Lord Randall's Bride (Davison)

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

LORD RANDALL'S BRIDE (R4x32) 4C Set Lily Davison Light's Vision

1- 8 All circle 8H round and back
9-12 1s+4s cross RH, cast 1 place down/up (2s+3s step up/down)
13-16 1M+4M also 1L+4L turn LH 1¼ times to finish BtoB in the centre facing diagonally out (1M to 3L, 1L to 3M, 4M to 2L, 4L to 2M)
17-24 All set and turn RH, set and turn LH to finish on the side. 2413
25-28 4s+1s+3s (bottom 3 couples) dance ½ RSh reel of 3 on the side (4s and 1s pass RSh to begin) 2314
29-32 1s dance down between 4s who dance up making an arch. Ladies cross in front of partner and all cast to own side. 2341

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

Dance Information

The tune "Lord Randall's Bride" is a traditional Scottish melody, often played in the context of Scottish country dancing.

While its exact origins are unclear, the tune is rooted in Scotland's rich tradition of folk music, where melodies were passed down orally through generations. Like many Scottish tunes, it is likely to have evolved over time, shaped by the local musicians who played it, their styles, and the social contexts in which it was performed.

Despite sharing a similar name, "Lord Randall's Bride" is musically and thematically separate from the ballad "Lord Randall", a sombre tale of betrayal and poisoning. The lively and joyful nature of the tune contrasts sharply with the tragic narrative of the ballad, suggesting that the name may have been chosen either for its familiarity or as a playful reinterpretation.

In the original ballad, Lord Randall returns home after visiting his lover and, through a series of questions and answers with his mother, reveals that his lover gave him a dinner of eels boiled in broth. He also shares that his hunting dogs died after eating the scraps of the meal, leading his mother to realise that he has been poisoned, presumably by his beloved.

The ballad carries themes of betrayal, heartbreak, and tragedy.

Illustration by Arthur Rackham in Some British Ballads, ca. 1919

"Lord Randal", By Arthur Rackham (1867-1939).
Illustration From "Some British Ballads", Published c. 1919

This page uses content under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, along with original copyrighted content and excerpts from Wikipedia and other sources.
Text from this original Lord Randall article on Wikipedia.
Image from Arthur Rackham, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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