Noson Ymarfer Pob Nos Lun 8pm - 9:45pm Aelwyd yr Urdd Heol Llanbadarn Aberystwyth

Practice Night Every Monday Night 8pm - 9:45pm Aelwyd yr Urdd Llanbadarn Road Aberystwyth

2. TRANSCRIPT OF THE MANUSCRIPT  The following transcription is taken directly from the manuscript without any alterations or corrections of spellings or abbreviations and has been transcribed line-for-line. It has been transcribed to allow enjoyment of the letter for its own sake. William Jones made a few mistakes in writing (transcribing?) the manuscript and it is easily understandable. Some words in the manuscript are difficult to read, with ink smudges, corrections and ink seeping through from the writing on other side of the paper adding to the problem, and any words I am unsure of are followed by (?). My apologies if the transcript is not 100% correct. Therefore, any further study of the letter, notes and dances should be made with reference to the original manuscript. (Please note that in the dance directions, the word layout/ spacing has been lost in conversion to HTML text).

I suppose our ancestors had no Dances but what they borrowed from the English together with the Terms of the Art; we have not a word in our Language which properly signifies a Dance; nor can I recollect that I have ever read in the Poets the most distant Hint concerning dancing; Tudur Penllyn who lived about 300 Years ago , in his satyrical description of an English Wedding at Flint, makes no Mention of dancing but is severe enough on their Music - the Bagpipe; whence it may appear that it was not at that Time in Use in Wales, even among the English. I am inclined to believe that Dances of six were once in general use throughout England & Wales; my Father (as he informed me) lived with a relation at High Arcal in Shropshire abt 1686, being 19 years old, and frequented a Green there, and I imagine by his appearance when I first remember him ( being above 60 when he married my mother) that he might be at that time a jolly Lad; and as he knew very little or nothing of dancing longways, I suppose (but am not positive) that Parties of six were there in Use. The time it was introduced into England or Wales I know not, but am of opinion that it is not likely to be ever revived, being too fatiguing for the Bodies & Minds of the present Generation & requiring much Skill & Activity in the performance: It is usually said, that whoever enter into a Party of six must not rest the Sole of his Foot nor withdraw his attention a moment during the whole Dance. When two or more Parties set up at once, Complaisance requires that the first Couple that name their Tune, consult their opposite Couples whether such Tune will be agreeable to them? but when that is neglected, all that opponents can claim is to hear the Tune play`d once over, & they may either dance, sit, or assign up their Place to another Couple , and when it comes in their Turn ( as it is always by Rotation) the haughty opponents will certainly be put to their Trumps & if they are fair led or bullied it never fails of extorting a smile or a Sneer, altho` the Plan in all these Dances is much the same, it admits of sufficient Room for a person to exercise his Fancy in a variety of Movements, these which I shall here subjoin, are the most plain & simple of all. Having never been a Proficient in the Art, & not well acquainted with the proper Terms, I shall here premise an Explanation of the words & Abrevations which I shall make Use of -
Set: to set forward 2 or 3 steps & fall back, or dance in suitable steps during half or a whole Strain. Set Sides: to set to one another always facing but veering to yr left or right or improper or proper. Slip sides: to dance around one another wthout turning their Faces. Cross Hey: When the 1st Man go the Hey with the Women & the 1st Woman with the Men. and - Hey with yr Own: the Man wth the Men & Woman wth the Women which always to the strain playd yr 3d time. Hey between. after setting wth whomsoever. Double Hey, proper (or by the Man) Men turn their Backs to their Partners, the woman following them all going the Hey in couples. before Double Heys improper: the Men following the women as ^ Ring: Hands 3 or 6 & whirl around.		March: cross over the 2d Couple, meet & Cross over the 3d Couple meet at bottom & turn. Back again in the like manner with the same strain repeated. Under & over: Right Hands all, the 1st Couple stoop to the 2d & the 3d to the 1st so on alter- nately till all are returned to their own places. Or contrarwise the 2d stoop &c Followings: The man go down behind the Men the woman follow him, Man, up behind the women: & the woman up the middle, the woman down behind the men, the Man follow her &c till they come to their places the strain play`d twice. Figures 1.2.3 &c have the Tune playd so many Times over |­­| 1st Strain play`d once |­-| Do. twice |­­| 2d Do.once |­­| Do.twice.3d |­­| 3d Strain once &c M.Man Me.Men W.Woman We.Women. Co.Couple.

These Dances consist of three Parts besides the Round O. The first is called the Leading or the Man`s Part. The second is called the Tracing & is properly the Woman`s Part: The third we call the Turnings (Tro Llaw) or the Cross Part. The Round O best suits short Jiggs which are sometimes play`d after each of the foregoing Parts.The Roaring Hornpipe The Leadings 1. All lead up & down |­-| That again |­­| Cross Heys |­­| 2. 1st M.set wth the 1st W & slipsides wth the 2d |­­| The 3d W.do the like wth yr 3d&2d M. Set to yr 2d.& slipsides wth yr Partner |­­| At The d.W.do the like wth yr Me. Hey between |­­| Hey with your own |­­| The same Do.do the like. 3 1st M.set to the 2d&3W.as before. |­­| Time 1st.W.do the like with the 2d & 3d M. Hey between |­­| Do. wth yr own |­­| W. do the Like.   The Tracings come to yr places |­­| 4 All, sides with your Partners,till you change Places & turn single |­­| The like again till you are ^ Cross Heys |­­| Do.with your own |­­| 5 The 1st W. set & slipsides wth the 3d & 2 M.|­­| 1st M.set to the 2 & slipsides wth the and wth the 2d & 3d &c |­­| 3d W. &c Hey between |­­| Hey wth yr own |­­| at the same M1.do the like. 6 1st W.set etc to the 2d &1st man |­­| Time 3d M the like with yr 3d.& 2d W. Hey between |­­| with yr own |­­| 3d M do the like The Turnings 7 All, right Hands to your partners & turn quite round |­­| Left Hands the like back again |­­| Cross Heys as before |­­| |­­| 8 First M.set etc to the the 3d W & 2d M |­­| |­­| 3d M. the like with the 1st & 2d W. Hey between |­­| Ring with the 1st at the -the-like- Hey between & 2d W. |­­| same time 3d W Ring wth 3d & 2 M. 9 1st M set &c to yr 1st W. & 3d M &c |­­| 2d M.set to the 2d & 3d W. Hey between Hey between |­­| Ring wth yr 2d & 3d W |­­| Ring wth yr 3d M.& 1st W. The Galloping Nag Round O.   Men & Women longways in their Places; The 1st M. change Places with his Partner, the 2d W slip aside & place herself between the 2d & 3d M. the 3d Cu. set |­­| All being posited in a Circle each having his Partner on the right Hand, set to yr left Hand We. |­­| turn yr right hand We. wch are your own partners |­­| go forward on the right Hand & turn the next We |­­| Being between the We. you had turn`d, set to your right Hand We |­­| Set to yr Left Hand We. |­­| turn yr Right Hand We. |­­| go forward as before |­­|

set to yr Right hand We. |­­| to yr Left |­­| turn yr Right - go on as before & turn the We. who are yr own Partners & slide to yr Places This or some other cheerful Tune of four Bars in a strain is usually interposed between every Part of the former Dance or it`s like, that will not suit the Round O.     Aly Grogan . Leadings   with his own 1. All lead up & down |­­| That again |­­| 1st M Hey & turn his Partner |­­| 1st W. do the like |­­| 2. 1st M.set to yr 1st & 2d W |­­| ^ The 3d W.do the like wth yr 3d & 2d M. Hey between |­­| &c turn the third W. Hey between --- Hey both sides with own & turn Partners 3 1st M.set to the 2d & 3d W. |­­| 1st W. at the same time do the like with the 2d &3d M. Hey between turn Partner |­­| with yr own & turn yr Partner. Tracings 1 All, sides & change places |­­| Back again |­­| 1st W.Hey wth her own & turn etc |­­| 1st M.the like |­­| 2 1st W.set to the 3d & 2d M. Heys between &c as before |­­| 1st M. & 2d &3d W. the like 3 --"-- to yr 2d & 1st M. &c 3d Man the like wth the 2d & 3d W. |­­| (the 3d M.turning yr 1st W ) after yr 1st Hey & turn their Partners after the last The Turnings. 1 Righthands to yr Partners & change Places |­­| The Lefthands do the like back again |­­| Cross Heys, always turning yr Partners |­­| 2.3 The same method as in the first Dance always turning Partners after the Heys & Rings Round O. In the same manner as the Galloping Nag, but men & We. slipsides or dance around each other according to the length of the strain before they turn. Lumps of Pudding.   1 Lead up & down, Honor to the Presence |­­| That again|­­| Left hand to yr partner a step to meet the 3d.Cu.give her the right & meet the 2d.Cu.set sides to yr Partner & turn|­­|the like again first to yr men then to We sides & turn yr Partner |­­| Cross Heys, turning yr Partner |­­| 2 Set & slipsides with the 1st & 2d Wo.the 3d W.with the 2d&3d M.as before |­­| Cross Heys,1st M.step to the 2d & 3d Wo.his Partner to the 2d & 3d M sides & turn |­­| contrarwise |­­| The 2d strain as before Hey between |­­| with yr own |­­| &c The first strain is to be danced in the same manner as The Roaring Hornpipe & the third as Aly Grogan, I shall take no notice of them but shall shew some variations on the 2d which may be altered at Pleasure.

3 The 1st M.Clap the 3d W. on her shoulders while the 1st W.do the like with the 2d M. The 1st Man do the like with the 2d W. & while his partner does the same wth 3d M. sides in the middle & turn |­­| The M.wth the Me. & W with the We. croswise as before & set sides & turn |­­| Heys &c |­­| Tracings 1 1st Co.set to the 3d Co.& to the 2d Co.& sides & turn |­­| The like to the We. & Me. |­­| 2.&3 the like as in the Leading pt. Turnings right left 1st M.arm ^ hand with the 3d Woman & turn proper^Arm with the 2d Woman improper right again wth yr Partner & turn, she at the same arming yr 2d & 3d M.in like manner |­­| W.wth the We.& M. wth the M. |­­| The rest as before   I shall not trouble you nor myself any more at present, but if it is agreeable I may send you some again. They may appear at first very perplexing, but when the theory is once understood they will soon become familiar to persons of tollerable skill & activity & the Dances may be diversified & suited to various sorts of tunes. They formerly here had Dances to Ffarwel Ned Puw, Y Fedle Fawr, Neithiwr ac Echnos, Crimson Velvet & such like, but these were left off before my Time. However Morfa Rhuddlan is a very pleasant Dance if all the party perform their parts well, I should be very much satisfied by having the Air of Malbrooke (if I remember the name) which is said to be so captivating to the savages from California to New Holland. Whether it resembles, or is the same as that plaintive Tune which we call here Y Don Fechan. and is as follows,   The Charms of Music are many; to animadvert (?) upon them is beyond my capacity. Natural simplicity in that art, as well as in others,many times overpowers the skill of the most able(?) professions. What a contemptible thing is the Tarantella, &c If you would please to add parts & proper symphonies to the above Scrap, I imagine it might be a very odd sound upon an organ. I remember once when I was a youth, that I did put the 1st & 2d string of a violin under the bridge & play`d this tune on the Bass & 3d so that the Bridge ratling on the Breast the music resembled a French Horn, which greatly surprised the company I being then in another Room incognito.   Whether do you think Our Unbennaeth Prydain may be Britons strike Home. & borrowed from Us by the English with their Derry Down Down Derry.