A NEW H.M.V. EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT

A new Educational Supplement from H.M.V. of 24 mono EPs is in part to replace some of the 78s withdrawn from the catalogue on February 28 last, but there are also a lot of new, valuable and highly interesting releases as well. Of the 24 EPs which comprise the supplement eight are reinstatements in the new form and these include such popular favourites as "Four New England Contras" (7EG8649), "Four Northamptonshire Dances" (7EG8650), "Dances from Four Counties"—Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire and Dorset (7EG8651), "Waltzes and Hornpipes", quite rightly described as "four recordings essential to any Barn Dance programme" (7EG8653) and "Four Country Dances, Old and New", comprising Pop goes the Weasel, Merry, merry Milkmaids, Dargason and Nancy's Fancy (7EG8655).

Of the new issues to set beside these McBain's Country Dance Band led by Nan Fleming- Williams contributes two, both just called "Four Traditional Country Dances". The first of these contains Durham Reel, for six couples and stepped to polka rhythm, the leisurely and charming Waltz Country Dance danced in a circle of couples, the U.S.A. Thady You Gander for four couples each of which leads in turn and The Waves of Tory, in jig rhythm and for five couples (7EG8668).

The second group of four is also divided between England and America. From this country there are The Steamboat, a West Country longways dance to hornpipe rhythm, Spanish Waltz, a circle-waltz for four or more couples, and from America there are The Haymaker's Jig, with its distinctive figure in which all participants lead down four abreast, and the quick and lively "spectacular", The Road to California (7EG8669).

The Greensleeves Country Dance Band led by Dennis Darke plays four English dances under the title "English Folk Dances" (7EG8670). Speed the Plough is a pleasantly dignified longways for all comers, The Triumph (to the tune of "The Sheffield Hornpipe") is associated with weddings, Bonny Breast knot, from Devon, is really a longways progressive dance but sometimes danced as a set for three couples, and Hunt the Squirrel, which is very attractive, is of ancient but uncertain origin. In all cases the Greensleeves Band incorporates other tunes with the originals for variety.

"Three Popular Folk Dances" is the title given to 7EG8671 played by the Ranchers Folk Dance Band led by Norman Ellacott. One side is devoted entirely to Princess Margaret's Fancy which was written by Peter Kennedy for Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret on the occasion of her first folk dance party at Cecil Sharp House. It is a very graceful but not unduly difficult square. The longways Timber Salvage Reel, for as many as will, and Virginia Reel, for sets of five couples, share the other side.

7EG8665-7 are three additional volumes (Nos. 3-5) in the "Playford Dances" series played by the Playford Country Dance Players led by Nan Fleming-Williams. The first two volumes in this series, played by the Country Dance Players led by Michael Bell and released in the ordinary way, not as a special supplement, are reviewed in "Nights at the Round Table" on page 507 of this issue. All are traditional tunes from the Playford Collections with additional ones taken from other o/d collections added sometimes for variety in excellent and homogeneous arrangements by Pat Shuldham-Shaw. The Playford Collections go back up to 300 years and more. Volume 3 includes what must be one of the best-known country dance tunes of all since its adoption as the signature tune of the B.B.C. TV's "Gardening Club" programme. It is Shrewesbury Lasses which, like Fandango (also included), is a triple longways adapted to a whole-set dance. Another triple longways is The Bishop and the fourth dance in this collection is The Dressed Ship which, being a duple longways progressive, was probably specially designed to be danced down the corridors and along the balconies of country houses.

Volume 4 has six short dances: Old Mole, a set dance for three couples, the lively Hufty Tufty, a minor set for two couples, the famous If all the World were Paper, an early square, Black Nag, beloved of children, and the familiar Gathering Peascods and Picking up Sticks.

Volume 5 has five dances. Draper's Maggot, a longways triple, takes its name from a famous dancing master of long ago, maggot being the apt description of a tune that when heard stays and goes round and round in the head. Mr. Parsons of the vigorous Parsons' Farewell was another famous dancing master and is commemorated in this little set for two couples. Hey Boys is a similar dance and in his sleeve-notes (which are admirable throughout the whole of this series and from which I have quoted freely) Mr. Douglas Kennedy says that Samuel Pepys saw what is believed to be this dance performed in the Whitehall Palace by King Charles II and his brother (who later became James II). Childgrove and Apley House are both longways duples.

Another group of three records new to the catalogue is called "National Dances", Vols. 1, 2 and 3 (7EG8662-4). These come from all over Europe and arc played by the National Folk Dance Players led by Nan Fleming- Williams in splendid arrangements by Pat Shuldham-Shaw. On No. I Cuckoo, from the Tyrol, is a gay little mixing dance in which the one found without a partner is taunted by shouts of "cuckoo" from the others. In Come to me from Westphalia and Peasants' Dance from France the men keep moving from partner to partner, the lively Devil Dance is from Pomerania, Clap Dance is claimed by many countries but probably originated in Germany, and La Vinca ("The Conquest") is Italian.

No. 2 contains three dances from Denmark,Syvspring, Lot is Dead and Gallopink-and two from Latvia-Litenietis and Sudmalinas. The first is danced in a circle and is more suited to men and boys, the more agile of whom may end with a somersault, and the last by its formation and polka-like step suggests the turning of a windmill. The others are dances for couples. The Austrian Dance on No. 3 is one of the comparatively few in which it is the girls who choose their partners, who are constantly being changed. The others arc a vigorous Bavarian Dance, the sedate, almost stately Fricasse from France, the Czech Tancuy, Terschelling Reel No. 1 from Holland and Polka Pique from Brittany.

All the bands concerned in these records, and their leaders, are very experienced in the kind of music they play and great care has been taken to ensure authenticity in both arrangement and performance. Dance notations are available: in the case of the National Dances from the Physical Education Association of Ling House, 10 Nottingham Place, London, W.I., and for those included in the Playford Dances series and the other records from the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Road, London, N.W.1.

Finally, there are two records for children recorded in collaboration with the B.B.C. The first is a reissue of the dramatised version of the delightful Little Red Engine and The Little Red Engine gets a Name, two of Diana Ross's wellknown stories on 7EG8661, and the second has a dramatisation of Billy Bobtail, a traditional story adapted by Jean Sutcliffe, on one side, and Alison Uttley's The Rabbits go Hunting, in which the high spot is the entertaining characterisation of the lettuce-eating slugs, on the other (7EG8660). Both of these are calculated to appeal greatly to young children. W. A. CHISLETT.