[NSP] Rants

[Anthony Robb]

   Hello Folks

   Here's what the OED comes up with for 'rant':


   ...couE^ rant | carant, v. intr. To dance...



1. A kind of dance formerly in vogue, characterized by a running or gliding
step (as distinguished from leaping).

2.Music. The tune used for accompanying this dance, or a tune of similar
construction; a piece of music in triple time, regularly following the
Allemande as a movement of the Suite.

   1586 E. Hoby tr. M. Coignet Polit. Disc. Trueth xi. 39 The Voltes,
   courantes, and vyolent daunses proceede from furie.

   [1596 J. Davies Orchestra lxix. sig. B6^v, What shall I name those
   currant trauases That on a triple Dactyle foote doe run Close by the
   ground with slyding passages, Wherein that Dauncer greatest prayse hath
   won Which with best order can all orders shun: For euery where he
   wantonly must range, And turne, and wind, with vnexpected change.]

   1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 181 The volte rising and
   leaping, the courante trauising and runningaEURYENThe courant hath
   twise so much in a straine, as the English country daunce.

   1676 G. Etherege Man of Mode. i. 64, I am fit for Nothing but low
   dancing now, a Corant, a BoreA", Or a MinnuA(c)t.

   a1701 C. Sedley tr. D. A. de Brueys & J. Palaprat Grumblerii. xvii, in
   Wks. (1722) II. 185 L. You wou'd have a grave, serious Dance perhaps?
   G. Yes, a serious oneaEURYENL. Well, the Courante, the Bocane, the
   Sarabande.

   1746 E. Haywood Female Spectator (1748) IV. 304 SheaEURYENswam round
   the room, as if leading up a courant.

   c1817 J. Hogg Tales & Sketches V. 10 He dreamed of the reel, the
   jig,aEURYENand the corant.

   1880 Prout in Grove Dict. Music I. 410 As a component of the suite, the
   Courante follows the Allemande, with which in its character it is
   strongly contrasted.


   This seems to tie in well with Vickers' 'The Cow's Courrant'

   Cheers

   Anthony

   PS This is the third time since 4 o clock yesterday that I've tried to
   send this. My computer tells me it has gone but members tell me nothing
   has appeared on the list.

   Could one or two please let me know if it gets through this time.

   --


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[NSP] Rants and reels

[John_Dally]

   I enjoyed the most recent NPS Journal very much.  There was lots of
   good stuff there to ponder and incorporate into my playing.  Good
   articles raise more questions, so here are couple that came up for me.
   Anthony Robb described the rhythm of a rant as "tomato".  That enhanced
   my understanding of the rant rhythm, but I'm still confused.  The reel
   rhythm, I take it, is the common bump-ditty, which of course has subtle
   variations depending on local tradition.  But I hear "tomato" as 6/8,
   not 2/2 or 4/4.  If "bump ditty" is spelled out "strong, weak, strong,
   medium" in stresses per bar, how is the rant "tomato" rhythm spelled
   out?
   Chris Ormston's article was very interesting, but I didn't get the full
   gist of what he was saying because I think he was being polite.  Chris
   could you spell out in "over seas layman's terms" which tunes have
   infected the repertoire, and which tunes are basic?  I hope traditional
   NSP playing never reduces it's repertoire to a stock 100 tunes to be
   played exactly alike by everyone the way Highland piping has, but as an
   "over seas layman" it would be very interesting to learn what one of
   the very best NSPipers considers to be the top fifty tunes I should
   strive to learn, and which tunes I should avoid completely.
   As a side bar question: I was told recently that "the Mason's Apron" is
   a Northumbrian tune.  It's played all over the British Isles, but I
   didn't realize it was from Northumberland.  Is that true?
   many thanks,
   John --


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