Chrissy Fowler wrote: Some of the older tunes have lyrics, though people don't usually sing them for dancing: la bastringue (mademoiselle voulez vous dancer ...) haste to the wedding (come haste to the wedding ye friends and ye neighbors ...) someone claims to have rory o more lyrics: http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/song-midis/Rory_OMore.htm Then there are southern tunes (that don't have specific dances) but do have some lyrics: sandy boys (come along sandy boys ...) cluck old hen (cluck old hen, cluck old crow ...) angeline the baker (angeline the baker ...) Jeff

Alabama Gal is a good one (it's a galopede style contra, not a duple) -cynthia -----Original Message----- From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Chrissy Fowler Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:25 AM To: shared weight Subject: [Callers] sing-along contras? Hi all, A friend asked me if there are contra dances whose associated melodies/tunes have lyrics. Suggestions? Chrissy Fowler Belfast ME _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

There is the tune "Sweet Georgia Brown", with a singing contra dance written to match the tune called "the SGB Contra".  It appears in the RPDLW Syllabus from 2008, page 47, transcribed here:   The SGB Contra By Dave Colestock (June 14, 2007) Called by Dave Colestock as a singing contra call Formation: Contra, duple improper Tune: Sweet Georgia Brown (Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey, Maceo Pinkard) Dos-a-dos that neighbor gal, and then youswing her too Swing that gal around, face across, right and left through Put her on the right, ladies pull past, and swing – that’s what you do Yes, you swing your own partner there, face down the hall and march it south, go Four in line, doin’ fine now, California twirl,come back March along, sing the song, bend the line and the ladies chain Chain, chain, chain I say, a right and leftthrough back the other way Courtesy turn, put her on the right, face a new neighbor and dos-a-dos   Adapted from a dance entitled the Sweet Georgia Brown Contra and called by Stan Burdick on Grenn 16011. The author points out that the dance can also be called without singing:   A1- Do-si-do neighbor and swing A2- Right and left through across the set, ladies pull by each other by the right hand       Swing partner, end facing down B1- Down the hall 4-in-line, turn as couples with a California twirl       Return, bend the line B2- Ladies chain across       Right and left through and face the next   Enjoy!   Dave Colestock Harrisburg, PA     --- On Thu, 1/20/11, Chrissy Fowler <ktaadn_me(a)hotmail.com> wrote: From: Chrissy Fowler <ktaadn_me(a)hotmail.com> Subject: [Callers] sing-along contras? To: "shared weight" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Date: Thursday, January 20, 2011, 10:25 AM Hi all, A friend asked me if there are contra dances whose associated melodies/tunes have lyrics. Suggestions? Chrissy Fowler Belfast ME                           _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Well Chrissy, if your french is good, Rick Mohr's "Night Sail" was specifically written to go with "Nous Allons à une Fête" as performed by Nightingale and sung by Keith Murphy. You can hear a excerpt from Dance Flurry 2008 here: http://bit.ly/h8KJ9m Night Sail by Rick Mohr Contra/Becket-CW A1 ----------- (8) Women chain to Neighbor (8) Circle Right 1X until across the set from partner, then turn towards next couple A2 ----------- (8) (With next couple) Circle Left 1X (8) Do-si-do new neighbor on the side (Join hands in a wavy line of four, women LH in center, RH to neighbor) B1 ----------- (4) Balance wave to right and then left (12) pass neighbor by right shoulder into 3/4 hey B2 ----------- (8) Gypsy partner (8) Swing partner on 1/20/11 10:25 AM, Chrissy Fowler at ktaadn_me(a)hotmail.com wrote: -- William M. Loving Dedication Technologies, Inc. 7 Coach Lane Amherst, MA 01002-3304 USA will(a)dedicationtechnologies.com Tel: +1 413 253-7223 (GMT ­5) Fax: +1 206 202-0476