hey..i’ve heard many different things about the seige of ennis,
the set dance tune that is played a lot at weddings.
i’ve heard that it’s the Rattlin’ Bog and i’ve also heard that its 3 different tunes played together.
I’m really confused!
Could some one please tell me which one of these it is, or if its other one?
Thanks!!
o sorry,,i meant if its ‘another one’
Why?
for a wedding, and just out of curiousity
I’ve heard Salmon Tails and The Grand Old Dame Britannia called the Siege of Ennis. Does it matter? If you are after the tune for the dance then any or all of these wiil fit as will any single reel or polka played at the appropriate speed.
It all seems to depend on the dancers. Some insist that it has to be polkas and the siege of Ennis set (Tulla Polka and Rattling Bog - also titled Siege of Ennis by many musicians) would seem to bear this out. A dancing instructor I know always insists on reels while many people say jigs are best for this dance. My advice would be to check with the dancers before you start playing.
Was playing a wedding this summer when a DDM (Dreaded Dancer’s Mother) took it upon herself to organize the befuddled guests into dancing The Siege. To us she said “just play a reel, any reel, not too fast”.
Twenty minutes of hilarity ensued. Afterwards, we broke int a set of jigs. The punters kept dancing The Siege…
lol…thanks u guys!
The Siege of Ennis is a dance called ‘Tom Pate’ in England; itself a corruption of the title of the French dannce ‘Le Tempete’ . A quick search turned up a reel called ‘The Tempest’ Whether it has anything to do with the dance I know not. As a practical bit of advice casual dancers can manage single reels (Rakes of Mallow) or polkas best . . . You could try the Kilrush Polkas (single reels), Kilrush isn’t a long way from Ennis
We played Siege of Dennis one night at Doncaster Irish Centre (now flattened for a druggies centre). We expected sets facing each other.
The locals formed into a triangle of 3 sets facing each other - it worked, but we have never seen triangular sets before!
“Surge of Guinness”
we play jigs : ‘Maids of Ballinacarty’ followed by ‘Hartigan’s Fancy’ finished of with ‘Sports of Multfarnan’ One caller asked for marches but demonstrated the ‘sliding doors’ movement by lilting a jig. Another caller does the reverse, askes for jigs then lilts Polka rhythm.
hehehe..thats funny!!
yea i have never seen a triangular set either…
only the ones facing each other..
cool!
well thanks to everyone who answered, and shared their funny stories!! 🙂
# Posted on November 10th 2009 by hakanozel
https://thesession.org/discussions/23069