Annotation:Peter O'Tavy
X:352 T:Peter O' Tavy C:Traditional O:Isle of Man N:See also KV 140 B:Kiaull Vannin #352 M:6/8 Q:80 K:G GGG G2G|A2D A3|AFD AFD|DEF G2D| GGG G2G|A2D A3|AFD AFD|G3 G3| g2d g2d|gfe d3|e2e dcB|dcB A3| g2d g2d|gfe d3|dcB AGF|G3 G3||
PETER O'TAVY. Manx, Waltz. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB'. Peter O'Tavy is the name of a dance from the Isle of Mann. Music and figures to the dance appear in the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (III, No. 2, pp. 110-116), in Mona Douglas's article "Manx Folk Dances: their Notation and Revival." It is a slow dance for four performed at weddings (the bride and groom and best man/woman) that requires deliberate movements and considerable balance [1]. A lyric accompanies the tune, sung in Manx:
The man is not drunk, not half drunk, half drunk,
Quarter drunk, quarter drunk, if he can dance.
The man is not drunk at all, at all,
If he can dance Peter o’Tavy.
Peter, Peter, Peter O.
When we’re married away we’ll go.
If we’re not drunk we’ll all have to show
That we can dance Peter o’Tavy!
