https://dipnd.uk/compot/dances/progs.html

Sample Repertoires

Undemanding

• Broken Sixpence - longways, see below

• Mouth of the Valleys - circle (mixer), 5-6 couples, see below  (Harem Scarem)

• Drops of Brandy - longways - slip-jig (or horn)  The Peacock Followed the Hen/Foxhunters/Drops of Brandy

• Heartbreaker - square - see below,  (Charleston: T. Evans - Five Foot Two … )

• Stoke Golding - longways

• Thread the Needle - longways, jig,  see below (*Woodford, Calliope)

• Champenoise - circle (mixer), jig - 16-bar

• Easy Peasy - Contra, (Faux Paws - *Southport)

• Bouquet Waltz - American Square,  see below  (*Door)

• Country Bumpkin - longways, 4 or 5 couples,  see below  (*Larry …)

Eclectic, circa 1½ hr per session.
Each session commences with a sedate-ish dance and ends with a raucous, energetic one.

• Broken Sixpence:  39s: Sam Bartlett - Rumblestrip;  36s: Sam Bartlett - *Mary Devlin’s;  35s: Countercurrent - Tunes in Seattle;  34s: Sharon Shannon - Woodchoppers;  33s: Altan - *The Triple T;  32s: Airdance - *Cloud Nine/Broken Heart/… .

• Stoke Golding - slip jig:  49s: Trinculo - Any Jig Will Do/Tall for a Night;  48s: Natalie MacMaster - *Patricia Kelso’s;  48s: Mark & Holly - The Peacock Followed the Hen/ Foxhunter's … .

• The Heartbreaker:  33s: Banter (EFDSS) - *Corn Rigs/Seneca … , Johnny Goes to France;  32s: Andrew McNamara - Humours of Tulla/… ;  37s: Mrs Mills - Five Foot Two → 36s: French Charleston Orchestra - Ain’t She Sweet;  32s: The Pasadena/Belgrade Orch. - Yes Sir, … .

• Cotton Eye Joe (if suspended, wooden floor):  Geslison & Groberg, Rednex - C.E.J. .

• Country Bumpkin - reel,  37s reel: Diatonics (EFDSS) - Speed the Plough/Staten Island, The String Sisters - *The Crow’s Visit;  35s: Fiddlers 3 - Billy Thom’s/Rannie …/ … , Natalie MacMaster - Stoney Lake Reels;  34s: Dominique Dupuis - *Reels des Naufragés, Flook - *Larry Out the Bin/Elzics Farewell;  33s: Banter (EFDSS) - *Corn Rigs/Seneca Square Dance, Contrasaurus (EFDSS) - *Tipsy Parson/The Breakdown;  32s jig: Steamchicken - Nobber’s New Jigs.

  • • Thread the Needle - reel/jig,  34s: Whapweasel - Crisps;  34s: Celtic Fiddle Festival - Stan Chapman's Jig/Arthur Darley's Swedish Jig;  32s: Old School Band - Shearer’s Gem/Whittle Springs.

• The Rout (Alternative version):  32s: Contrasaurus (EFDSS) - Up Jumped the Devil/Marmadukes Hornpipe, 32s: South Carolina String Band - Cripple Creek/Old Joe Clarke/… , Steamchicken - *Old Joe Clarke.

Break

• Mouth of the Valleys - reel/jig,  40s ("Plenty of time for some creative twirling”): Natalie MacMaster - Barndances;  35s: Countercurrent - *Sunshower/Lindsay… ;  34s: The Brock McGuire Band - *The Moving Cloud, 34-32s: Solas - *Sproggies;  33s: The Gothard Sisters - *The Bandit;  32s: Airdance - *Fred Bartell/Jigjazz.  35s jig: Kathleen & Jim Fownes - The Old Favorite/The !Orphan.

• Foula Reel - jig,  37s: Spælimenninir - Da Shaalds o Foula;  32s: The Ranchers - WttD, CD1, 17 Shaalds of Foula;  31s: ‘WttD’, CD 1 - 07 The Ranchers - Jigs. 

• Nottingham Swing - 16-bar hornpipe:  26s (32-bar): Steamchicken - *… … Devil's Dead/In Party Mood;  25s: Banter/Bellowhead - *Kafoozalum/Priest’s … , Martin Simpson - *The Keel Row;  23s: Steamchicken - Gobby’s Xmas … .

• Champenoise:  33s - 30s: Die Irrlichte, Duivelspack, Ensemble Tournevire - Chapelloise/Marmotte.

• Petronella - 33s:  Rodney and Randy Miller.

• Bouquet Waltz (American Square), (c. 40s for once thru'):  32 bars in 33s: Notorious - Door County #2;  40 bars in 40s: David Holt & Josh Goforth - *Billy Wilson;  24 bars in 23s: Uncle Earl - Backstep Cindy.

• Suicide Square - double-jig:  34s: Contranella - Birds …/Sticks … ;  32s: John Whelan - Dr O'Neill/Killavel;  31s: The Scottish Fiddle Orch. - Jake’s Jig/Well for Water, John Whelan - Humours Of Glendart/Leitrim Fancy/Paddy In London, 422 - Joe Fosters;  30s: The Gothard Sisters - Midsummer Jigs, Peter Miln - Athol Highlanders;  28s: Banter - **Jump at the Sun.

Break

• T.A.G. -  jig:  35s: Kathleen & Jim Fownes - The Old Favorite/The Orphan;  31s: Kevin Burke & Cal Scott - *The Green Fields of Woodford/Seanamhac Tube … .

• Dip ‘n’ Dive (American Square), (c. 36 or 56-bar!): 16 bars in 20s: Mick O’Brien & C O’R - *Rolling in the Ryegrass set;  16 bars in 17.5s: Corrina R. Logston - Highlanders’ Farewell;  16 bars in 17s: Ron Block - *Devil In The Strawstack;  20 bars in 22s: Dirk Powell - Sally Anne.

• The Willow Tree - 4 x 48-bar double-jig:  54s: Damien O'Kane - Morgan Rattler;  47s: Mark, Holly, Bruce - Morgan Rattler/Zakynthos;  46s: Spiers & Jon Boden - …/Morgan Rattler. 

• Zig Zag - reel:  36s:  Jim Hendricks - Ballad of Casey Jones;  35s: We Banjo 3 - Eirogee/Garfield → Cróga - Road to Errogie, Countercurrent - Sunshower/Lindsay… ;  33s: Laura Light - Tropiganda.

• Georgia Rang-Tang (American Square):  26s (24-bar): Rattle on the Stovepipe - *Chinquapin Hunting;  17s (16-bar): Ron Block - Devil in the Strawsack.

• Waves of Tory - 5 x 48-bar double-jig:  WttD, CD1 - 11 WoT (Shandon Bells/Devil in Dublin/The Coleraine);  45s: 422 - Zycanthos Jig set.

• Maid of the Mill - reel:  33s: Natalie MacMaster - Three Reels;  32s: Nat. Mac. - Catharsis.

• Orcadian Strip the Willow - Slip jig:  46s: Fiddlers Dram - Peel the Tatties/The Pig in the Kitchen/The Barony Jig;  43s: Spinach for Norman - Rocky Road to Dublin set/… (but not Gibraltar);  42s: Alban Fuam - Rocky Road to Dublin.

Contra  -  but, if at least 18 couples, all can also be performed as Sicilian circles

• • • Easy Peasy:  36s: Faux Paws - *Southport;  34s: The Engine Room - *Glory in the Meetinghouse;  33s: Laura Light - Tropiganda.

    • M.A.D. about Dancing  (incl. B t Wave & Petronella):  36s: Faux Paws - *Katy Hill;  35s: Countercurrent - *Tunes in Seattle;  34s: Flook - *Larry Get …/Elzic’s …, Toss the Possum & Noah - Apple Blossom;  33s: Liz Carroll or Tangent - *Anne Lacey’s, Pete’s Posse - The Bunny Tree;  32s: VanNorstrand - *South Bay Reel/Unstoppable, Hanneke Cassel - *Dot the Dragon’s Eyes;  31s: Great Bear - *Garbage in A.

    • Trip to Lambertville, Expert Bits (incl. B t Wave & Pass the Ocean):  34s: Toss the Possum - Vladi … ,  33s: Fiddlestyles → Syncopaths - Spootiskerry/… ;  32s: Airdance - *Muddy Roads;  31s: Perpetual e-Motion - Eleanor Rigby.

    • Amy Absconds  (incl. B t Wave, Pull-by and R O'M).

    • Heartbeat, Maxine’s Reasonable Request (both incl. Petronella).

    • Mange Tak (incl. Pass the Ocean).

    • United We Dance  (incl. B t Line, R O'M):  36s: The Fretless - *Macleods …/Palmers … ;  34s: Mean Lids - Captain Nemo/Vittrad, VanNorstrand - Queen of Catalina, Gypsy Swing Revue - Puttin' On the Ritz, Retrospectacles - Catharsis/Red Cow;  32s: Dam Beavers - *Dirt, Syncopaths - Spootiskerry/Morning Haggis;  31s:  Toss the Possum - Catharsis, Buddy System - *Ride the Wheel.

    • Simplicity Swing:  31s: The Free Raisins - Seanamhac Tube …/Devil in …/Road to Erogie;  30s: Green Lads - … to Errogie.

    • Chuck the Budgie:  35s: Perpetual e-Motion - Cluck Old Hen;  34s: Great Bear - The Gardener;  33s: The Engine Room - Asheville’s Farewell, Toss the Possum - Elzic’s Farewell;  32s: Great Bear - *The Randomanians, Perpetual e-Motion - *Flying Tent.

Minimal contact  e.g. no partner-progression;  for ‘stars’ use wrist-grip (at chest height).

• The New Mrs Arrowsmith, (ladies use wrist-grip):  39s hornpipe: Blazin' Fiddles - President Garfield's;  34s: 422 (EFDSS) - Soldiers Joy/The Great North Run/Dunstanburgh Castle;  16-bar polka in 21s: Nightingale - *Newmarket Polka/Trip to Dingle;  35s: Cheviot Ranters - … Pipes/… Rocks/ … Glendaruch/ … ;  34s: Craig Duncan - Grandfather Polka/Clarinet Polka;  33s: Steamchicken - P & O Polka-Matthew’s March.

• T.A.G. (use wrist-grip):  see above.

• Virginia Reel (40-bar, non-Strip-t-W. version):  Colin Dewar - V. R. Medley.

• Four Around Four:  "WttD", CD1, 07 The Ranchers - Jigs;  34s: Celtic Fiddle Festival - Stan Chapman’s/… ;  33s: Mark Arrington - *The Kesh;  30s: Brendan Block - *Kate’s/Mill … .

• Thread the Needle:  jig, see above.

• Boston Tea Party (incl. single Dip 'n' Dive):  The Dunne Family - Strike the Gay Harp/Jimmy Ward’s/Doberman’s.

• Bridge of Athlone:  Cheviot Ranters - The Frost is all Over/Pet of the Pipers/Smash the Windows.

• The Heartbreaker (for ‘four ladies Chain’ use wrist-grip): see above.

• Bottoms Up (incl. Thread the Needle):  Tiger Moth - *Oats and Beans and Barley Grow.

• Contras:  Oh, Hi Turtle and Coconut Cream (as neither have a 'Swing neighbor').

Kids’ Programme:  Cumberland Reel, Pat-a-Cake Polka, Farmers Jig, Muffin Man, Bridge of Athlone, Virginia Reel, OXO Reel, Clopton Bridge.

Cumberland Reel

Form:  4, 5, or 6 couple longways set (facing partners).

Music:  32-bar reel or jig.

A1:  Top two couples right hand star…  then left hand star back.

A2:  1st couple galop down the centre and back to the top;  lead a single cast (boys to the left, girls to the right).

B1:  1st couple make an arch at the bottom, the rest promenade up through the arch to progressed places.

B2:  New top couple lead a promenade round to the left (double cast) and back to place, all follow.

Repeat for the remaining couples.

Source: EFDSS Community Dances Manual.

Farmer’s Jig

Form:  4-couple longways set (facing partners).

Music:  32-bar jig.   34s: Oxford Nags (EFDSS) - Perfect Cure, Rig-a-Jig;  33s: Hetty Peglars Tump - Ball Pendean Dance/ … . 

A1:  Facing up,  holding inside hands, advance 7 steps up the set, turn (towards partner), facing back, return to place…  and give two hands to partner.

A2:  Couples galop up the set, then galop back to place.

B1:  In groups of four, right-hand star; back with the left.

B2:  First couple lead a single cast, boys to the left, girls to the right.  First couple make a two-handed arch at the bottom, others, holding inside hands, pass under the arch and up the centre.

N.B.  Remain facing up, ready to restart the dance.

Source: Everybody Dance (EFDSS 1972).

Muffin Man

Form:  Circle (girls on boys’ right).

Music:  32-bar polka.  37s: The Old Swan Band - …/Seamo’s Polka;  35s: Cheviot Ranters - Call of the Pipes.

A1:  All to the centre and back twice.

A2:  Face partner, take both hands for four galop steps into the centre and back, repeat.

B1:  Promenade partners.

B2:  Swing partners.  (For a mixer:  boys finish on their partner’s right.)

Repeat - as desired.

Source: Everybody Dance (EFDSS 1972).l