Wha'll Be King But Charlie?
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
WHA'LL BE KING BUT CHARLIE? (J8x32) 3C (4C set) Hugh Foss Dances To Song Tunes1- 8 1s set, cross RH, cast, cross to 2nd place own sides (2s step up 5-6)
9-16 1s+2s dance circle 4H round to Left, 1s+2s dance LH across back to places
17-24 1s+2s+3s set, cross RH, set, cross RH back to places
25-32 1s+2s+3s dance ¾ circle 6H round to left (4 bars), drop hands, 2s+3s dance on to 2nd/3rd places own sides while 1s turn Left about, dance anticlockwise round them to 2nd place opposite sides and cross RH to own sides. 213
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Information
The title of this dance, Wha'll Be King But Charlie?, comes from Wha'll Be King But Charlie? - Song written by Carolina Nairne, a Jacobite song about the gathering of the clans and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Chorus
Come thro' the heather, around him gather,
Ye're a' the welcomer early;
Around him cling wi' a' your kin;
For wha'll be King but Charlie?
Come thro' the heather, around him gather,
Come Ronald come Donald, come a' thegither,
And crown your rightfu' lawfu' King!
For wha'll be King but Charlie?
"Wha'll Be King But Charlie?" is a Jacobite song written by Lady Carolina Nairne, also known as Carolina Oliphant, in the early 19th century. The song reflects the sentiment and fervor of the Jacobite cause, focusing on the gathering of the clans in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie during the Jacobite uprising of 1745.
Lady Nairne, a Scottish songwriter and poet, composed the song under the pseudonym "Mrs. Bogan of Bogan." Her work often expressed Jacobite sympathies, and this song is one of her notable contributions to the genre.
The lyrics of the song celebrate the rallying of the clans behind Charles Edward Stuart, commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, who sought to reclaim the British throne for the exiled Stuart dynasty. The chorus captures the spirit of the Jacobite cause, asking, "Wha'll be king but Charlie?" and expressing the hope for the restoration of the Stuarts.
Wha'll Be King But Charlie? Song - From The Wood's Edition Of The Songs Of Scotland
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Wha'll Be King But Charlie? article on wikipedia.
Image copyright (cropped) https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/91338859 under this Creative Commons Licence 4.0.
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