strathspey@strathspey.org:61079

Anselm Lingnau

Re: Tandem Reels (was Re: Reels in Bishop of Columbus)

July 9, 2011, 2:19 a.m. (Message 61079, in reply to message 61078)

Rod Downey wrote:

> It is unfortunate that because of
> the penetration of the RSCDS books compared to privately published ones
> formations often become attributed to the first RSCDS source rather than
> the original place someone published.

»The Flight of the Falcon« is in »Anniversary Tensome«, which was published to 
commemorate the 10th anniversary, in 1992, of the RSCDS Sutton Coldfield 
branch. The late Barry Priddey was probably more timely about publishing his 
anniversary books than yours truly, so it is reasonable to assume that the 
book actually came out at around that time.

»Pelorus Jack«, before the RSCDS picked it up for Book 41 in 2000, appeared in 
Barry Skelton's »Dolphin Book«, which is dated 1994 (along with a whole bunch 
of other dances featuring the same style of reel). With private publication of 
dance books being as Rod describes, and with Barry Priddey being based in the 
UK and Barry Skelton in New Zealand, it is not at all unlikely that we have a 
case of »parallel invention« here, especially as it is impossible to say after 
the fact exactly when the two Barrys came up with the actual dances, as 
opposed to publishing the books. So, at least from the accessible evidence, I 
personally would be hesitant about making statements like »These so-called 
›dolphin reels‹ must be called ›falcon reels‹ because Priddey had them first«.

Which is not to say that maybe it wasn't one of the Society's brightest ideas 
to call the formation a »tandem reel« in the Manual. It is probably sensible 
to stay away from cutesy formation names involving animals (much like we're 
told to stay away from cutesy formation names involving kitchen utensils 
except for porridge stirrers), but I would defy anyone riding a two-seater 
bicycle to change places twice while going around a tight figure-of-eight 
curve.

Anselm
-- 
Anselm Lingnau, Mainz/Mayence, Germany ................. xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none.                -- William Shakespeare