Origins: Dance tunes Haymakers, Strip the Willow

Subject: Origins: Dance tunes Haymakers, Strip the Willow
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 02:06 PM

The country dances "The Haymakers," "Strip the Willow" and "Bab at the Bowser" are supposed to have the tune or form of "Pop Goes the Weasel." Does anyone know these dances?
The tune for "Pop" is listed as being published in "Gow's Repository," 1799-1820. This is before "Pop Goes the Weasel" appeared in 1850.
Any information would be appreciated.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dance tunes Haymakers, Strip the Will
From: open mike
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 03:09 PM

THE DANCE FIGURE STRIP THE WILLOW CONSISTS OF A COUPLE SWINGING
AT THE TOP OF A LINE OF DANCERS, AND THEN SWINGING WITH EACH DANCER
IN THE LINE AS THEY PROGRESS DOWN THE LINE, ENDING UP AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE LINE. ("TOP" REFERS TO CLOSEST TO THE MUSICIANS
OR STAGE OR FRONT FO THE ROOM, AND "BOTTOM" IS..WELL..THE OPPOSITE)
COMING BACK TO THE MIDDLE TO SWING THEIR PARTNER BETWEEN EACH
"NEIGHBOR SWING"

Subject: RE: Origins: Dance tunes Haymakers, Strip the Willow
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 03:35 PM

Listed where? Strip the Willow is a dance, not a tune; it's usually danced to Drops of Brandy or other 9/8 jig. I can't say that it bears much resemblance to Pop Goes the Weasel. Bab at the Bowster appears in a number of forms; vaguely similar, but not especially so. The set in Gow is yet another variant, a 6/8 jig called The Cushion Dance from the dance with which it was associated at the time. Also not particularly reminiscent of Pop to my ear. A set of The Hay Makers also appears in Gow (also a 6/8 jig of similar shape), but there are others.

You can find more information about most of the dances at  The DanceData Web Interface

...and more background on the tunes at  The Fiddler's Companion

Subject: RE: Origins: Dance tunes Haymakers, Strip the Willow
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 03:59 PM

I probably have been taken in by a fakelore website while trying to find the early history of "Pop Goes the Weasel," see thread 19247: Pop Goes the Weasel

The tunes I list are cited in this website: Quinion on POP GOES
The same writer (same link) says "the tune was published in Gow's Repository..."

So far, the earliest definite date for "Pop Goes the Weasel" is 1850, in American sheet music, but there are undated broadsides in the Bodleian that could be a little earlier.

Subject: RE: Origins: Dance tunes Haymakers, Strip the Willow
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 08:05 PM

From The Fiddler's Companion:

HAYMAKERS [2]. Scottish, Country Dance Tune (6/8 time). G Major. Standard. One part (Hunter): AABBCC (Gow, Kerr, McGlashan, Skye). There is a once popular (in 19th century Scotland, for example) country dance called "The Haymakers," but whether this tune is associated with it or not is unknown. The characteristics of the dance indicate its origins can be found in community harvest festivals of the land, similar to the English "Harvester's Dance." The "Hay" (or Hey) was a dance figure and melody known to Shakespeare. The tune is found in the Shetlands, but is not indigenous; rather, it was introduced in the 1890's "by Scots girls who came up in their hundreds during the gerring season to live and work as gutters and packers at the numerous fishing stations which mushroomed each year around the Shetland shoreline. The Shetland jigs, however, appear to pre-date this period" (Cooke, 1986). Carlin (Gow Collection), 1986; No. 445. Gow (Complete Repository), Part 3, 1806; pg. 38. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 285. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 1; pg. 27. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 169. McGlashan (Collection of Scots Measures), 17__; pg. 15.
T:Hay Makers, The
L:1/8
M:6/8
B:McGlashan - Collection of Scots Measures
K:G
D|G2B A/B/cA|B2G AFD|G2B A/B/cA|B/c/dB G2:|
|:c|B2d g2d|e/f/ge dBG|B2d g2d|e/f/ge d2:|
|:B|c2e dBG|AcA B2G|c2e dBG|A/B/cA G2:|