- Teacher's Message
- Sign up For Class!
- About One of Our Dances
- Calendar of Events
Many, many thanks to Vancouver USA Scottish Country Dancers for sharing our dance with numerous community organizations. You have danced 33 times this past year, from the Airport (PDX) to Westfield Shopping Town (almost A to Z!). WOW!! AND we actually had more requests than we could honor.
Ghost Stories was a first for us; fun for us all, and it gave a great boost to our treasury. A special thank you to the children who participated with us. Dancing for Westfield Works Wonders was gratis this time; however, it could become a fund raiser for us if we so desired. The hour we danced went by so quickly!! Time does fly when we are having good fun!
We have a standing invitation to dance for Art Walk/Alive After Five in downtown Vancouver. They really enjoyed our dancing. That added exposure is what lead to more requests during the summer and fall.
I stand in awe, and salute you all for dancing so many times over and above our usual activities!
To every one of you, and your families, a very Good, Healthy New Year,
Happy dancing, Marge
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This is just a reminder to be sure to sign up for class. The course number is EN0290; the cost is $60 for residents of Vancouver City, $66 for those outside the city. Please try to register before January 7th. To register, just call 696-8236; you can also walk, mail, or fax-in your registration. For more information, see the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation catalog. The class is listed under Adult Enrichment.
The following is an article our teacher, Marge, posted on the bulletin board in the class, about one of the dances on our Dinner Dance program, "The Sow's Tail". It is from RSCDS Bulletin No. 63 - "Amendments to Publications". -ed.
The proper title is The Sow's tail to Geordie -- from a Jacobite song of the early eighteenth century which was a scurrilous lampoon of George I and his mistress, Madame Kilmansegge, whom he brought with him, along with the rest of his belongings, from Hanover. The complete song is to be found in Hogg's Jacobite Relics. Madame Kilmansegge, or the Countess of Darlington as she became, was called the 'The Elephant' in England, a nickname suggested by her ample proportions. The Scots Jacobites, however, were not so fastidious and called her 'The Sow'. Here are some verses from the song:
It's Geordie's now come hereabout,
O wae light on his ugly snout!
A pawky sow has found him out,
And turned her tail to Geordie.
chorus:
The sow's tail is till him yet,
A sow's birse will kill him yet,
The sow's tail is till him yet,
The sow's tail to Geordie.
It's Geordie he gat up to dance,
And wi' the sow to take a prance,
And aye she gart her hurdies flaunce,
And turned her tail to Geordie.
It's Geordie he sat down to dine,
And who came in but Madam Swine?
'Grumph! Grumph!' quo' she, 'I've come in time,
I'll set and dine wi' Geordie.'
It's Geordie he lay down to die;
The sow was there as weel as he:
'Umph! Umph!' quo' she, 'he's no for me,'
And turned her tail to Geordie.
The tune is a 'mild' Scottish Measure, and is published in McGlashan's Collection. Burn's liked it and wrote a dialogue duet to it for Thomson entitled 'O Philly, happy be that day'.
The Gows published the tune in Strathspey style with variations 'for the Piano Forte, Violin &c' in their Second Collection (1803), and this is the version used by the R.S.C.D.S. for the dance. It is not precisely correct to assign the tune to Niel Gow (as the Society has done); 'Niel Gow's Set' would have been more accurate.
Calendar of Events
Jan 7 - Apr
28, 2004: Winter term of Vancouver USA Dance Class
Marshall Community Center, Oak/Elm Rooms, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver, WA, Wednesdays, 7:45-9:15pm. The cost will be $60 for residents of Vancouver City, $66 for those outside the city. The course number is EN0290. Please try to register before January 7th. To register, call 696-8236; you can also walk, mail, or fax-in your registration -- see the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation (P & R) catalog. The class is listed under Adult Enrichment. |
Jan 10:
Portland SCD Dance Party
7:30 pm, Tigard Grange 13770 SW Pacific Hwy., Tigard. (Music from CDs and tapes) $4.00 |
Feb 14:
Portland SCD Dance Party
7:30 pm, Tigard Grange 13770 SW Pacific Hwy., Tigard. (Music from CDs and tapes) $4.00. |
Feb 21:
Vancouver USA SCD Annual Dinner Dance
With many dances from the 1700's, our theme this year is "Tartan(ic) and Old Lace!". Semi-formal attire. Live music will be provided by Scottish Rose. 5:30-11:00pm at Luepke Center, 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd. Dinner 5:30pm, Family dancing 7pm, Grand march and dance 8-11pm. Meat and beverages will be provided. Diners, please bring a dish to share. Adult dinner and dance: US$14; Youth (13-18): US$5; 12 and under free; Dinner only: US$7; Dance only: US$7. Contact Van Meter Hord 360-699-2174 or Margaret van Nus 360-892-4366 . |
Mar 13: 25th
Anniversary Workshop and Ball, Portland
Celebrating 25 years of dancing, friendships, and memories. Teachers: Ruth Jappy, and Wes Clindinning. Music: Lisa Scott, Calumn MacKinnon, Leslie Hirsch Registration forms will be available in Januay. For more information or registration forms, please contact Debbie McRobert at 503-620-3034, or Linda Gertz at 503-692-5963. |
Mar 13:
Playing Music for Scottish Country Dancing
10am - 4pm: A workshop with Alasdair Fraser, fiddle, and Muriel Johnstone, piano, for all musicians. 7pm, dance with music provided by Alasdair, Muriel, and workshop misicians. Cost: $45 (includes workshop, lunch, and evening dance). Some scholarships may be available. For information: contact Heather MacKay at 510-653-7507, or . Click here to see the flyer. Albany Veterans Memorial Building |
Mar 26-28:
28th Annual Workshop and Ball
The Vancouver Island Scottish Country Dance Society invites you to their 28th annual workshop and ball weekend in Victoria, BC. Teachers: John Drewry from Scotland; Mary Murray from Vancouver, B.C.; and Fiona Carnie from Calgary, Alberta. Musicians: Ken Nattrass and Ron Krug from Winnipeg, Manitoba. |
"0h fine, I think," was the reply, "but he's hardly settled in yet."
"But they tell me he is one of the kind that doesn't believe in Hell."
"Well," came the grim rejoinder, "He'll not be here long before he changes his mind."
http://www.fife.50megs.com/scottish-humor2.htm
| Do you have an item of Celtic interest you would like to see in print? | ||
| You can contact me in any of the following ways: | ||
| By mail: |
| John Shaw | |
| PO Box 2438 | |
| Battle Ground, WA 98604 |
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| The Scottish Country Dancer is a bi-monthly publication of the Vancouver USA Scottish Country Dancers, a non-profit educational organization. For changes of address, please contact John Shaw, PO Box 2438 Battle Ground, WA 98604, . The editor reserves the right to alter or edit any material submitted for publication for reasons of taste, style, or clarity. All materials for publication should be sent by email to the editor at the address above, preferably in straight text. Deadline is one week before the end of the month prior to publication date. Editors of other newsletters may use or adapt any materials in the Scottish Country Dancer unless a specific copyright notice is included. Please credit author and original source. |