The
tempo is determined by the dance, and you really have to
honor it. If there are no dancers, you are a lot freer to
play with the tempo, vary it, etc
I'm heartened to read this! As a clarsair, I don't find myself in demand as a dance accompanist. The fiddlers can have it (more appropriate anyway, IMHO). So, when I play dance tunes, I'm honoring the melody, not an arbitrary metronome marking.
--Cynthia Cathcart
http://www.cynthiacathcart.net/
