Adson's Saraband ~ Sharp
Adson's Saraband ~ Sharp is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1912 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 3). It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a multipart dance. The dance lasts 96 bars. It is in the key: D Major.
Playford writes:
Lead up all a D. forward and back, set and turn S. That again Men go a D. from your we. to the wall, come back to your we. set and turn S. Then the we. as much
Men go all down while the we. go up, men slip to the right hand, and we. to the left, fall even to the co.side, set and turn S. All this again the co. way to your places, set and turn S.
First cu. go down betwixt the second, they coming up, the third comes up between the first, then the second come to their places between the third, set and turn S. All this back again to your places
Go all to the left hand cross the Room, set and turn S. First and last on each side meet and go back, turn each other, the second turning his own Change all places with your own, set and turn S ·: First cu. lead down between the rest, come with a compass to your places, the rest following
The tune is The New Royal Exchange which was published by Playford in 1657, and was performed by Brett Larsen.
The animation plays at 116 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.
| I.A1 | 1-8 | Partners lead up a double and fall back, then set and turn single |
| I.A2 | 1-8 | That again, up a double and fall back, set and turn single |
| I.B1 | 1-4 | Men face out, out a double, turn, return |
| 5-8 | Men set to partners and turn single (partners do not set) | |
| I.B2 | 1-4 | Women face out, out a double, turn, return |
| 5-8 | Women set to partners and turn single (partners do not set) | |
| II.A1 | 1-2 | Men face down, women up, forward and left a double into a line in center (men below women) |
| 3-4 | Fall back a double, backward and left, to opposite side | |
| 5-8 | Partners face, set, turn single | |
| II.A2 | 1-8 | That again to go back home, men face up, women down, into lines, cross, set turn single |
| II.B1 | 1-4 | Half mirror hey on the sides, 1s start in center going down |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| II.B2 | 1-4 | Half mirror hey, 1s start in center going up |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| III.A1 | 1-4 | Men face out, all forward two doubles, men turn right to face partners |
| 5-8 | Partner set and turn single | |
| III.A2 | 1-4 | M1+M3, W1+W3 forward a double to meet and fall back |
| 5-8 | M1+M3, W1+W3, M2+W2, two hand turn end facing partners | |
| III.B1 | 1-4 | Partners balance back, and change places |
| 5-8 | Partners set and turn single | |
| III.B2 | 1-4 | 1s take right hands, lead down to bottom, 2s then 3s following |
| 5-8 | Take promenade hold, cast left (as couples) lead up to original places |
If you find what you believe to be a mistake in this animation, please leave a comment on youtube explaining what you believe to be wrong. If I agree with you I shall do my best to fix it.
If you wish to link to this animation please see my comments on the perils of youtube. You may freely link to this page, of course, and that should have no problems, but use one of my redirects when linking to the youtube video itself:
https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=AdsonsSaraband-Sharp
The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2024 by George W. Williams V and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This website is copyright © 2021,2022,2023,2024 by George W. Williams V
My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.