Morris style Hop Step tune

[Alan Day]

Here is a new Morris style Hop Step tune

To be claimed by a Morris side who's name I shall use.

Al

[jdms]

I like it. Now if we of the Commonwealth Morris Men just had a dance in need of a tune...

 

jdms

[Alan Day]

So recapping jdms, not only would you like the tune, but you want me to write a dance to go with it.

I will think about it

Al

[Alan Day]

Commonwealth Cotswold Morris Dance to the tune Commonwealth Hop Dance

4 or 8 dancers (2 or 4 facing 2 or 4) Hop Steps

 

All forward four steps right hand to partner, reverse position backwards to partners position (8 bars A Music)

Repeat to return to original position (8 bars A Music ).

Repeat this move at 90 degrees Two ends 2+2 or 4 + 4 dancers , (16 bars B Music)

 

Same two ends circle as a right hand star (4 bars) change hands to left hand star , but keep going the same direction backwards to original position. Repeat Left hand Star (right hand Backwards star)in the opposite direction

 

All Circle for 16 bars doing figure eight movement to finish.

 

Al (Modifications and explanations expected)

[jdms]

So recapping jdms, not only would you like the tune, but you want me to write a dance to go with it.

I will think about it

Al

 

I actually meant something along the lines of "If we'd written ourselves a dance but hadn't settled on a tune for it, it would be awfully handy that this tune that doesn't have a dance attached to it already has shown up, but we don't, so I won't try to lay claim to it." This isn't the first time I depended too much on implication. Had I looked in here at lunchtime, I could perhaps have tempered my original comments, but by the time I checked back, you'd already written the dance--quick work! I'm taking the fact that you did go ahead and write a dance to mean that you are not outraged by my apparent demands...

 

To my eye (not meaning to quibble or seem in any way ungrateful for this added effort), the dance looks like it would work better as an English country dance than as a Cotswold morris dance. This is by no means a bad thing--I'm a regular at an English dance series in Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA). It's always good to have new and interesting dances to try, and this one looks like it could fit in well with the series' emphasis on dances that a beginner can handle but a more experienced dancer will still enjoy.

 

The star figure in the second section is particularly nifty. One of our regular callers seems to have a strong liking for step-hop dances (Nottingham Swing and the like)--perhaps I should see what she thinks of it...do you as the author have any preference, assuming you don't object to it being danced as ECD rather than morris, as to whether it becomes a four-couple set-dance or a duple-minor (longways) set? The circle-and-figure-eight at the end shouldn't be difficult for us to adapt into a progressive figure for the latter--I (or the caller, or my wife, who's more experienced at ECD than I) could do the requisite tweaking.

 

Joshua

 

(edited to remove a question you already answered by saying "Modifications and explanations expected.")

Edited July 28, 2010 by jdms

[Chris Drinkwater]

Here is a new Morris style Hop Step tune

To be claimed by a Morris side who's name I shall use.

Al

 

What a delightful tune, Al. It would also be a good tune for a solo or double jig, BTW.

 

Chris

[Alan Day]

Firstly Joshua I did not take offence at your posting ,I took it in the spirit that you wrote it. As the for the dance ,it is in fact an adapted Country Dance I wrote as a Waltz many years ago to fit a very unusual, but lovely waltz we picked up from an Italian group. It had an unusual number of bars and the usual country dances did not fit it. The Star figure is not in any dance you will find and it works well ,but does trip up the more advanced dancers that expect it to be similar to what they have danced before. Dancing backwards is not what they expect.The cross overs are similar to a particular French Bourée and as an addition it is possible to include the diagonal cross overs if required to extend the dance.

I rather like the name "Commonwealth Hop step" so that is what it is now.If you would like to use it on one of your dances ,please do ,but please let me have an update.

Pleased you and Chris like the tune

Al

[Alan Day]

Here is a new Morris style Hop Step tune

To be claimed by a Morris side who's name I shall use.

Al

 

What a delightful tune, Al. It would also be a good tune for a solo or double jig, BTW.

 

Chris

By a strange coincidence Chris my original posting had two examples of this tune and included a jig.

I changed my mind and only posted the Hop version.

Al

I have deleted the jig version

Edited July 28, 2010 by Alan Day

[jdms]

Firstly Joshua I did not take offence at your posting ,I took it in the spirit that you wrote it.

 

I thought so, but one can't always be sure on the internet...

 

As the for the dance ,it is in fact an adapted Country Dance I wrote as a Waltz many years ago to fit a very unusual, but lovely waltz we picked up from an Italian group. It had an unusual number of bars and the usual country dances did not fit it. The Star figure is not in any dance you will find and it works well ,but does trip up the more advanced dancers that expect it to be similar to what they have danced before. Dancing backwards is not what they expect.The cross overs are similar to a particular French Bourée and as an addition it is possible to include the diagonal cross overs if required to extend the dance.

I rather like the name "Commonwealth Hop step" so that is what it is now.If you would like to use it on one of your dances ,please do ,but please let me have an update.

Pleased you and Chris like the tune

Al

 

At the very least, I'll have to see about learning it (really must practice more).

 

jdms

[P Carr]

Here is a new Morris style Hop Step tune

To be claimed by a Morris side who's name I shall use.

Al

 

What a delightful tune, Al. It would also be a good tune for a solo or double jig, BTW.

 

Chris

By a strange coincidence Chris my original posting had two examples of this tune and included a jig.

I changed my mind and only posted the Hop version.

Al

and here it is

 

What a lovely tune! I love the hop step version!!!

[MichaelF]

Here is a new Morris style Hop Step tune

To be claimed by a Morris side who's name I shall use.

Al

A nice tune played in a Morris style, but isn't this 'a solution looking for a problem'? In my view the dance should come first, and a tune chosen or adapted to fit.

[Alan Day]

Here is a new Morris style Hop Step tune

To be claimed by a Morris side who's name I shall use.

Al

A nice tune played in a Morris style, but isn't this 'a solution looking for a problem'? In my view the dance should come first, and a tune chosen or adapted to fit.

Nearly all the music for country dancing consists of 16, 32 or 48 bars One A and One B (Hop steps) and Two A s and two B s (for 32 bars) and possibly a C part, or additional A or B part to make up the 48 bars. I did come across a 60 bar Italian tune mentioned above that required a special dance written for it, but they are unusual.

Al