Humours of the Age ~ Pat Shaw/3 Couple is an English Country Dance. It was devised by Nathaniel Kynaston in 1710 and published in Walsh's Twenty Four New Country Dances for the Year 1710. It was interpreted by Pat Shaw (website) in 1962 and published in Another Look at Playford. Originally a Triple Minor this version is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 231. The minor set lasts 56 bars.
Part of the music is in 3/4 time, and part in 6/4 (or 6/8 now-a-days).
Kynaston writes:
Note the two 1st. Parts once Each Strain of the Jigg twice
The 1st. and 2d cu. Set a cross, on step forward and two backward the 1st. cu. cast off 1st. man takes the 2d. man by his right hand an leads him round into his place 1st. wo. the same with the 3d. wo. at the same time then the 1st. cu. Set as before with the 2d cu. and cast up Set in the top and turn S. The first part once The 1st. cu. cross over then cross half below the 3d cu. and cast up then cast up to the top the 1st. man change place with the 2d wo. 1st. wo. and2d man do the same all four take hands and go half round then the 1st. cu. cast off Second part once.
The Jigg. The 1st. man goes between the 2d and 3d wo. up to the top the 1st. wo. at the same time goes between the two men below the 3d cu. then the 1st. man goes in and out the men sides below the 3d cu. 1st. wo. the same on the we. side the 1st. wo. take hands with the 2d cu. 1st. man with the 3d cu. Set and turn each quite round then the 1st. cu. meet 1st. man cast up his partner cast off and turn in the 2d cu. place
The 1st. and 2d cu. Sett a-cross, one step forward and two backward, the 1st. cu. cast off, the 1st. Man takes the second Man by his Right-hand, and leads him round into his place; the 1st. Wo. the same with 3d. Wo. at the same time, then the 1st cu. Sett as before with the 2d. cu. and cast up, Sett in the top and turn single. The first part once. The 1st. cu. cross over, then cross half below the 3d. cu. and cast up, then cast up to the top, the 1st. Man change place with the 2d. Wo. and the 2d. Man do the same, all four take hands and go half round, the the 1st cu. cast off. Second part once. The Jigg The 1st. man goes between the 2d. and 3d. wo. up to the top, the 1st. wo. at the same time goes between the two men below the d3. cu. then the 2st. Man goes in and out, the Man sides below the 3d. cu. 1st. Wo the same on the We. side First wo. take hands with the 2d. cu. 1st. Man with the 3d. cu. Sett and turn each quite round, then the 1st cu. meet, 1st. Man cast up, his Partner cast off, and turn in the 2d. cu. place
The tune was published with the dance, and the music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software.
The animation plays at 109 counts per minute normally, but the first time through the set the dance will often be slowed down so people can learn the moves more readily (no music plays during this slow set). Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color, however the border of each dancer indicates what role they currently play so the border color may change each time through the minor set.
The dance contains the following figures: set, turn single, circle, cast, lead, siding, cross go below (and probably others).
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=HumoursOfTheAge-PShaw3Couple
The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is copyright © 1962 by Pat Shaw. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2022 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.