Australian Traditional Dance Tunes Double CD Recording

Australian Traditional Dance Tunes
85 tunes arranged in 23 sets for Australian bush dances. 2 hours of music!
Performed by Wongawilli. Produced by Wongawilli Colonial Dance Club Inc.
Distributed by Shoestring Productions, Item No. SR34

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About this recording

This recording is part of a larger project by the Wongawilli Colonial Dance Club Inc. in its ongoing aim to present Australian traditional folk dance and music. There are accompanying books of tunes and dance instructions.

The tunes are arranged in sets suitable for the suggested dances. These sets can also be used for other similiar structured dances in regards to numbers of bars and repetitions.

The majority of the tunes used are authentic tunes collected from older dance musicians by folklorists since the early 1950s. Many thanks to the following collectors for sharing the music - John Meredith, Rob Willis, Alan Musgrove, Dave de Hugard, Mike Martin, Brad Tate, Chris Sullivan, Mark Rummery, Mark and Maria Schuster and Peter Ellis.

The listing has been prepared with information on the number of bars and repititions, the speed of the music (bars per minute) and the name and origin of the tune.

This production forms part of an extensive catalogue of traditional Australian publications and recordings available from Wongawilli Colonial Dance Club Inc.
Other Australian Recordings & Publication

Review

Review in Bush Music Club's Mulga Wire # 148, December 2001:
After all those CDs of mostly songs, Wongawilli has decided to firmly don their dance hats and record an album of dance sets – something they do rather well. Not satisfied with 23 sets of tunes (2 hours worth) to suit popular dances of the 19th and early 20th century in Australia, they have augmented the first CD of the set with a substantial extract of their web site, with information about the Wongawilli Dancers and Band as well as the history, customs, music, instruments of bush dancing.

The tunes are mostly collected from traditional musicians and serve as an antidote to the shameless pilfering from Irish and Scottish fake books that drives so many so-called bush bands. This makes these CDs of real value to any dancers and musicians who want genuine Australian music for real Australian dances.

The CD has ‘sheet music’ for 41 traditional bush tunes (mostly from the Carrawobbity book/CD Australian Dance Tunes) and dance instructions for 27 of the 33 dances on the CD (all of which can be danced to some set on the CD) and instructions for another 14 (which probably fit some set on the CD as well). There is a selection of information, articles, references, contacts and links.

Wongawilli are planning a matching tune book and dance instruction book planned in the near future and more information can be had at:

www.wongawillicolonialdance.org.au/austdanceCD.htm and an Internet Order form at:

www.wongawillicolonialdance.org.au/austdanceCD_orderform.htm

Bob Bolton

What's on the CDs

There are 2 CDs with tunes arranged for specific dances.

CD 1 also includes a CD Rom featuring information about Australian folklore, the Wongawilli Band and Colonial Dancers, articles, photographs, sheet music and dance instructions for 31 dances common at Bush Dances.

CD 1

TOTAL TIME 60 minutes 30 seconds

1. La Galopade / Galopde, 8 x 32 bars

2. Stockyards (Jig Set), 8 x 32 bars

3. Barn Dance, 18 x 8 bars

4. Circle Waltz, 8 x 32 bars

5. Virginia Reel, 7 times

6. Gypsy Tap, 8 x 32 bars

7. Adelaide Race Day (Single Reel Set), 8 x 32 bars

8. Prince of Wales Schottische, 7 x 24 bars

9. Polka Quadrille, 8 x 32 bars

10. Jolly Miller Promenade, 8 times

11. The Tempest, 8 x 32 bars

12. Circasssian Circle Part 2 (Jig Set), 8 x 32 bars

CD 2

TOTAL TIME 59 minutes

1. Heel and Toe Polka, 11 x 16 bars

2. Haymakers Jig, 5 x 64 bars

3. Swing Waltz, 9 x 32 bars

4. Circassian Circle Part 1 or 5, 8 x 32 bars

5. Circle Galop, 8 x 32 bars

6. Kings Waltz, 14 x 16 bars

7. Maxina, 5 x 24 bars

8. Varsoviana, 8 x 32 bars

9. Fairly Reel Set, 8 x 32 bars

10. Set Tunes, 8 x 32 bars

11. The First Set (The Quadrille) 5 figures

How to order

Outlets - Ask for SR 34 from the Shoestring catalogue at your favourite music shop or try the ALBION PARK POST OFFICE.

The CD is also available for $35 AUS excluding postage & packaging (in Australia). Overseas rates upon application, email David De Santi.

Australian Dance Tunes ORDER FORM Full Australian Publications & Recordings Catalogue

Introduction to Pioneer Performer Series & Carrawobbity Press

There have been various publications presenting our Australian culture over the past few years from the work of collectors and their recorders. They have presented the tunes, songs, dances, stories and recitations of many of the real bush entertainers in an accessible form.

The Pioneer Performer Series was iniated in October 1991 by Rob Willis of Forbes and David De Santi of Wollongong and supported by the Wongawilli Colonial Dance Club Inc. from the Illawarra region of NSW. The aim is to present the tunes, songs, poetry and stories of Australia's bush entertainers in publications and recordings.

The subcommittee to arrange this is known as CARRAWOBBITY PRESS. The task in capturing this information is invaluable in the preservation of Australia's tradition. Support to date has been provided by the Australia National Library, which hold the field recordings, and the Australian Folk Trust.

To date Carrawobbity Press has published fifteen publications and four recordings featuring performers from Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. In addition Carrawobbity Press also distributes other related publications and recordings.

Return to Wongawilli Colonial Dance Club page.

email enquiries: desanti@bigpond.com
Last revised: February 05, 2002 by David De Santi