The Byron Strathspey
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THE BYRON STRATHSPEY (S3x32) 3C set John Drewry Deeside Book 21- 8 All petronella turn into the centre and set to partner, turn 2H 1¼ times back to places
9-16 1s+2L and 3s+2M dance RH across, 2s pass RSh and dance LH across with other couple
17-24 2s in prom hold dance reel of 3 with 1s passing 1L RSh. End with 2s in centre at top, 1s casting to follow 2s and 3s stepping in ready for...
25-32 2s+1s+3s dance Allemande. 312
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
The Byron Strathspey
John Drewry Deeside Book
Strathspey 3 x 32 bars 3 Couple Repeat 3 Couple Set Longwise Set
1-2 All petronella turn to finish facing partners up and down on the centre line;
3-4 all set to partners;
5-8 all turn both hands 1¼ times to places;
9-12 1s2L 2M3s right hands across, 2s passing right shoulder to finish;
13-16 1s2M 2L3s left hands across, 1s finishing facing out, 2s in promenade hold facing up on the centre line;
17-22 2s (with promenade hold) reel of 3 with 1s, 2s giving right shoulder to 1L to start, all finishing as at bar 16;
23-24 2s (retaining promenade hold) lead up the centre line to 1st position WHILE 1s cast to 2nd position on the centre line, facing up, WHILE 3s advance to the centre line, facing up, all finishing by taking allemande hold;
25-32 2s1s3s allemande, finishing 3s1s2s.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
1-32 2s are the dancing couple; this dance flows smoothly from figure to figure, throughout.
5-8 Cover in these turns.
17-22 2s with promenade hold dance as one person; the reel must be completed in 6 bars.
23-24 All finish ready for 3-couple allemande.
25-32 Allemande for 3 couples can be untidy but no excuse here.
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
The Byron Strathspey - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron FRS (Fellowship of the Royal Society)(1788-1824), known as Lord Byron, was an English nobleman, poet, peer, politician, and leading figure in the Romantic movement.He is regarded as one of the greatest British poets and remains widely read and influential.
Byron was the son of Captain John "Mad Jack" Byron and his second wife, the former Catherine Gordon, a descendant of Cardinal Beaton and heiress of the Gight estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Lord Byron - Information Video
"Lord Byron In Albanian Dress" Thomas Phillips, (1770-1845), c. 1835
Byron went to Harrow School, which is a short walk from where I live.
The school is very ancient (our whole area is connected with Queen Elizabeth, Henry VIII and the Archbishop of Canterbury); it was built on top of a volcanic plug that gives fantastic views all around.
The photo below was taken at a view point where Byron used to stand while the Muse was upon him. The stone depicted was erected in 1905 in the graveyard of St Mary's Church (11th century) which is adjacent to the school. Byron is not buried there but his illegitimate daughter, Allegra, is, albeit in an unmarked grave as evidenced by a marker at the foot of the church entrance.
(Dance Information by John Fairbairn, 2021)
Lord Byron Memorial Stone
The Peachey Tomb In St Mary's Churchyard, Harrow On The Hill
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Lord Byron article on Wikipedia.
Upper image copyright Thomas Phillips, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Lower image copyright John Fairbairn, all rights reserved, 2022.
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