Lull Me Beyond Thee

Lull Me Beyond Thee ~ Pat Shaw Lull Me Beyond Thee

Lull Me Beyond Thee is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1912 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 3). Found in The Playford Ball. It is a 4 Couple Longways dance with the 3s, 4s improper. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 72 bars. It is in the key: D minor.

Playford writes

Meet all a D. and back That again First man and 2. wo. the 2. man and 2. wo. lead out to the wall, while the 3. and 4. meet, the 1. and 3. Cu. fall back from the 2. and 4. Cu. four and four abreast, meet all and turn each his opposite This again, those lead out that lead in, falling back to the wall each turn his own

First and 3. Cu. sides with your own, then with each others, whilst the other side with their own First man and 3. man, the 2. wo. & 4. wo. lead abreast to the wall, fall back and hands round to your places, the other four doing the like at the same time the 1. and 3. Cu. lead abreast to the Presence, fall back, and hands round to your places, the other four doing the like downward at the same time

Arms as you sided. First man and 2. wo. the 2. man and 1. wo. lead out to the wall, and fall back again, while the other four cross over each with his own, and meeting each others wo. lead them under the 1. and 2. Cu. arms, falling into your places, and turn his own That again, the last four doing what the first four did As before.

Playford appears to be using a pecular way of numbering couples where the middle couples are 1&2 while the end couples are 3&4.

The tune was published by Playford with the dance. It was performed by Bare Necessities (Earl Gaddis, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, and Jacqueline Schwab) on the album At Home. The music is used with permission from the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre, Inc.

The animation plays at 82 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.

I.A	1-4	All forward a double to meet and fall back
	5-8	That again
I.B1	1-2	Middles lead neighbor middle out as end couples lead to center
	3-4	Form lines of four facing up or down and fall back, come forward
	5-8	Two hand turn opposite
I.B2	1-2	New middles lead partner away as ends lead to center
	3-4	Form lines of four facing across and fall back, come forward
	5-8	Two hand turn partner
II.A	1-4	Partner side right
	5-8	Middle couples side left with middle neighbor while ends side left partner
II.B1	1-2	All turn right to face out then in a line of four lead out a double
	3-4	Fall back, bending the line
	5-8	Circle four
II.B2	1-2	Turn toward same-sex neighbor to form new lines facing up and down then forward a double
	3-4	Fall back, bending the line
	5-8	Circle four
III.A	1-4	Partner arm right
	5-8	Middle couples arm left with middle neighbor while ends arm left partner
III.B1	1-2	Middles lead neighbor middle out, turn and form an arch as end couples lead to center
	3-4	New middles lead out under arch as new ends dive in
	5-8	All two hand turn current partner
III.B2	1-2	Middles lead neighbor middle away, turn and form an arch as end couples lead to center
	3-4	New middles lead out under arch as new ends dive in
	5-8	All two hand turn partner

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.

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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 © 2021-2025 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.

Meet all a D. and back That again	First man and 2. wo. the 2. man and 2. wo. lead out to the wall, while the 3. and 4. meet, the 1. and 3. Cu. fall back from the 2. and 4. Cu. four and four abreast, meet all and turn each his opposite This again, those lead out that lead in, falling back to the wall each turn his own

First and 3. Cu. sides with your own, then with each others, whilst the other side with their own	First man and 3. man, the 2. wo. & 4. wo. lead abreast to the wall, fall back and hands round to your places, the other four doing the like at the same time the 1. and 3. Cu. lead abreast to the Presence, fall back, and hands round to your places, the other four doing the like downward at the same time

Arms as you sided.	First man and 2. wo. the 2. man and 1. wo. lead out to the wall, and fall back again, while the other four cross over each with his own, and meeting each others wo. lead them under the 1. and 2. Cu. arms, falling into your places, and turn his own That again, the last four doing what the first four did	As before.