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PART II. |
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PLAY-PARTY SONGS AND GAMES.
Introductory Note.
The following is a collection of all of the games which I have been able to find in Ripley County, Indiana. In many instances, the words, the melodies, or the directions for playing have been published before, but I think that in every case, there is some variation, sufficient to justify this re-statement. Many of the play-party songs of this locality are very similar to others which are widely known. In every instance I have attempted to cite all of the variants which are available, and to establish their interrelations whenever the line of development is at all evident.
Moreover, all of the'songs, excepting "Marching to Quebec," are well known in the county and with six exceptions they are all played or danced there at the present time. "Billy Boy", "Nora Darling", and "No Sir" do not, in the strict sense of the term, come under the head of play-party games, but they are included because, as dramatic dialogue-songs they seem to be related to the song game, from the ballad side.
Glossary to Part II.
In these games, the words are so often indicative of the figures, and are, to the players, so much more important than the counts in the music, that it has seemed best to give the directions with reference to the words.
Swing.—Partners take ball-room position, (i. e., boy's right hand at his partner's waist, his left hand holding his partner's right hand, and the girl's left hand on his right arm) and turn on spot, usually taking eight steps.
Promenade.—The position for this is the same as for "swing" except that both face toward the right, the inside shoulders (i. e., gentleman's right and lady's left) almost touching, and the joined hands still hanging loosely in front. While promenading, partners skip to the right around the circle.
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