The Wyches Of Cheshire
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
WYCHES OF CHESHIRE (S3x32) 3C Triangular Set Liz Bruynooghe1- 8 All set to partner, Ladies dance in and to right passing LSh into next Ladies' place; all set to 'new' partner and turn 2H. Finish facing 'new' partner
9-16 All dance interlocking RSh reels of 4 and end by turning 'new' partner ¾ RH to bring Men into centre
17-24 Men dance LH across 1⅓ round finishing in triangular set facing original partner; all dance DoSiDo passing LSh. 231
25-32 All set and link; Ladies followed by partners chase clockwise 2 places. Bar 32: all pass partner RSh to form triangular set facing partners. 312
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Information
In 2016, as a result of decreasing numbers attending Scottish Balls, it was decided by three groups within the Cheshire area, the RSCDS Cheshire Branch, the Nantwich and District Scottish Society and the Northwich and District Scots' Society, to join together and have a Joint Annual Ball. The decision was that each Society/Branch would take it in turns to arrange the Ball and tickets would be sold by each Society/Branch firstly to their own members and then to visitors. The first Ball in 2019 was very successful and was a sell-out.The Chair of the Joint Ball Committee was Liz Bruynooghe, a member of both RSCDS Cheshire Branch and the Nantwich Society. At one of the joint meetings it was suggested that a dance should be written to celebrate the Joint Ball and it should be danced at each Ball. Liz undertook the task and The Wyches of Cheshire was devised. The triangular set represents the three Societies/Branch that are represented at the Joint Ball, now known as "The Wyche Ball"; the movements within the dance suggest intermingling and changing partners.
The local area of Cheshire has great salt reserves and had many salt mines. The town names of Nantwich and Northwich are derived from the ancient word "Wych" which signifies a brine spring or well.
"Wych" must never be pronounced as "Witch" even though "wich" of the town names is so pronounced; the "y" should be pronounced as in "my".
(Dance information by Andrew Locke, Secretary, RSCDS Cheshire Branch)
The Wych Brook or Red Brook, formerly known as the River Elfe, is a small river in the north-west midlands of the United Kingdom. It forms both the historic and present-day border between England (Cheshire) and Wales (Maelor Saesneg).
The Wych Brook was formerly known as the River Elfe or Elf. The origin of the name "Elfe" is in this case unknown, though the name "Wych" is thought to derive from saline springs in the area. There were formerly a number of natural salt springs or 'brine pits' near the river bank at Higher Wych and Lower Wych, which from medieval times were used as a water source for commercial salt production. It has been speculated that the river name Elfe is based on the Welsh language root hal-, halen, "salt".
Wych Brook At The Small Village Of Higher Wych, Malpas, Cheshire
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Wych Brook article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Espresso Addict under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
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