Seton's Ceilidh Band

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

SETON'S CEILIDH BAND (J4x64) 4C set Bruce Fordyce Morison's Bush Collection and RSCDS book 53

1- 8 1s cross RH and cast 1 place (2 step up), dance down between 3s (3s step up) and cast down behind 4s to 4th place (4s step up)
9-16 1s dance reflection reels of 3 on opposite sides (1s in/up, 4s out/down)
17-24 1s cross RH and cast up 1 place, lead up between 3s and cast up behind 2s to 1st place own sides
25-32 1s dance reflection reels of 3 on own sides (1s in down, 2s out/up)
33-40 1s cross RH and cast down 1 place (2 step up) 1s give RH to partner and LH to 1st corners, Balance-in-Line and turn partner RH to give LH to 2nd corners
41-48 Balance-in-Line and 1s dance out and cast down behind 3s, meet and lead up to top crossing to 1st place own sides (2s step down)
49-60 1L+2L and 1M+2M change places RH on sides and 2s+1s cross over LH, repeat with 3s and 4s until reaching the bottom of the set
61-64 All turn partners RH 1½ times

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

Seton's Ceilidh Band
Bruce Fordyce Morison's Bush Collection
Jig 4 x 64 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set

1-4 1s cross and cast around 2s;

5-8 1s meet, take nearer hands, lead down between 3s and cast around 4s;

9-16 3s4s1s reels of 3 on sides, 1s (on opposite sides) taking nearer hands and leading up to start;

17-20 1s cross and cast up around 4s;

21-24 1s meet, take nearer hands, lead up between 3s and cast up around 2s to place;

25-32 1s2s3s reels of 3 on own sides, 1s taking nearer hands and leading down to start;

33-36 1s cross by the right and cast, finishing in balance position with first corners;

37-38 1s balance with first corners;

39-40 1s turn by the right halfway, finishing in balance position with second corners;

41-42 1s balance with second corners;

43-44 1s cast (on opposite sides) and meet below 3s;

45-48 1s take right hands and cross up to places, finishing facing down;

49-52 1s2s cross by the right on the sides, 2s 1s cross by the left;

53-56 1s3s cross by the right on the sides, 3s 1s cross by the left;

57-60 1s4s cross by the right on the sides, 4s 1s cross by the left;

61-64 all turn by the right 1½ times, finishing 2s3s4s1s.

(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)

Dance Notes

1-8 This is a good exercise in stepping up at the correct time.

3-4 2s step up.

5-6 3s step up.

7-8 4s step up.

9-16 Quite sedate. Take nearer hands briefly at every opportunity in this reel.

17-24 This is a good exercise in stepping down at the correct time.

19-20 4s step down.

21-22 3s step down.

23-24 2s step down.

25-32 Quite sedate. Take nearer hands briefly at every opportunity in this reel.

33-48 Another exercise in stepping up/down.

35-36 2s step up.

45-46 2s step down, finishing facing up.

49-60 These half rights and lefts start on the sides.

61-64 An opportunity for a birl (but perhaps not for 2s in the first three repeats because they have to be the dancing couple immediately afterwards).

The deviser's daughter has asked us to make it clear that the above notes are our observations, not part of his original instructions.

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Seton's Ceilidh Band Keith Rose's Diagram

Seton's Ceilidh Band - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Seton's Ceilidh Band - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Bruce Fordyce devised this dance and also wrote the music for it.

Seton's Ceilidh Band commemorates Jack Seton and his band, which was based in Hastings, Hawke's Bay. Jack's band played for Scottish country dancing in many New Zealand regions, in particular in Hawke's Bay and at Morison's Bush near Greytown in the Wairarapa.

(Dance information by Alison Trotter, daughter of the deviser)

The Origin of "Seton's Ceilidh Band"

Jack Seton was the Son of John Seton of Dunoon, Scotland, a member of the Glasgow police force, and one-time premier Drum-Major in the British Army. John Seton led one thousand pipers through the streets of Edinburgh during one of their famous Festivals.

Jack Seton was drum sergeant in the famous Glasgow Police Pipe Band, and in 1950 immigrated to New Zealand with his wife and son to settle in Hastings, where he became a probation officer. It was not long before he became drumming tutor to the Hastings Scots Highland Pipe Band, and tympanist in the local orchestral Society. Jack's style of drumming revolutionised pipe-band drumming in New Zealand.

To introduce some social life into the band for young bandsmen, their girl friends and wives, Jack started a Scottish Country Dance group, which in 1951 became the Hastings Scottish Country Dance club. He travelled extensively throughout the country, and in 1953 was instrumental in forming the Wellington-Hawkes Bay Association of Scottish Country Dance clubs, of which he was the first President.

In 1954, Jack Seton, Bruce Fordyce, Nancy Baxter and Shirley Child, ran in Napier, the first Summer School of Scottish Country Dancing ever held in New Zealand. From such small beginnings eventually arose the N.Z. Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, while Summer Schools have an unbroken line of descent from that original 1954 School.

About 1959, Jack Seton formed a small dance band to play live for Scottish country dancing, and to record the music. The ensemble, which consisted of Arthur Young (piano) George Armitage (Accordion), Nolan McKay (Violin) Alex Loughlin (Clarinet/flute), Cliff Martin (Bass), and Jack Seton (Drums), was in great demand, particularly in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, and they also made several recordings. This wee band, may be considered to be the one that led the way in New Zealand.

So in 1961 when I composed the tune and devised the dance, there was no need to search for a title. There it was, full of life and vigour, fostering Scottish tradition, and bringing joy and pleasure to many, many people.

So long as this dance is danced - the world over, may it continue to be a memorial to one of the finest cultural ambassadors Scotland has ever had.

Jack, as MC, and the Band

Greytown, Wairarapa, New Zealand

Published in Seton's Ceilidh Band Origin, reproduced here with the kind permission of Alison Trotter, daughter of the deviser, 2023. Copyright Bruce Fordyce, Alison Trotter. All rights reserved.
Upper image copyright Jack Seton, Ruary Laidlaw. All rights reserved.
Lower image copyright Ulrich Lange, Dunedin, New Zealand (Own work) Creative Commons Licence 3.0 or GFDL Copyleft, via Wikimedia Commons.
Additional search terms: Seatons.

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Seton's Ceilidh Band' page