Merlin And The Masons
Introduction
Adapted by:
Michael Barraclough (2024)
Formation:
Longways duple proper
Original:
The Working Masons in Merlin (A Choice Collection Of Country Dances, John & William Neal, 1726, Dublin)
Published:
Michael Barraclough web-site
Tune:
Of Noble Race Was Shinkin (Dancing Master, Vol 1, 9th edn, 1695)
Music:
Dm 2/2
Choreography
A1
1-4
1s lead through the 2s and cast back
A2
1-4
2s lead through the 1s and cast back
3-4
1s and original 2s pousette (½ cw, to change places)
[All home]
[All home]
B1
1-4
1s gate 2s (up) into a line of four (facing up)
5-8
Men set right & left and turn single right while ladies set left & right and turn single left
B2
Double Do-si-do and wheel
1-2
(Men holding nearest hands, ladies holding nearest hands) change ends (men slide right and behind, ladies slide left and in front)
3-4
Change back (men slide left and in front, ladies slide right and behind)
5-6
Wheel (as pairs, 1s moving forward), into
[line of four, facing down, 1s in the centre]
[line of four, facing down, 1s in the centre]
Cloverleaf
7-8
Turn single (1s down and away, end close facing down, 2s up and away, end apart facing each other)
© Michael Barraclough, 2024
Notes
Notes
1
The choreography is inspired by the dance {modal url="/images/originals/Working Masons In Merlin The.png" width="80%" height="80%"}Working Masons In Merlin{/modal} (A Choice Collection Of Country Dances, John & William Neal, 1726, Dublin).
2
Rich Jackson & George Fogg provide their interpretation of The Working Masons In Merlin in their 1990 book "A Choice Collection Of Country Dances as Printed and Sold by John and William Neal in Christ Church Yard, Dublin c1726". I do not find this convincing and also consider that an actual realisation is unlikely as there does not seem to be a good match between the amount of dance movement and the amount of music in the original instructions. Accordingly, I consider this to be a new dance, adapted from the original. To emphasise this, I have set this new choreography to a different tune.
Music
Download
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