Muriel Johnstone's Strathspey

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Muriel Johnstone's Strathspey (S4x32) 4C set Lewis N Derrick 2023

1-8 The 1st and 4th couples cross over, giving right hands, the 1st couple cast off one place on opposite sides, cross up between the 2nd couple and cast off one place while the 4th couple cast up one place on opposite sides, cross down between the 3rd couple and cast up one place to end 2143 all on own sides; the 2nd and 3rd couples step up and down respectively on bars 7-8
9-16 The 1st and 4th couples dance a tournée, at the end the 1st and 4th women, 2nd and 4th men, 1st and 3rd men all face one another on sidelines
17-20 The 2nd and 4th men, 4th and 1st women and 1st and 3rd men set and turn on sidelines giving both hands
21-24 The 2nd and 4th women, 4th and 1st men and 1st and 3rd women set and turn on sidelines giving both hands
25-32 Eight hands round and back

Repeat three more times from new positions each time

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick 2023)

Dance Information

This was devised by Lewis Derrick for Muriel Johnstone.

Devised 2019, first published electronically 2023.

(Dance information from The McGhie Scottish Country Dance Sheets #51, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)

Muriel Johnstone, born on June 1, 1947, in West Hartlepool, England, to Scottish parents, is a prominent Scottish pianist and composer. Raised in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, she began piano lessons at age seven and violin at age eight. Johnstone attended Ardrossan Academy, where she excelled in music, becoming Dux of Music in 1965.

Johnstone has significantly contributed to Scottish traditional music, particularly Scottish country dance. In 1975, she was invited to play at the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society's (RSCDS) annual summer school, becoming the youngest accompanist at that time. She served as the Director of Music for the RSCDS and arranged music for over 20 of their publications.

Muriel Johnstone, Pianist, 2018

Published in The McGhie Scottish Country Dance Sheets, Collection 6, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick.
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Muriel Johnstone article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Sally Alison Black, Creative Commons Licence 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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