Reviews

Does your branch or club have a new book which you would like reviewed? If you teach a class and are interested in reviewing books from a teaching point of view, please be in touch: mag.editor@rscds.org

Thirty Popular Dances Volume Two

How do you achieve the impossible? How do you produce a book of just 30 dances which everyone throughout our worldwide organisation believes to be a popular dance? We all know how localised dances become and which are most popular in our own area, but the Membership Services Committee set themselves the almost impossible task of bringing together just 30. They did their research thoroughly. Firstly, all branches were asked to nominate dances for consideration. A total of 283 dances were submitted from over 100 branches. The committee must have had some very difficult decisions to whittle this huge list down to just 30. Like the original Thirty Popular Dances Book, the dances have been grouped together by dance tempo and there are ten of each: reel, jig and strathspey. Four of the dances have original music published in the book: The Cranberry Tart, The White Heather Jig, Da Rain Dancin’ and Asilomar Romantic; and two have facsimiles of original manuscripts, Hooper’s Jig of 1756 and Delvine Side of around 1790. The book is beautifully illustrated with photographs, showing devisers, musicians and occasionally fun connections such as the Gold Post Box celebrating Sir Andy Murray’s Olympic Tennis Gold Medal in 2012 (Postie’s Jig). The committee, especially Peter Knapman and Angela Young, spent hours researching the details, including speaking with families of now-deceased musicians such as Jimmy Shand and Angus Fitchet. They have provided a huge amount of information which is not available on the internet. This gives the book a kind of archival feeling which, with our centenary so close, makes it a valuable document. I have danced or taught all the dances published in the book and there are many dances I would include in a dance programme aimed at well-known and favourite dances, such as J.B. Milne, Mairi’s Wedding, Miss Johnstone of Ardrossan and The Irish Rover which have, until now, not been officially published by the Society (although in the Collins Book). Two CDs accompany this book, one newly recorded by James Coutts and his band, and one compiled from previous recordings by various bands. Both are enjoyable with good tempo and great sets of tunes. For any new teacher or local organiser just commencing, this is an ideal publication to purchase to start a collection. For a teacher who already holds a collection of RSCDS books the question of whether to purchase one which gives descriptions of many well-known dances, which they probably already own, has to be a personal decision which I happily took. For the dancer I recommend it as the one publication you buy. But for everyone, it gives a new collection and a way of looking at these well-loved dances with interesting background information and photographs. It is an excellent coffee-table book! Jane Rose, Berkhamstead Strathspey and Reel Club

The Imperial Book of Scottish Country Dances, Volumes 4, 5 and more

With the arrival of the second book in the summer of 2019 the RSCDS has now revised and published the dances from the Imperial Society books. The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) was established in London in 1904 and offered examinations in many dance forms including Scottish country dancing from 1953. It was renamed the Scottish Dance Branch when Highland Dancing was added in 1969 and absorbed into the National Dance Branch in 1992 as interest in SCD declined. The SCD branch was discontinued in 2014 and the RSCDS was able to obtain the copyright thereafter. The first ISTD publication in 1966 contained dances devised by its leading lights, Edna Russell and Jack McConachie. The introduction tells us ‘it is a further example of the modern trend introducing dances containing variations of popular figures’ and ‘gives greater opportunity for the supporting couples to take an active part in the dance and leads to a more lively social atmosphere, the basic intention of all good dancing.’ The books thereafter were the result of annual competitions in Jack McConachie’s memory. Members were asked to devise a dance and the winner held the trophy of a Wilkinson Sword for one year. One of the requirements was that the dance included a new formation or a variation on an existing formation. Some included Highland steps. The RSCDS published Volumes 1 – 3 in 2014, containing the dances placed in first second and third places in the 1968-77 competitions. This most recent volume contains Volumes 4 – 5, taking in dances until the end of 1993 and the later dances were those placed up until the competitions ended in 2000. We now have the 100 dances in two volumes. 57 require the correct number of couples in the set. 6 are medleys, one requiring six dancers is danced in a diamond formation, and there’s a couple facing couple round the room strathspey too. Only one third have music suggested for them. In some cases those named tunes or suggested recordings are originals for other sometimes well-known dances. Dancers using the original books were required to refer to the 1960 ISTD publication Scottish Country Dances of the Eighteenth Century by Jack McConachie for descriptions of the formations named in the books. These formations included Turning Double Triangles, Pass and Turn Chain for Six, Reversing Chain for Six. The RSCDS revised the terminology used in the descriptions, but does confirm the original names of the formations. I have enjoyed using the books and teaching a selection of dances to many class levels and abilities. The formations being a wee bit different give the classes something new to think about. I commend the books to you. Give them a try. Janet Johnston, Stirling Branch