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Show The Come-back of the nJlQld Time Fiddler ' i r 4 . j ' I fit I ill - " ' , ' '--v - . . j ' '- , ' ., ..-- '. . - ..r-r"i .is" ' . . . . ?';'':'. ", . . , . - . - -r 'v-v.'- 'j . .a ;-: .,-'., - . .-. ...;. 'v ... - , i ' , ', f ' . -s ?" - By ELMO SCOTT WATSON SHOltT time ago a Mont-'cul Mont-'cul newspaper pri-nted an 1 I article under the title of I "Our Canadian Folk-Dances" hlf n in which Kathleen Redman MsA Strange, the author, said: jjjjvy "If you ever have watched KJ" a group of country people ' engaged In a 'square' dance, you will readily understand why I regret re-gret the passing of these old-time favorites fa-vorites from the floors of our present-day present-day country dance halls. "As recently as ten years ago these iquare or group dances were an Integral In-tegral part of our western country life. Today the modern tendency for jaza Is crowding out the old-time fiddler and the old-time dances. The old-time fiddler cannot play the new tianee music, though he can play the old Irresistibly. The consequence Is that not only the fiddlers, the 'callers,' Bnd the old rhymes themselves, but Wso the people who know how to dance the figures are disappearing." If this Canadian woman had crossed the boundary line into this country fcnd visited various places in a number of different states she might have discovered dis-covered that mourning over the "passing "pass-ing of the old-time fiddler" is still a bit premature. If, for instance, she had gone into the Catskills in New Tork she might have made an Interesting Interest-ing discovery, as witness the following from the New Tork Sun: Having explored the Catskills, Mary Elizabeth Osborn has recorded record-ed In American Speech some of the results of her observations on the square dance. The neighbors gather In the "front parlor," the barn or, corrupting touch for the true antiquarian, in the garage. The fiddler calls the figures; be is dictator of the dance; he "has been known to stop fiddling and scold the dancers if the figure Is not being performed quite swiftly swift-ly enough or evenly enough to meet his approval." Whatever the dance may be, says this historian, there are Introductory Introduc-tory and closing steps that are always al-ways the same. The opening figure Is ordered thus : "Head couples. Right and left, Half promenade; Ladles change, Balance four, Allemand left. All promenade." The closing figure Is directed In this fashion by the master of festivities: festivi-ties: "Ladles to the right and swing, Balance to the next ; Gents to the right and swing, Balance to the next ; Allemand left, All promenade." In "Captain Jinks," a favorite dance, the figures are performed with enthusiasm to these quatrains, the "flying lady" Is frequently lifted bodily from the floor and swung In the air with right good will : "First lady swing with Captain Jinks; Now with the one that never drinks; Now with the one that carries the chinks, And now with the dude of the ballroom. First gentleman dance with lady so fair; Now with the one with i'jrls In her hair; Now with th one that JLm in the air, And now with belle of the ballroom." ball-room." A typical dance for four couples Is expressed In these lines: "First tw give right hands across, Back with the left; Fall back between sld couples, And forward sir, Richmond, Va. For the first time In Virginia's history the old lyrics of a forgotten day that came to America with the first colonists, are to be heard again, when the picturesque pictur-esque valleys and hollows of the Blue Ridge mountains surrender their mountain moun-tain bards, April 14 to 17, of this year for the first Virginia music festival, to be held at Charlottesville. Above Is shown a group of the old fiddlers getting get-ting In a bit of practice for the coming com-ing festival. And back with the left; Join your partner, And balance four In a line ; Swing to places And promenade all." This Is an aspect of life In the Catskills the summer boarder does not know. Our author says that in the villages the square dances are falling off somewhat In popularity, but on the farms they are as greatly enjoyed as they were a generation ago. Jazz leaves the guests apathetic. apa-thetic. It was only a year or so ago that the Kansas City Star chronicled the fact that "ten old-time fiddlers, five from north Missouri and an equal number from the southern section of the state, will saw It out December 30 at Jefferson City for the state championship. champion-ship. The winner will receive a large loving cup. The contest Is expected ta take all night." And the Rolla (Mo.) Herald reported that "the Ozarks have radio and free rural mall delivery; they have automobiles and roads but refuse to abandon the old square dance where the fiddler plays the 'Arkansas Traveller' and "Turkey in the Straw' and at the same time calls the dance figures In verse. A year or so ago a South Dakota editor, commenting upon the revival of the old-time dances in that state, was moved to the following reminiscence reminis-cence of an earlier day: In the spring of 1S79, I witnessed my first frontier dance. A new store building was to be dedicated with a dance. There was room for three "sets" of four couples each to dance at once and the musician and caller was Drane Evans. Just what Dume was a contraction of I never knew. His music didn't appeal even to my unpracticed ear, but his unique and poetic Improvision as he "called" to his own fiddling impressed me more than the movement of. the dancers. When the sets were full, Dume's fiddle fid-dle and also his voice came into action. ac-tion. He always sang in a droning monotone, keeping time also with his foot. The opening was always the same, "S'lute yer partners. "Jlne hands and circle to th' left. "Right hand to yer partner an' grab right and left." By this time his eyes were closed and his voice had risen to a sort of rythmatic wail : "First couple lead to the couple on the right "Lady In the center an' three hands 'round ; mind yer feet fellers, don't tromp on her gown. "First lady swing out and second lady In ; three jine hands and circle agin. "On to the next couple, hoe It down; three jlne hands and caper 'round. "Third lady to the center; give your honey a whirl, lead to the next with your best girl. "Grab your honies, don't let 'em fall, shake your hoofs and balance all. "Ringtail coons In the trees at play ; grab your partners and run away." Or there might be a variation after the grand clrcle-to-the-Ieft, something like this : ' "Buffalo gals are a comin' out tonight; to-night; first couple lead to the couple on the right ; jaybird scoldin' up in a tree; gents stand around and ladies do-se; If you catch a yeller jacket let 'er go ; ladies stand back and gents do-se-do. On to the next and do it some more make them cow hides hit the floor. "Back to your places that-away ; grab them heifers and all chaw hay." Or It might be in a sort of reminiscent remi-niscent and sentimental vein that he would call : "First gent lead to lady on yer right and watch yer step now, mind yer; back to yer place and swing thet gal, the gal yer left behind yer." Dume's physical endurance apparently appar-ently was as inexhaustible as his power of improvision. Hour after hour the old fiddle would screech, and hour after hour the voice of the fiddler would drone on while his foot kept time without Intermission. Of course there were occasional periods of Irrigation, though Dume never seemed to be effected by his potions, and when at last the dance broke up It was near the hour of blushing morn. Similarly a writer In the Louisville (Ivy.) Courier-Journal told of old-time dances and old-time fiddlers In that state as follows: Some of the old-time Kentucky fiddlers fid-dlers had more of a variety of tuneful tune-ful breakdown melodies In their repertoire rep-ertoire than others, but there was one accomplishment In which fewer excelled. That was the calling of the dance figures, which some of them could do In an original and novel way. The figures of the old-time square dances were called off In the quaint vernacular couched In loose rhyme, and the variations that took a wide range occasioned much merriment. Following is a sample of one of the characteristics dance calls of the period : "S'lute yer pardner and let her go; Balance all and do-se-do. Swing yer gal and run away; Right and left and gents sashay. Gents to right and swing or cheat; On to next gal and repeat. Balance next and don't be shy; Swing yer pard and swing her high Bunch the gals and circle round; Whack yer feet until they bound. Form a basket and break away; Swing around and all get gay. All gents left and balance all; Lift you hoofs and let 'em fall. Swing yer opposite, swing again ; Ketch the sagehens If you kin. Back to pardner, do-se-do ; All jine hands and off you go. Gents salute yer little sweets; Hitch and promenade to seats." The time-honored square dance, or quadrille, Included other firures, one of them being called "blrd-in-the-cage." Others were made up and interpolated, such as "Swing Yer Long Cornstalk," which had Its origin in Arkansas. Usually the dance "caller" of other days had a foghorn voice and he contributed much to the "shindigs" of the period that often lasted until daylight before be-fore the final strains of "Home, Sweet Home" broke up the party. All of which offers rather conclusive conclu-sive evidence that It's not yet time to write "finis" to the old-time fiddler and his dance tunes. He will hold sway at the Virginia music festival at Charlottesville this month, according accord-ing to the Information accompany the picture shown above, and judging by reports of fiddlers' contests in other parts of the country which have appeared ap-peared In the newspapers recently, It seems likely that he will pursue his "calling" for some time yet to coma itzi ht WMtera Nwsx&per Union.) |