The angel Gabriel from heaven came,

A

With 7 steps 1s go under an arch made by 3s and invert the set, one person on each side having to twist about quickly.

His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;

B

With 7 steps all raise hs, walk backwards and turn over l.sh. while looping own r.arm over own head and own l.h. joined to neighours r.h. over their head.

'All hail', said he, 'thou lowly maiden Mary

C

Circle the 'basket' to the left with 8 steps.

Most highly favoured lady,'

D

With 4 steps raise hs and retire out of circle while all except 1M (who remains facing in) pull r.sh. back to unloop arms and finish facing out of set.

Glo1sto1st..oria!

E

With 10 steps and with no one letting go 1M makes an arch with r.h. and pulls with his l.h. so the line threads out until the set is inverted back to facing in.

This carol is based on a Basque one, 'Birjina gaztettobat zegoen', collected by Charles Bordes and published in the series Archives de la tradition basque, 1895. Sabine Baring-Gould, who wrote several novels and hymns (including 'Onward Christian Soldiers) and who had spent a winter as a boy in Basque lands, translated the carol into English, reducing the original 6 stanzas to 4 and giving Gabriel the very beautiful 'wings as drifted snow'.

This is an unusual dance for a figured dance in that at no stage does anyone let go (the only other dance similar in this respect in this collection is the 'Gower Wassail'). Dancers need to be quick off the mark in A1, knowing who's leading, who's arching and who's going to be doing the twist on the side. In the B2 part of the dance it is important to remember that lead M should remain facing in and does not need to unloop his arms in the same way as the others do. All he needs to do is uncross his arms by leading dances with his l.h. under an arch made with his r.h. and all will be back in an inward-facing circle. If all arrive back in such a circle with time to spare, all can simply circle to right (the direction which flows naturally out of the unravelling) till the tune comes around again.

Il est n1st, le divin enfant,

Jouez haut-bois, resonnez musettes;

A

In back-hold heel and toe with outside foot (M's l.f., W's r.f.) and with one polka step in same hold, twist about on own place to face out of circle, then heel and toe with other foot and with one polka steps switch back.

Il est n1st, le divin enfant,

Chantons tous son avønement.

Heel and toe and, letting go of joined r.h. M retires towards centre facing out and W turns over l.sh. to face in, take r.hs with neighbour to form a star-like wave, arms extended straight out.

Depuis plus de quatre mille ans

B

Releasing l.hs, pull past r.h. and change places with neighbour on right with 2 polka steps. Take l.hs with new neighbour.

Nous le promettaient les prophøtes,

Releasing r.hs, pull past l.h. and change with neighbour on left.

Depuis plus de quatre mille ans

Releasing l.hs again pull past and change with neighbour on right.

Nous attendions cet heureux temps.

Releasing r.hs M stays facing in while W on l.h. goes acw around M into back-hold on his r.side, l.hs now behind his back, M slipping his r.h. under her l.arm to take her r.h. behind her back.

The tune for this carol can be found in R. Grosjean's Airs des no¨l lorrain (1862), where it is called 'Ancien air de chasse', and an old Normandy hunting tune 'T¨te bizarde', which though in 6/8, is indeed melodically very similar. The Shorter New Oxford Book of Carols editors suggest the tune is an 18th century composition in a rustic style. The text of this carol was first published in Dom G. Legeay's No¨ls anciens (1875-6). An English version of the lyric in Geoffery Brace's Carol for Carol Singers, Cambridge University Press, 1991, goes:

Sing aloud the child is born, / This is a time for celebrating
Sing aloud the child is born / Now the day at last is here

We have waited four thousand years,
Now the day is at last upon us.
We have waited etc, / Now the day at last is here. / - Chorus -

In a stable poor he lay, / Only a manger for a cradle.
In a stable etc / Only a bed of straw and hay. / - Chorus -

Shepherd and kings from lands afar / Join the joyful celebration.
Shepherds and etc / Guided by the shining star. / - Chorus -

Such is the appeal this catchy tune, there is even a Mohawk version 'Rotonni Niio Roie Mia', collected from Harriet and Carol La France of the St Regis Mohawk reservation at Rogensburg in the U.S.

The A part of the dance uses a rustic heel-and-toe figure to pick up on the carol's 'celebration-in-a-rural-setting' imagery - the switching about in the side-by-side backhold still used today in some traditions (eg Latvian). The B part of the dance uses Christmas star imagery, and to make the star twinkle clearly dancers should change crisply when chaining and finishing each chain with straight arms. As the carol normally ends with the A part, dancers can finish unwrapping into a wave and bowing to neighbours.

Infant holy, infant lowly,

For his bed a cattle stall;

A1

With 3 waltz steps balance to neighbour and partner, then take neighbour in a r.sh. close ballroom hold and conclude with a twist (legs together, heels swivel one way - say to left - as knees bend, drop and point other way - say to the right - then straighten up abruptly).

Oxen lowing, little knowing
Christ, the babe, is Lord of all.

A2

With 3 waltz step starting again M r.f., W l.f. turn briskly as a couple 11/2; cw and twist (this time knees to the left, heels to the right), finish pointing joined hs, chests, noses forward along the l.o.d.

Swift are winging, angels singing,

Noels ringing, tidings bringing:

B

In the dramatic forward-facing arms-extended ballroom hold, starting outside foot promenade forward with 4 waltz steps.

Christ the babe is Lord of all.

C1

With 1 waltz step starting M l.f. W r.f., couple turn 1/2; acw, M wheeling back, and all twist (knees to the right, heels to left).

Christ the babe is Lord of all.

C2

With 1 waltz step starting M r.f. W l.f., couple turn 1/4; back cw, W wheeling back, open out, sliding into holding hs in an inward-facing circle, and all twist (knees to left, heels to right).

This carol is version of a traditional Polish carol 'W Zlobie Lezy'. There is an English version of this carol called 'Jesus Holy, Born so Lowly' but the translation given here was made and published by Edith Reed in December 1921, without the repeating of the last line. Though today the last line is most commonly repeated, as given here, if it is not the dance can still work if the couple open out back into a circle at the end of C1.

To give some Polish polish to the dance, the chest should be 'puffed-up' proudly, the arms extended as much as possible (especially when promenading or in circle), and the leg twists should be executed with a snap (as in the Polish dance Adas Kujawiak). If displaying the dance you might like to make sure you all alternate the starting foot of the waltzes and alternate the direction of your twists (if your last waltz step was onto l.f., your knee goes to right on twist, if last step r.f., knee goes to left). In a social setting, however, the direction doesn't matter, so long as the dancers all drop at the knee and straighten up in unison, and the overall carriage is dramatic. With dancers who can chain smartly, a double progression is possible by replacing the above C1&2 with the following:

C1.  With 1 waltz step starting M l.f. W r.f. M guides W with his r.h.under his raised l.h. to take hs in outward-facing circle then all twist (knees to the right, heels to left).

C2. With 1 waltz step starting M r.f. W l.f. change with neighbour, W going under M raised r.h. to finish in each others places in a new inward-facing circle then twist (knee to left heel to right).

Masters in this hall
Hear ye news today,

A1

1M chase 2W cw down round 2M, 1W continuing round 1W to M's place, 1M cutting between 2M and 1W to 2W's place.

Brought from over seas
And ever you I pray.

2W chase 1M cw round 2M, 1M continuing round 1W home, 2W cutting between 2M and 1W to original place.

- Repeat verse -(optional)

A2

Taking r.hs across all set right and left then star cw 1/2; way.

Without relinquishing r.hs across, repeat setting and 1/2; star cw to arrive home.

Noel, Noel, Noel
Noel sing we clear!

B1

2M chase 1W cw up round 1M, 1W continues round 2W to 2M's place, 2M cutting between 1M and 2W to 1W's place.

Holpen all the folk on earth
Born the Son of God so dear!

1W chase 2M cw round 1M, 2M continues round 2W home, 1W cutting between 1M and 2W to original place.

Noel, Noel,
Noel sing we loud

B2

Taking r.hs across all set right then left then star 1/2; way.

God to day hath poor folk raised and cast a-down the proud.

Taking r.hs with partner, set right and left then 1/2; r.h. turn so 1M and 2W end up facing  down and 2M and 1W up.

The tune for this carol has a long association with dance. It was originally French and included in Raoul-Augur Feuillet's 1703 Recueil de contredanse along with a longways proper dance, 'La Matelotte', which Feuillet had himself written to go with the tune. In 1710 John Essex published a translation of this work, For the Further Improvement of Dancing, in which the dance is given as 'The Female Saylor'. It is unclear, however, whether the tune entered English folk tradition at that point, or whether it was reintroduced latter - possibly by a certain Edmund Sedding who is said to have obtained it in the mid-19th century from a French organist. Whatever the case, sometime around 1860 William Morris put his carol 'Master in this Hall' to the tune. A hundred years later Pat Shaw had a look at Feuillet's dance as it appeared in John Essex's book and published a version in his 1965 Six Simple Country Dances.

The dance offered here is different from both Feuillet's original dance and Pat Shaw's revision. The longways improper formation was chosen to give all the men an opportunity to act as 'Masters in this Hall' towards each woman they meet, until the tables are turned on them. The dance is simple if dancers remember that all the action is clockwise, that the man always starts the chasing, that whoever is doing the chasing takes the short cut, and that the right hand needs to come up towards each double chase ready for the balance and star (if doing the full 32-bar version). Indeed, although the tune itself is intrinsically and historically 32 bars, if dancing to choristers singing the 24-bar version (with no repeats of the verse), then you can shorten the dance by omitting the balance and star figure in A2. If the chasing in A1 and B1 looks to challenging, then it can be replaced with a simple 16 step chase all the way around to home.

.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,

A1

All go in with 2 waltz steps.

wie grün sind deine Blätter!

Balance to neighour and to partner.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,

A2

Take 2hs with neighbour and 2 slow chassée steps out of circle.

wie grün sind deine Blätter!

2 waltz steps to 2h turn as a couple 3/4; way, finishing opening out and facing along l.o.d.

Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerszeit,

B

Balance away, towards.

nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.

Travel forward as you mirror turn twice about (M acw to left W cw to right) with 2 mazurka hobble steps (step, together, hop), finishing in waist-shoulder hold

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,

A3

2 mazurka hobble steps forward along the l.o.d..

wie treu sind deine Blätter!

With 6 running steps wheel 3/4; (W back M forward) to finish facing in holding hs in a circle.

This carol takes us back to ancient pagan winter solstice celebrations. The practice of bringing a fir tree into the house at Christmas time and decorating seems to have begun in the Rhineland in the late Middle ages, and was then brought to Britain by the German Prince Albert. The words are a Christianised version of an old German folk-song made by Ernst Anschütz, a Leipzig schoolmaster, in 1824, and the tune to which Anschütz set the words was that of a popular song of his day, which was in turn a borrowing from a traditional students' song. The words have since had many different English translations/versions (many, unfortunately, overly archaic, rhythmically awkward or poetically forced) and the tunes used in many other contexts - including very political ones.

In this dance, to match the provenance of the carol, I have sequenced some typical German waltz and mazurka steps. Using these steps dancers in the A part trace the shape of a Christmas tree and in the B part mime the stringing of the decorative tinsel and spinning of the baubles and stars.

Willie, take your little drum,

A

L.f. double to r.h. turn partner 1/2; way to take l.hs with neighbours and form waves, M facing out, W in.

Robin, bring your fife, and come,

All balance right and left.

And be merry while you play.

With r.f. double twirl over r.sh. across to partner's other hand.

Turelurelu. Patapatapan.

B

R.f. single to 'balance' right and l.f. single to 'balance' left.

Come be merry while you play,

C

L.f. double to l.h. turn partner 1/2; way into progressed position.

On this joyous Christmas day.

Both step onto r.f as M takes r.hs with new W and kisses the taken hand while he bows and she curtsies.

This carol was written by the famous Burgundian Bernard de la Monnoye (1641-1728) using one of the dialects which once flourished in Central France. The tune was either traditional or written by Monnoye himself. Guillo and Robin are stock characters signifying 'the whole village'. The 'tamborin' is a small drum hung from the shoulders and the 'fleute' is either the fife played with military drummers (as in the Arbeau pictures below) or the 3 hole pipe played with a tabor (as in the picture opposite). 'Turelurelu' is the sound of the latter and 'patapatapan' of the former.

In the first half of the dance dancers give r.hs to 'take your little drum', give the other hand into a wave for 'bring your fife1st', and twirl happily to 'be merry while you play'. The second part of the dance plays more on tune's gavotte-like nature and traditionally in a gavotte the men took it in turn to kiss all the women. Inspired by this notion, in the second half of this sequence I have choreographed in a progression and a kiss. Men don't take turns kissing all the women at one go, but will nevertheless eventually all get to kiss all the women. Indeed, the moment when all return to their partner (M kissing her r.h.) may be a good moment to stop the dance. After every other kiss you will want to dance on starting l.f., so it is important that after stepping onto your r.f. to take hs with a new partner, that you keep your weight on this r.f. while greeting.

Variant: Form a longways proper set of as many as will and start with just the top couple. They finish in exchanged places face down and dance with their respective 2 nd couple opposite. Continue thus (M progressing cw around set, W acw) till all are dancing and taking hs when possible with neighbours. When leaders reach the bottom they dance again with their partner but after the l.h. turn, they retain l.hs, throw the r.h. over the top into a skater's hold facing up on original side. They wait as the couple behind them, finding they can progress no further around the circle, do the same (give r.h. across to their partner, do the figure across the set, and finish on original side). When all have formed a column in inverted order, follow the new top couple as they caste as a couple out to the left - top couple going to bottom, bottom couple coming up to top. All wheel into original positions, face partners then push back into a bow.