X:1
T:Circassian Circle
M:C
L:1/8
B:Manson – Hamilton’s Universal Tune Book vol. 1 (1854, p. 135)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
N:The initial pick up bar has been corrected (dc instead of d/c/)
K:Bb
dc|BFdc B2d2|BFdc B2d2|cFed c2e2|cFed c2e2|
BFdc B2d2|BFdc B2d2|cdec AFGA|B2d2B2:|
|:z2|Bdfe d2f2|dBdf bfdB|cFed c2e2|cdcB Ac f2|
dBfe d2f2|dBdf bfdB|ABcB AFGA|B2d2B2:|]
CIRCASSIAN CIRCLE, THE. AKA and see "Hill's Fancy," "Rugley Ford." English, Scottish, Canadian; Hornpipe, Reel or Country Dance. G Major (Corfield, Kennedy, Lees, Raven): D Major (Howe, Jarman): A Major (Kerr, Martin, Milne, Sweet): B Flat Major (Manson). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The Circassian Circle is a country dance, which Lake District musician William Irwin directs be played as a 'hornpipe' in his c. 1850 music manuscript copybook. It was, for example, recorded as having been played and danced in the Carmichael district of Lanarkshire, Scotland, around the turn of the 20th century (1900) where it was always the first dance of the evening. Northumbrian musicians have called the tune as "Rugley Ford" (a place-name near Alnwick), and it can be found in mid-19th century Lister manuscript (East Bolden, south Tyneside) as "Hill's Fancy," probably a reference to the famous Tyneside composer of hornpipes James Hill.
The musical vehicle for the dance was usually the namesake melody followed by additional tunes at the same tempo, capped by a return to the original "Circassian Circle" melody. Canadians have frequently employed the tune "Bastringue (La)" to accompany the figures.
The version in the Jarman volume is somewhat different than the usual tune.
Additional notes
Source for notated version : - William Irwin music manuscript collection (c. 1850, Lake District, Cumbria) [Offord].
Printed sources : - Corfield (Tunes from New Brunswick), 2024; p. 20. Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 71. Jarman (The Cornhuskers Book of Square Dance Tunes), 1944; p. 32 (appears as "The Circassion Circle"). Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune-Book, vol. 1), 1951; No. 1, p. 1. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880; No. 1, p. 26. J. Kenyon Lees (Balmoral Reel Book), Glasgow, 1910; p. 26. Manson (Hamilton's Universal Tune Book, vol. 1), 1854; p. 135. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 37. Milne (Middleton’s Selection of Strathspeys, Reels &c. for the Violin), 1870; p. 40. John Offord (Bonny Cumberland), 2018; p. 45. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 165. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1964; p. 57.
Recorded sources : - Tradition 2118, Jim MacLeod & His Band – "Scottish Dances: Jigs, Waltzes and Reels" (1979). Topic Records 12T214, The Cheviot Ranters - "Sounds of the Cheviots" (1972).
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