Our tutor Rod Downey gives us ideas for music to listen and practice to.

The end of this video (from my YouTube channel) has nice circles and 3C promenade.

This video is from the teachers’ training class of 1998 in Redwood in Tawa. You might recognise some of the trainee tutors.

Dances include Golden Pheasant, Aultshellach, Miss Hadden’s Reel.

For the more experienced the strathspey at the beginning has a tournee.

Music online

Below are links to some music online.

They have been extracted (by John Patterson, thanks) from old 45s by Jack Seton and Bob Mellis from early New Zealand recordings – fascinating musical artefacts from the early days which will never be re-recorded.

Seton had an interesting history as an early figure in New Zealand dancing and band leader; one of the originators of Summer School. Mellis was a band leader in Christchurch where I think the recordings were made.

Also from an old vinyl recording of Peter Elmes, from his early records, recorded in Wellington and no longer available.

There is a mix of strathspeys, reels and jigs. Warning: they start playing immediately.

• O’ A’ the Airts the Wind Can Blow
• Fairly Shot O’ Her
• General Stuart’s Reel
• Kelvin Grove
• A Mile To Ride

Rod Downey
26 March 2020