Bury Fair ~ Neal/3 Couple
Bury Fair ~ Neal/3 Couple is an English Country Dance. It was published by Henry Playford (website) in 1696 in The second Part of the Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by John & William Neal, Rich Jackson & George Fogg in 1726 and published in A Choice Collection of Country Dances. It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. In this dance the couples are permuted by: 231. The minor set lasts 32 bars.
Note: Play each Strain twice, and end with the third Strain.
The 1. Man cast off and fall between the 3. cu. and all three hands a-breast, the 1. Wo. cast off and fall between the 2. cu. and sett to one another face to face; the 1. Man and 3. cu. take all three Hands and go half round and back again, the 1. Wo. and 2. cu. do the same; the 1. Man and 3. cu. go the Hey, the 1. Wo. and 2. cu. do the same; then the 1. Man take his Partner by the Hand in the 2/cu. Place, and lead her thro' the 3. cu. and cast up into the 2. cu. Place, then lead thro' the other cu. and cast off into the 2. cu. Place.
John and William Neal published their version of the dance in Dublin about 1726. Rich Jackson and George Fogg interpreted that in 1990.
The Neals' choreography is the same as Playford's up to B3, but the tune is very different. Playford gives 4 four bar strains (repeated as AABBCCDD) while the Neals give 2 four bar strains (AABB AABB). The Neals' A and B strains do not match Playford's.
1st cu: cast off, he falls in betweene 3d cu: & she betweene 2d cu: facing one another, move & dance backwards & forwards:
1st ma: & 3d cu: take hands in a ring turn around to ye left & then to ye right, his partner & 2d cu: ye same at ye same time:
1st ma: & 3d cu: hey, his par: & 2d cu: ye same at ye same time:
1st cu: (in ye middle) meet, sett, & turn into 2d cu: place:
The animation plays at 120 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. 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.
| A1 | 1-4 | 1s cast down (2s+3s move up a little), 1s separate, M1 ending between 3s, W1 between 2s, all face up or down |
| A2 | 1-4 | Lines of three across, fall back a double and come forward |
| B1 | 1-4 | 2s+W1, 3s+M1 circle left three |
| B2 | 1-4 | Circle right |
| A3+4 | 1-8 | 1s face right, pass right to start heys across at ends |
| B3 | 1-4 | 1s meet (facing up/down) and set twice |
| B4 | 1-4 | 1s two hand turn spiral down to 3rd place proper as 3s cast up |
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 © 2023 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.