Old Reel of Eight
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traditional
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Old Reel of Eight" is a Canadian reel in cut time and D Major.<br> The parts are played AABB.<br> It is a 'crooked' tune of Métis origin. There are nine measures in the A part and<br> measures of 3/2 inserted at two places in the B part.<br> The Métis are the descendants of<br> the French, English, Scottish and Irish fur trappers and their native wives in the<br> 17th century. In Canada, the Métis are one of three major groups of Indigenous<br> peoples that were legally recognized in the Constitution Act of 1982, the other<br> two groups being the First Nations and Inuit. The Métis live mainly in the prairie<br> provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.<br> "Reel of Eight" is the name of a dance for four couples, with dancers facing<br> each other in two lines (one of men, one of women). Anne Lederman continues the<br> description: "Each alternate couple moves (man forwards, lady backwards) to<br> create a new set of four couples beside the first. The dance proceeds with an<br> alternation of jigging on the spot to one part of the tune, and ‘travelling’<br> on the other in a figure of 8 pattern with the corresponding couple in the<br> other set." A number of tunes were called "Reel of Eight" in association with<br> dance whose names (if any) were lost in the tradition. "Old Reel of Eight" was<br> recorded in the field from the playing of Métis fiddler Gilbert Anderson<br> (1934-2011, Edmonton, Alberta), but it was well-known among older Métis fiddlers.<br> It was recorded by Gilbert Anderson on Drops of Brandy (2001).<br> Molsky's Mountain Drifters on Molsky's Mountain Drifters (2016) and<br> John Arcand on La Celebration '92 (1992. Cassette).<br> <br>
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