And When They Dance

Since the publication of the Bush Dance folio in 1985 I have been repeatedly asked for an update. Much has happened in the interim years: a busy number of years performing in Sydney with Pinchgut and then Southern Cross; children, and all their concommitant demands; and of course, moving to Penrose and adopting a significantly different lifestyle.

During this time I have not been idle. Arranging the yearly music for the Heritage Ensemble to play at the annual Bush Music Club's  Heritage Ball has been a regular challenge for 35 years now. In recent times with Bush Traditions, I have been
instrumental in the planning and running of the Goulburn Gathering and the Bundanoon DanceFest, as well as being a regular contributor to the participation programme of the National Folk Festival. In doing this I have arranged and rearranged many dance tunes in many dance sets, and published close to forty single purpose folios.

Still, there is, I believe, a need for a core repertoire of tunes from the amassed collections to be put forward. There have been a huge number of tunes that have come to light since 1984. It is not conceivable to play them all and to do them justice. This collection is an abbreviated personal selection of the best of the tunes arranged in playable sets.  

This collection is not offered for sale for profit. In the spirit of folk music it has been prepared for sharing, as have my previous publications. You are welcome to copy the work in part or in full for your own use, preferably with acknowledgement.

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A - K

Across the Sea to Erin

Ali's Quickstep

Annie Shaw's Tune

Atlantic One Step

Australian Jim

Bert Jamieson's Beauty

Bert Jamieson's Schottische

Bill Cooper's Polka

Binda Polka

Black Cat Piddled in the White Cat's Eye

Black Man Piddled in the White Man's Shoe

Bob in the Washhouse

Bowral Jig

Brown Jug Polka

Can A Monkey Climb A Tree

Charles Cullen's Jig

Charlie Doran's Polka

Charlie Kyle's Jigs

Cheer Boys Cheer, Mother's Got a Mangle

Cheer Up Jack

Circassian Circle

Cock of the North

Colin Charlton's Reel

Cosgrove's Schottische

Dad's Jig from Frank Forde

Dashing White Sergeant

Deccan Steet

Dick Cribb

Eb Wren's Hornpipe

Eileen McCoy's Jigs

Ernie Goodman's Waltz

Fair Fair with Golden Hair

Flannigan's Ball

Flowers of Edinburgh

Flying Pieman, The

Frank Collins' Jig

Frank Forde's Second Jig

Fred Holland's Polka

Freemantle Station

George Large's Polka

Gervasoni Waltzes

Girl I Left Behind Me, The

Girls of Ivy, The

Grand Old Dame Britannia

Hackett's Schottische

Harry Cotter's Jig

Harry Reeves' Favourite Shotease

Harry Reeves' Waltz

Herb Gimbert's Jig

Hundred Pipers, A

Jack and Lil

Jack Canny's Reel

Jack Charlton's Jig

Jack's Waltz

Jackson's Jig

Jimmy Jeffreys' Schottische

Joe Yates' Jig

Joe Yates Second Reel

Just As The Sun Goes Down

Katie Maloney's Reel

Knotted Cord, The

K - Z

Kuraca Polka, The

Lindsay Carr's Lead-up

Loge and Vivvy's Schottische

Mark Walters' Set Tune

Mason's Apron, The

Mick McGarry's First Jig

Mick McGarry's Second Jig

Mick Pilley's Varsovienna

Monkey Shaved Me Father

Moonan Flat Set Tune

Moriarty's Jig

Mother's Old Red Shawl

Mr Emmett's Waltz

Mudgee Waltz

Murray Moon, The

My Love She's But A Lassie Yet

New Cut Polka

Off To California

Old Bush Shanty

Old Schoolmaster, The

Old Time Polka One

Old Time Polka Two

Ollie Watt's Schottische

One Wet Afternoon

Orotaba Waltz, The

Out of the Blue Gums

Paddy Godden's Schottische

Queer Fella's Schottische

Rakes Polka

Rita Croker's Set Tune

Rita Trautman's Polka

Road to Gundagai, The

Russ Lynam's Favourite

Sadly the Cuckoo Is Calling

Salley Gardens

See-Saw Polka

Silver Spear, The

So Fa La

Spanish Waltz

Spirits of Whisky

Stan Treacy's Polka

Stan Treacy's Schottische

Stan Treacy's Set Tune No 1

Stan Treacy's Very Particular Waltz

Susan Colley's Waltz

Teaching Clarence McFayden to Waltz

Teddy Creighton's Step Dance

The Donkey Ate My Old Straw Hat

The Steampacket Hornpipe

Under the Willow

Walk Around, The

Wattle Flat Races

Wedding of Lachan McGraw

When I Went To Germany

When the Rain Tumbles Down

Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox

White Cockatoo

Wild Paddy

Year of Jubilo

Young Letitia Carey