Barley Bree

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

BARLEY BREE (J4x40) 4C set RSCDS Bk 13

1- 8 All Adv+Ret and cross over (Men making arches)
9-16 All Adv+Ret and cross (Ladies making the arches)
17-24 1s turn RH 1½ times, turn 2s LH on sides, 1s turn RH in middle
25-32 1s turn 3s LH on sides, 1s turn RH in middle, 1s turn 4s LH on sides and 1s ½ turn RH in middle and form arch
33-40 2s followed by 3s and 4s, cast to bottom and lead up under arch to end 2341

(MINICRIB, Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton. Deeside Caledonian Society.)

Dance Information

Barley Bree is probably a kind of beer or ale brewed by the Gael at one time.
(The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to Scotland and the Isle of Man)

It was a powerful, intoxicating liquor made from barley, and being of course used at all feasts. It is supposed by some to have been the same as whisky, but the process of brewing being so much easier and cheaper than distilling, it was more probably a strong kind of beer.

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Text from this original Barley bree article on Wikipedia.

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