A 40 bar Hornpipe for Three Couples

  bars
description

  1 - 4
1st couple set and cast off one place. 2nd couple step up on bars 3 and 4.

  5 - 8
1st woman dances right hands across once round with the 2nd couple while 1st man dances right hands across once round with the 3rd couple. 1st couple finish back to back in the centre of the set, 1st woman facing up and 1st man facing down.
   

  9 - 14
All dance six hands once and a quarter round to the left, ending three and three across the dance with 1st woman facing down between 2nd and 3rd men and 1st man facing up between 2nd and 3rd women. To begin the circle 1st couple, using slip-step, dance out between their corners. (Figure 1- not yet available)

  15 - 16
All set three and three across the dance.
   

  17 - 28

Rights and lefts for 3 couples up and down the dance as follows:

17 - 18 All, giving right hand to partner, change places up and down the set.
19 - 20 All change places giving left hands: 1st woman with 3rd man; 1st man with 2nd woman; 2nd man and 3rd woman on the diagonal between first corner positions. (Figure 2 - not yet available)
21 - 22 All cross up and down the set, giving right hands: 1st woman with 2nd man; 1st man with 3rd woman; 2nd woman with 3rd man.
23 - 24 All change places giving left hands: 1st couple on the diagonal between first corner positions: 2nd and 3rd couples change places with partner.
25 - 26 All cross up and down the set, giving right hands: 1st woman with 3rd man; 1st man with 2nd woman; 2nd man with 3rd woman.
27 - 28 All change places giving left hands: 1st woman with 2nd man; 1st man with 3rd woman; 2nd woman with 3rd man on the diagonal between first corner positions.

 29 - 30
1st couple change places up and down the dance, giving right hands, to finish three and three across the dance, 1st woman facing up between 2nd and 3rd women and 1st man facing down between 2nd and 3rd men.

31 - 32
All set three and three across the dance.
   

  33 - 34
All advance for one step towards the centre, then, turning on the spot to the right, all face out (See note below).

  35 - 38
Dancing out from the centre and to the right, all dance clockwise (in a chase) back to own side of the dance with first couple in second place.

  39 - 40
1st couple turn once with right hands.
   
. Repeat, having passed a couple
Inscribed to the Loch Michigan Scottish Country Dancers, Chicago

 

Note: On bar 33, the dancers at the ends of the lines advance further toward the centre than do 1st couple so that a small circle is formed in the centre of the set.

Suggested music: "None So Pretty" as on the Berkeley Scottish Players, None So Pretty, Cabbage Records 405. Willafiord (T. Anderson) was originally suggested and may be used as an alternative.

© October1995, Martin E. Mulligan

Original text October 1995.
Text revised 1990 for publication in the Chicago 10th Anniversary Collection
First web edition (with minor text revisions) posted 11 June 2001.