Mike Clouston wrote: > Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay) wrote: >> "Pride of Arran". Named after the Isle of Arran on the West coast of >> Scotland, see >> <http://www.visitarran.net> >> > Are you sure Bruce? The one I remember from my days at Stromness Academy > was definitely "The Pride of Erin Waltz". The "Pride of Arran" is a piece of music written in 1893 by Florence Fare. I'm not sure whether that's the piece you heard in Stromness; it's described as a "schottische" the steps for which are described at <http://www.freewheelers.org/1DancingFool/schott.htm>. I must confess that I am no aficionado of country dancing in Orkney (or anywhere else) - I don't have the energy these days and just watching it makes me breathless! -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?"

Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay) wrote: > Mike Clouston wrote: > >> Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay) wrote: >> >>> "Pride of Arran". Named after the Isle of Arran on the West coast of >>> Scotland, see >>> <http://www.visitarran.net> >>> >>> >> Are you sure Bruce? The one I remember from my days at Stromness Academy >> was definitely "The Pride of Erin Waltz". >> > > The "Pride of Arran" is a piece of music written in 1893 by Florence > Fare. I'm not sure whether that's the piece you heard in Stromness; it's > described as a "schottische" the steps for which are described at > <http://www.freewheelers.org/1DancingFool/schott.htm>. > I must confess that I am no aficionado of country dancing in Orkney (or > anywhere else) - I don't have the energy these days and just watching it > makes me breathless! > The "Pride of Erin Waltz" is a dance rather than a piece of music. -- Mike Clouston

I think Mike is right about the dance we remember from Stromness Academy. Pride of Erin sounds right and it is a waltz, not the more energetic schottische. Incidentally, in the Channel Five series about pupils from the North Isles going to Kirkwall Grammar School I was entertained to see that the pupils are just as unenthusiastic as we were about dancing lessons. The teacher was assuring them that asking someone to dance with them didn't mean you wanted to marry them, just that you wanted a dance. His reluctant pupils then generally held their partners at arms-length. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay) Sent: 25 September 2007 11:54 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Wind on Loch Fyne Re: a muckle confusing? Mike Clouston wrote: > Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay) wrote: >> "Pride of Arran". Named after the Isle of Arran on the West coast of >> Scotland, see >> <http://www.visitarran.net> >> > Are you sure Bruce? The one I remember from my days at Stromness Academy > was definitely "The Pride of Erin Waltz". The "Pride of Arran" is a piece of music written in 1893 by Florence Fare. I'm not sure whether that's the piece you heard in Stromness; it's described as a "schottische" the steps for which are described at <http://www.freewheelers.org/1DancingFool/schott.htm>. I must confess that I am no aficionado of country dancing in Orkney (or anywhere else) - I don't have the energy these days and just watching it makes me breathless! -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?" _______________________________________ Orcadia Group Photo Album http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message