Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Here's A Hand My Trusty Fiere

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

HERE'S A HAND MY TRUSTY FIERE (S4x32) 4C Set Maggie and Duncan Keppie Handy Dozen

1- 8 1s and 4s cross RH and cast in 1 place; 2s+1s also 4s+3s dance RH across and 1s and 4s (nearer hands joined with partner) end 1s facing 2M and 4s facing 3L on 1st corner diagonal
9-24 1s and 4s dance diagonal ½ 'Hand-in-Hand' reels of 4 with each corner in turn (1s and 4s dance nearer hands joined with partner, turning about in each corner to change hands and pass other couple RSh in centre). Bars 23-24: 1M+4M pass RSh (followed by partner) to end on opposite sides. 2(4)(1)3
25-32 4s+1s dance RH across; 1s and 4s cross RH with partner and set. 2413

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

Here's A Hand, My Trusty Fiere
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 8: The Handy Dozen
4x32 bar Strathspey
4-couple dance in 4-couple longways set

  1-4   ENDS CROSS AND CAST: 1st and 4th couples cross with right hands and cast one place towards the middle (2nd and 3rd couples step up and down, respectively, on bars 3-4);

  5-8   RIGHT HAND WHEEL: 2nd with 1st couple, and 4th with 3rd couple, dance right hands across, ending with 1st and 4th couples nearer hands joined facing "1st corners" (2nd man and 3rd woman, respectively);

  9-24 MAIRI'S WEDDING ½ HAND-IN-HAND REELS OF 4: 1st and 4th couples dance half Hand-in-Hand Reels of 4 around each corner in turn ("1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th corners") switching hands as they pass around behind each corner position (as in Mairi's Wedding except that centre couples pass right shoulders in the middle): "corners" dance half a reel of 4 each time (on bars 23-24, 1st and 4th men pass right shoulders (followed by partner) ending on opposite sides to flow into (order is 2nd, 4th, 1st, and 3rd couple);

25-32 RIGHT HAND WHEEL: 1st and 4th couples dance right hands across once round, cross over passing right hand with partner to own side and set.

Repeat from new places.

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)

Dance Information

Also see the dance Here's A Hand (Ackerley) by Jill Ackerley.

The title of this dance, Here's A Hand, comes from the Auld Lang Syne Poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song.

It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world, its traditional use being to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight and often to round off an evenings Scottish country dancing.

Auld Lang Syne (literally "old long since") is thought to be the second most commonly sung song in the whole world regardless of country, race or religion, after Happy Birthday.

Burns' Original line "And there's a hand my trusty friend!" is commonly written and sung as "And here's a hand, my trusty fiere".

And here's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gies a hand o' thine;
And we'll tak a right guid willie-waught,
For auld lang syne!

Auld Lang Syne Song - Information Video

Auld Lang Syne
"Illustration To Robert Burns' Poem Auld Lang Syne By J.M. Wright And Edward Scriven" John Rogers (c. 1808-1888), engraving, c. 1841
Published in https://www.minicrib.org.uk/Publications/Keppie_John/GC08.pdf
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Auld Lang Syne article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright (cropped) John Masey Wright (1777-1866, artist) John Rogers (c. 1808-c. 1888, engraver) Adam Cuerden (1979-, restorationist), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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