!
Jean

Pia Walker

Feb. 3, 2006, 3:04 p.m. (Message 44105, in reply to message 44103)

And he was called this because he like to disguise himself and go round the
commoners in Balanguich/gigh whatever - if you go to Stirling Castle, he is
one of the statues you can see in the courtyard.

Pia

Bryan McAlister

Feb. 3, 2006, 4:38 p.m. (Message 44110, in reply to message 44103)

I seem to recall reading that this dance was   English Dance to Scottish 
tune (as opposed to Dashing White Sergeant (Scottish dance to English 
tune)

In message <009c01c628c8$429db5c0$xxxxxxxx@xxxx>, Jean Martin 
<xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxx.xx.xx> writes
>Marie et Al
>I agree with Elaine about the English origins of this dance BUT  The 
>Guidman
>of Balangigh was James V of Scotland!
>Jean
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx>
>To: <xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx>

-- 
Bryan McAlister

Martin

Feb. 3, 2006, 1:55 p.m. (Message 44100, in reply to message 44074)

I get this for every message ssdrnt to Strathspey:

SMiskoe

Feb. 3, 2006, 3:01 p.m. (Message 44104, in reply to message 44074)

When Bk 30 came out I taught the Guid  Man and found it awkward and  hard to 
make the figures in time.  In the same evening, as I had a musician  who 
played both ECD and SCD, I taught the Playford 1790 version.  Most of  the class 
decided that they preferred the ECD version, it was more relaxed and  flowed 
better.  
Sylvia Miskoe Concord NH USA

Mike Mudrey

Feb. 3, 2006, 6:28 p.m. (Message 44117, in reply to message 44104)

Original publication Playford 1695

Tune  A New Scottish Jig





At 2/3/2006  08:01 AM, xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx wrote:
>When Bk 30 came out I taught the Guid  Man and found it awkward and  hard to
>make the figures in time.  In the same evening, as I had a musician  who
>played both ECD and SCD, I taught the Playford 1790 version.  Most 
>of  the class
>decided that they preferred the ECD version, it was more relaxed and  flowed
>better.
>Sylvia Miskoe Concord NH USA

M.G. Mudrey
106 Ravine Road
Mount Horeb, WI 53572

xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx
608-437-3701

SMiskoe

Feb. 3, 2006, 4:45 p.m. (Message 44112, in reply to message 44074)

The tune for the Geud Man is the same in the Barnes' Book and in Book 30,  
except for the key.
Sylvia Miskoe, Concord, NH USA

SMiskoe

Feb. 3, 2006, 7:31 p.m. (Message 44119, in reply to message 44074)

Dyslectic fingers again.  I should have typed 1709 which puts the  dance on a 
par with the 1695 version.
Sylvia Miskoe Concord, NH USA