Drive the Cold Winter Away ~ Sharp

Drive the Cold Winter Away ~ Sharp Drive the Cold Winter Away ~ Bolton

Drive the Cold Winter Away ~ 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 1922 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 6). It is a proper 4 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a multipart dance. The dance lasts 72 bars. It is in the key: D Minor.

Playford writes:
Lead up all forward and back That again First man back a D. then go down between the rest, and turn the last wo. but one, then men the last, and stay there while the other men go between the 2 and 3. we. and go towards the left-hand and fall down to the 1. man First man back, then go up between the rest, turn the 2. wo. then the 1. wo. while the men go between the two last we. turn towards the right-hand, and go up to your places.

Sides all That again This as before, the we. doing it

Arms all That again As at first

The tune was published by Playford with the dance, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.

The animation plays at 111 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.

I.A1-4Up a double, and back
5-8Up a double, and back (again)
I.B11-8M1 fall back then turn next to last woman left, then the last right, and fall back to last place on his side, while the other men cross the set between the women, cast left, and move down to invert the men's line
I.B21-8M1 fall back then turn W2 right, W1 left, as other men cross between women, cast right and move down to their places
II.A1-4Side right
5-8Side left
II.B11-8W1 fall back then turn next to last man right, then the last left, and fall back to last place on her side, while the other women cross the set between the women, cast right, and move down to invert the women's line
II.B21-8W1 fall back then turn M2 left, M1 right, as other women cross between women, cast right and move down to their places
III.A1-4Arm right
5-8Arm left
III.B11-8M1 fall back then turn next to last woman left, then the last right, and fall back to last place on his side, while the other men cross the set between the women, cast left, and move down to invert the men's line
III.B21-8M1 fall back then turn W2 right, W1 left, as other men cross between women, cast right and move down to their 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=DriveTheColdWinterAway-Sharp

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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 © 2021 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
Creative Commons License 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.