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, London. 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.A1-4All forward a double to meet and fall back
5-8That again
I.B11-2Middles lead neighbor middle out as end couples lead to center
3-4Form lines of four facing up or down and fall back, come forward
5-8Two hand turn opposite
I.B21-2New middles lead partner away as ends lead to center
3-4Form lines of four facing across and fall back, come forward
5-8Two hand turn partner
II.A1-4Partner side right
5-8Middle couples side left with opposite while ends side left partner
II.B11-2All turn right to face out then in a line of four lead out a double
3-4Fall back, bending the line
5-8Circle four
II.B21-2Turn toward same-sex neighbor to form new lines facing up and down then forward a double
3-4Fall back, bending the line
5-8Circle four
III.A1-4Partner arm right
5-8Middle couples arm left with opposite while ends arm left partner
III.B11-2Middles lead neighbor middle out, turn and form an arch as end couples lead to center
3-4New middles lead out under arch as new ends dive in
5-8All two hand turn current partner
III.B21-2Middles lead neighbor middle away, turn and form an arch as end couples lead to center
3-4New middles lead out under arch as new ends dive in
5-8All 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.

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=LullMeBeyondThee

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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.