The Health ~ Sharp

The Merry Wassail ~ Sharp

The Health ~ Pat Shaw The Health ~ Sharp

The Health ~ Sharp or The Merry Wassail ~ 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 1916 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 4). Found in The Playford Ball. It is a proper 4 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: C major.

Playford writes:
Lead up a D. and back, set That again
First cu. and last meet, turn back to back, cast off, and going on the outside, the other four to come to your places on the inside, the other as much
Hands all backwards, and go half round to the right, set That back again
First Cu. and last meet, turn back to back, hands backward round to your places The other 4 as much
Change places with your own by both hands, then 1. and 2. the 3. and 4. men change, so the we. doing the like, set Change back again to your places
First and last Cu. meet, clap hands, hands across round to your places The other four as much (or this last passage this) First man and last wo meet and give right hands, first wo. and last man the like, then holding hands across go round to your places The other four as much

Playford published another dance with this name in 1728.

The tune was published by Playford for the dance. Synthesized music by Colin Hume

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.A11-4Partners lead up a double and fall back
5-8Partners set right and honour, set left and honour
I.A21-8That again, up a double and honour
I.A31-4End couples back to back, moving toward middle as middle couples cast to ends
5-8New middles cast beyond ends and lead back
I.A41-4End couples back to back, moving toward middle as middle couples cast to ends
5-8New middles cast beyond ends and lead back
II.A11-4Facing out, circle 8 half to right (clockwise)
5-8Face partner set right and honour, set left and honour
II.A21-4Facing out, circle 8 half to left (counter-clockwise)
5-8Face partner set right and honour, set left and honour
II.A31-4End couples back to back, moving toward middle as middle couples cast to ends
5-8Middles face out, circle four right (clockwise)
II.A41-4End couples back to back, moving toward middle as middle couples cast to ends
5-8Middles face out, circle four right (clockwise)
III.A11-2Partner two hand turn half
3-4Ends with nearest middle, neighbor two hand turn half
5-8Partners set right and honour, set left and honour
III.A21-8That again: Partners turn half, then neighbors half, honour
III.A31-2M1+W4 meet join right hands as M2,W3 cast
3-4W1+M4 meet join right hands as W2,M3 cast
5-8New middles right hands across
III.A41-8That again, ends meet, middles cast, new middles right hands across

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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https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=TheHealth

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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.