Tania...I never realized that "Ding Dong Merrily on High" is a French dance tune (Branle de l'Official)! I can definitely hear it on the gurdy, and would love to see the dance. As for Branle des Cheveaux, our French dance caller has substituted a different dance for that tune...it's done at our dances as a circle dance that includes a pawing motion with the foot at one point, and it's a lot more fun than the original. No idea if he and his partner learned it or invented it. If I come across a video, I'll post the link. Mitch Gordon Guerneville, California, US In a message dated 12/20/2012 3:53:13 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
Well said, Arle. I agree wholeheartedly, especially in the case of the Cheveaux, which is, basically, a nice tune for a very boring dance. The other tune Michael refers to, le branle de l'official (to which G. R. Woodward set his "Ding Dong Merrily on High" lyric) is, in contrast, a tune which is fun and satisfying to play at any tempo. The dance itself is also fun. I've always enjoyed playing Official at whatever speed suits whomever I'm playing with, be they musicians or dancers, while with Cheveaux, there's always the inclination to keep stepping up the speed to keep musicians and dancers alike from falling asleep! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
