"Step Back", also known as "Molly Oxford" is an English Morris Dance Tune in 2/2 time and
D Major. The tune was collected from dancers in the villages of Field Town (Leafield,
"Step-Back" Oxfordshire) and Ilmington (Warwickshire), in England's Cotswolds. Outside of
Field Town "Step-Back" is known as
"Molly Oxford" or "Old Molly Oxford".
"Step-Back" is the name Cecil Sharp gave to the dance due to a distinctive movement.
It was printed in Bacon's The Morris Ring (1974) and Karpeles & Schofield's A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs (1951). It was recorded by Adam Hurt as "Old Molly Oxford". The instructions in Karpeles & Schofield is to play the A part as an introduction, then play AABB three times and finish with two A parts. |