On The Banks Of Spey

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-8 First and second, and third and fourth couples dance the Rose Progression, with third woman and fourth man setting to begin at the bottom of the set.
9-10 All take hands on the side and set.
11-14 First and fourth couples dance four hands across. Finish so that the first and fourth couples have nearer hands joined and face, first couple down and fourth up.
15-16 First and fourth couples set to each other.
17-24 First couple and fourth couple dance a modified (symmetric) tourbillon.
 17-18 First lady and fourth man turn two hands, opening after one bar, by fourth man releasing his right hand and lady left but retaining nearer hands, to finish in third place facing up. (That is, fourth man is still in the place he began this movement.) Retain nearer hands.
 Similarly for first man and fourth lady who finish facing down in second place, with fourth lady in first lady's previous place.
 19-20 First lady with fourth man and first man with fourth lady set across the set with nearer hands joined.
 21-22 First lady and fourth man, and first man and fourth lady couples turn with both hands as above, and this time men release left and women right hands, to finish on the sidelines (in progressed places).
 23-24 All four couples take hands on the side and all set.
 An easy way to remember the above is that the first time the ladies progress around the men, and the second the men around the ladies.
25-32 Second and fourth, and similarly first and third, couple dance an all round poussette. This should be danced in the symmetric "diamond poussette" style as per the original instructions for New Park.

Repeat with a new top couple.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor)

Dance Notes

1-2 First man and second woman set to each other while first woman and second man change places with right hands to finish facing out.
3-4 First man and second woman half turn with both hands to finish facing each other on the diagonal with hands joined while first woman dances up to first man's place and second man dances down to second woman's place.
5-6 First man and second woman cast to the right and dance out to the side -lines to finish in each other's place while first woman and second man half turn with both hands to finish facing each other on the diagonal with hands joined.
7-8 First man dances across to second man's place while second woman dances across to first woman's place while first woman and second man cast to the right and dance out to the sidelines to finish with first woman in second woman's place and second man in first man's place.
The movements should be danced in as round a shape as possible. I prefer to think of the movement on the diagonal as half turn, hesitation and cast, so there is a moment when all the dancers are aligned.

(Dance notes by the deviser, Rod Downey)

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Dance Information

The recommended tune is "The Banks of Spey", a lovely old traditional tune, and could be played ABAB or ABBA.
A suitable recording is on "Campbell's Birl" by Muriel Johnstone and Keith Smith, from Scotscores music. The dance was written with this recording in mind.

(Dance information from They Stole My Wife From Me Last Night Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

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