Plethen A Beswar / Four Hand Reel as played at Benbow Cornish Music Session Sept 2021.
See Cornish Session Tunes Project
As played by Tan Ha Dowr Cornish Youth Dance Group:
The Dance
Music for the dance
Notes
Learned from Mr Arthur Biddick of Boscastle in 1982. Arthur strongly associated the tune with the Boscastle Breakdown insisting that the tune for Boscastle Break-down could also be used for the Four Hand Reel, if played at the right speed. Although one is a fast reel, and the other a hornpipe, it can be seen that the two are related. The first tune given here for the four hand reel is traditional, the third and fourth parts were written by Merv Davey in order to complete the pattern of the dance. Although only using one step, and with a simple shape, Four Hand Reel is actually one of the harder Cornish dances. There is a reasonably leisurely ‘dosi do’ at the beginning of the dance, but the reel actually requires very tight corners and step work in order to succeed.
(Jowdy Davey, “Catch Up Your Heels”, An Daras Folk Arts Project 2005)
For more about Cornish Session Tunes
Racca: Cornish Tunes for Cornish Sessions Project 1995-97
Fooch 1 & 2 Favourite Cornish Session and Dance Tunes – Neil Davey
Prys Ton: Cornish Session Tunes – An Daras Folk Arts Project
Cornish Trad -Discovering Cornish Traditional Music