Scottish Country Dance - Polharrow Burn

Polharrow Burn performed at the RSCDS Manchester Annual Ball 2007

Category:

Music

Tags:

• RSCDS
• Scottish
• Country
• Dance
• world
• music

[kilteddave]

I'm sorry but who said it was normal. It was dance in an evening of dances and it was one that was captured on film. It was to show how fun Scottish Country Dancing can be - it is not all stuck up as some people would have us believe. I am, however, indebted to you for giving me the names of the tunes.

[jeaherendeen]

Oh, my! "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" and a whole bunch of Stephen Foster tunes!! Guess they could only find a square dance band.

NICE dancing, though!

[kilteddave]

Shame you don't know much about Scottish Country Dancing or you'd know that there are many different tunes and variations and you'd also have heard of the band that are playing.

[accordionman1950]

Funny that not one of these tunes is Scottish, this must be the Swanee River Ball.

[kilteddave]

As I'm sure you should know that not ALL Scottish Country dances have to stick to just Scottish music and tunes!

[Brazosgalone]

That looks like so much fun!

[kilteddave]

It certainly was - sorry for the quality but you get the feel of the dance etc..

[janl0254]

@kilteddave Have a look at the comment I posted. Jim McLeod drew up the arrangement and recorded this in about 1986 or so. He called the tune The Stone Mountain Reel. Jan

[janl0254]

The music was first recorded in about 1986 by Jim McLeod and his band who were at the Hydro in Dunblaine. Jim and his band came to the Stone Mountain Highland Games for many years, playing this tune for the dancers at the Tattoo. It was a particular favorite with American audiences and dancers. Whille not traditional Scottish tunes, we are a world-wide group, and this is a really fund tune to dance to. Jan in Atlanta

[sheilhallion]

Excellent standard of Dancing, it's unusual to get a hall full of dancers that remember the dance. Very well done to you all, very enjoyable.

[scotdrum2]

I'm a bit late to this one. Someone said this was a "square dance band"! NOT SO! This is the great Iain MacPhail Scottish Dance Band, with Iain and Brian Griffin on the accordions - one of the great bands which evolved originally from Andrew Rankine's Band. Iam proud to have played for both Andrew and Iain's bands.

[nottsm40w]

Just learned the dance myself so I loved it. Thanks for sharing the enjoyment.

[jeaherendeen]

I know enough about SCD to recognize good SC dancing when I see it! The tunes were, in order of appearance: O Dem Golden Slippers; Camptown Races, O Susannah, and Swanee River, by Stephen Foster; and some tune which the tv show "Barney and Friends" put the words "Please and Thank-you are the magic words" to (if they didn't write it themselves). Maybe this choice of ALL AMERICAN tunes is considered normal for SCD wherever you are, but it's unusual where I am...