The Flower O' The Quern (Drewry)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
THE FLOWER O' THE QUERN (S4x32) 4C set John Drewry Canadian Book3s and 4s start on opposite sides
1- 8 1s+2s and 3s+4s circle 4H round to Left to end in middle, 1s facing 2s, 3s facing 4s. All set, 1s+4s turn inwards towards partner and cast in 1 place down/up (2s dance up, 3s dance down one place) and 1M+4L also 1L+4M change places LH on sides. 2(4)1(3)
9-12 1s+4s lead out of ends, cross and cast. 1s+4s change places LH on sides.
13-16 1s and 4s repeat 9-12, leading out other end, cross and cast and 1s+4s change places LH on side. 1s face down, 4s face up
17-24 All dance reels of 4 on sides and end facing same person as at start of reel. 2(4)1(3)
25-32 2s+4s also 1s+3s set facing on sides, 1s and 4s turn end couples (dancing between ends) and dance ½ Figs of 8 round end couples. 24(1)(3)
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
The Flower o' the Quern
John Drewry Canadian Book
Strathspey 4 x 32 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set
3s 4s cross on second chord.
1-4 1s2s 3s4s 4 hands round to the left, finishing 1s 3s facing down, 2s 4s facing up;
5-6 1s2s 3s4s set across the dance;
7-8 1s cast down and 4s up (casting quickly the long way round!) and 1M4L 1L4M cross by the left on the sides;
9-10 1s half figures of 8 around 3s WHILE 4s half figures of 8 around 2s;
11-12 1L4M 1M4L cross by the left on the sides;
13-16 1s4s repeat bars 9-12 from new places, finishing 2s4s1s3s, 3s 4s on opposite sides;
17-24 reels of 4 on the sides, finishing 2s 1s facing down 4s 3s facing up;
25-26 2s4s 1s3s set across the dance;
27-28 2M4L 1L3M turn by the left WHILE 2L4M 1M3L turn by the right (dancing couples inside);
29-32 4s half figures of 8 around 2s (at the top) WHILE 1s half figures of 8 around 3s, finishing 2s4s1s3s, 1s 3s on opposite sides.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
The Flower O' The Quern (Drewry) - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Also see the dance The Flower Of The Quern (Boyd) by Iain Boyd.Quern-stones are a pair of stone tools for hand grinding a wide variety of materials, notably used to turn grain into flour. It is believed that querns were introduced to Scotland around the time of the Roman invasion.
The spelling of Flower, not Flour, suggests that this may be a reference to The Flower O' The Quern (also known as "The Flower Of The Quern"), a traditional Scottish slow air by J Scott Skinner, arranged by Allan Ferguson.
Skinner wrote this air in the 1880s for a beautiful young widow from Forres, Scotland.
The Flower O' The Quern - Information Video
The Upper Stone Of A Scottish Hand Quern From Dalgarven Mill, North Ayrshire
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Quern-Stone article on Wikipedia.
Additional search terms: Flour, Flower Of The Quern.