The Old Man Of Jutland barndance

I’ve just returned from a most enjoyable weekend at the Bampton (Devon, England) folk festival.

At the tail end of the last main session, a box player (who was quite new to traditional music) asked if anyone knew the tune “Swedish Masquerade” - and if so would we all join in if he played it? We explained to him that that it wasn’t really a session tune, and it would only ever be played for the dance of the same name.

For those who may not know, “Swedish Masquerade” is a Danish dance which often crops up at ceilidhs in England (and sometimes even in Ireland, according to ceolachan!). It begins with a ponderous 4/4 march, continues with a brisk 3/4 waltz then finishes with a 2/4 hopsa (polka). So at least one good reason not to play it at a session! Nonetheless, to keep that box player happy, we agreed to play it.

Afterwards, I mentioned that there was an alternate tune for the dance called “The Old Man of Jutland” - but no-one there had ever heard of it. The pub was just closing, so there was no opportunity to play it. So for those of who were in the little group at the end of that session, here it is now!

Incidentally, I learned the tune from a fine fiddle player by the name of Phil Williams, w-a-y back in the 1970s.

Are you still out there somewhere, Phil?

… and here is a link to the “lead” tune - Swedish Masquerade - (already posted to session.org).

https://thesession.org/tunes/8092

There is at least one other tune that I know that is used for the dance: “Den lille bitte mand” - “The Wee, Wee Man”.

Beats playing “the Wedding March” (or even “The Funeral March”) as an alternative 4/4!

Thanks

All the best

Peter Jenkins

@Peter Jenkins - if you have been playing “The Wedding March” as an alternative for the first (4/4) part of Swedish Masquerade, what have you been playing as an alternative for the second (3/4) and third (2/4) parts?

Would that be Phil of Phil and Vivian Williams, Seattle, Washington? They know both, so it might just be?

In truth, we don’t play SM often, so I have no regular 3/4 & 2/4 alternatives.
I would play Wedding March at a wedding!
Happy Birthday at a birthday, perhaps?
Suggestions for 2/4 hopsa/polka?

And now back to the risotto under construction!

ATBPJ

@Ceol - if it’s the same Phil Williams who studied at Bristol University (England) in the late 1970s, (and whilst in Bristol was a musician with Bristol Morris Men and also played in a ceilidh band called “Bristol Packet”) - he’s your man!

Peter: “In truth, we don’t play SM often”

Quite! Only if THAT dance is being called!

.. and in my case, at the request of a tyro box player at a session …

hmm … “SM” … is that short for sadism/masochism? 😉

SM? - on the wrong website again? - big brother is watching you!

& FYI, it is a chicken risotto

anything relevant to the tunes? that would be good

ATBPJ

Mmmmm, chicken risotto, and, of course, with a nice and proper Italian risotto rice…

As to Phil, it wouldn’t surprise me at all ~
http://www.voyagerrecords.com/pvwebbro.htm

But, I suspect it was another of the thousands of Phil Williamses in the world…

This one brings back memories. It has been ages since we played this, or danced to it…

Got wires crossed. The “wee, wee man” was just a hopsa. This is the set I was thinking of. Just goes under the name of the dance (could probably be written out a bit more neatly):

X:2
T:Svensk Maskerade
S:Jens Peter Dam, Brønderslev, Jylland.
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=70
K:G
“March”D2|G3F G2A2|B2A2 B2e2|d2c2 A2F2|AGFE D3D|
G3F G2A2|B2A2 B2e2|d2c2 A2F2|[1G6:|[2[M:3/4][Q:1/4=148]G4D2|
“Waltz”|:G3A BA|G4B2|c3d ec|A4B2|c2d2e2|d2g2B2|
d3c BA|[1G2z2D2:|[2[M:2/4][L:1/16][Q:1/4=150]G4z4|
“Hopsa”|:d2BB B2g2|d6B2|c2AA A2c2|B2G2 G2B2|
d2BB B2g2|d6B2|c2A2 A2B2|G8:|

Thanks for that one, Weejie!

(although your earlier comment certainly had me puzzled!).

I’ve tidied it up (and simplified it in a couple of places) and also converted the third part of the tune to the session.org ABC meta standard.

The result is now posted in the tune section.

https://thesession.org/tunes/12272