The Gallopede barndance

~ minus the middle part:

X: 1134
P: The Persian Dance
T: Persian Dance
O: Nathaniel Gow, dances, 1812
R: country dance / reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: G Major
|: dc |
B2 Bc A2 AB | G2 G2 G2 AB | cBcd edcB | A2 A2 A2 dc |
B2 Bc A2 AB | G2 G2 G2 AB | cBAG FGAF | G2 G2 G2 :|
|: Bc |
.d2 .d2 .d2 g2 | .d2 .d2 .d2 g2 | .d2 .d2 edcB | AGAB A2 Bc |
.d2 .d2 .d2 g2 | .d2 .d2 .d2 g2 | d2 B2 dcBA | G2 B2 G2 :|

I have also seen transcriptions for this where the B & C (2nd & 3rd) parts repeat. I didn’t learn or play it that way, but I did enjoy playing it with swing, while realizing that a lot of folks don’t. I also like the dance, including ‘Petronella’, which it is also used for, danced with a schottische step, or the basic hop123, hop123, hop step, hop step, hop step, hop step…

Here is a Lancashire transcription I found on the Internet, for comparison:

X: 1
T: The Persian Ricado. TLY.012
T: Gallopede. TLY012
M: 2/4
L: 1/16
S: Wm.Tildesley, Swinton,Lancs.1860s
R: Gallop
O: England.
A: Lancashire.
H: 1860.
Z: Taz Tarry.
K: G Major
|: dc |
B2 Bc A2 AB | G2 G2 G2 AB | c2 cd B2 Bc | A2 A2 A2 dc |
B2 Bc A2 AB | G2 G2 G2 AB | cBAG FGAB | G2 G2 G2 :|
|: dc |
B2 gf e2 ed | dcBd A2 dc | B2 gf edcB | A2 A2 A2 dc |
B2 gf e2 ed | dcBd A2 dc | BdcB AcBA | G2 G2 G2 :|
|: Bc |
d2 d2 d2 g2 | d2 d2 d2 g2 | d2 d2 edcB | c2 A2 A2 Bc |
d2 d2 d2 g2 | d2 d2 d2 g2 | d2 Bc dcBA | G2 G2 G2 :|]

I was surprised this old war horse wasn’t already here. I won’t be surprised if it is… I’ve given two distinct versions for it in the transcription, swung and straight… I hope to see some of your ways with it added here in the comments…

‘hop123’, alias the ‘skip-change’ step, for which, along with swing and good chocolate, I have a weakness for… 😎

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/GAA_GAL.htm#GALLOPEDE

Gallopede ~ The title of the tune is really a generic term for a type of once extremely popular early 19th century country dance, the ‘galop’, also spelled gallopede, galopade or gallopade, which features a simple rhythm and a hop or change of step at the end of each phrase. At one point in the dance couples ‘galop’ up or down the center of the lines. It appears in English manuscripts of the early 19th century (John Moore, John Clare) under the title “Persian Dance” or “Persian Ricardo,” however, the first published version appears in Preston’s 24 Country Dances for 1801. Flett & Flett (1964) state that in Scotland the Galop or Galopede received a ‘lukewarm’ welcome in the first few decades after its introduction, but gained steadily in popularity with the coming of the polka in 1844 and the resulting surge of interest in ‘circle’ dances in that country. As “Gallopede,” it has been routinely heard at New England contra dances during the 20th century. Under the “Persian” or “Persian Ricardo” titles it appears in numerous early 19th century English fiddlers’ manuscripts.

PERSIAN DANCE, A. AKA and see “Gallopede,” “Persian Ricardo.” English, Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). England; Shropshire, Lincolnshire. G Major (Ashman): D Major (Sumner). Standard. AABBCC. The tune is well-known nowadays under the “Gallopede” title, especially at New England contra dances, although many early 19th century English fiddlers’ manuscripts list it under the “Persian” or “Persian Ricardo” title. In addition to the printed collections below, it appears under that title in the separate 19th century music manuscripts of Lancashire musicians James Nuttall and William Tildsley. Source for notated version: a c. 1837-1840 MS by Shropshire musician John Moore [Ashman]; the 1823-26 music mss of papermaker and musician Joshua Gibbons (1778-1871, of Tealby, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire Wolds) [Sumner]. Ashman (The Ironbridge Hornpipe), 1991; No. 61, pg. 24. Sumner (Lincolnshire Collections, vol. 1: The Joshua Gibbons Manuscript), 1997; pg. 22 (appears as “Persion”).

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on October 27th 2002 by SPeak.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1083

flat the As and Es for an “interesting” ramble. 🙂

X: 45
T: Galopede, The
T: “Yarmouth” reel or “Persian dance”
C: Trad, countemelody by Laurie Griffiths
Z: posted by Laurie Griffiths 9/99
L: 1/8
M: 4/4
Q: 1/4 = 100
F: http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/mirror/kirby98.fsnet.co.uk/ga/Galopede_1.abc 2009-07-26 06:03:04 UT
K: G
V: 1
dc | “G”B2Bc “D”A2AB | “G”G2G2G2AB | “Am”cB cd ed cB | “D”A2A2A2dc |
“G”B2Bc “D”A2AB | “Em”G2G2G2AB | “Am”cB AG “D7”FG AF | “G”G2G2G2:|
dc | “G”B2gf “C”e2e2| “G”dc Bc “D7”A2BA | “G”G2gf “Am”ed cB | “D”A2A2A2BA |
“G”G2gf “C”e2e2| “G”dc Bc “D”A2dc | “G”Bd cB “D7”Ac BA | “G”G2G2G2 Bc |
“G”d2d2d2g2| “G”d2d2d2g2| “G”d2d2“Am”ed cB | “D7”A2A2A2Bc |
“G”d2d2d2g2| “G”d2d2d2g2| “C”ed cB “D7”dc BA | “G”G2G2G2|]
%
V: 2
BA | G2G2F2D2| G2B2B2cB | AG AB cB AG | F2D2D2BA |
G2G2F2D2| G2B2B2AG | FG AB cd ef | g2B2B2:|
Bc | d2d2c2c2| Bc de f2f2| gf ed cB AG | F2D2D2F2|
d2d2c2c2| Bc de f2f2| gf ed fe dc | B2B2B2
GA | B2B2B2d2| B2B2B2d2| B2B2cB AG | F2D2D2GA |
B2B2B2d2| B2B2B2d2| gf ed cd ef | g2B2B2|]

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol, UK. It’s also the usual setting that’s used when playing the tune for the 32-bar dance of the same name at a ceilidh.