Fat Albert

Source: Written in 2009 by Andy Klapper (Squash Beetle Morris).

Tune: as A(AB)4 (A=figures, B=chorus).

Tradition: Lexington-in-the-Bluegrass.


Formation: A set of 4, hankies.

Sequence: Once to Yourself, Up and out, Chorus, F-Gyp, Chorus, E-Gyp, Chorus, Pop-Tarts, Chorus.

Chorus: 4 distinct choruses, each based on a hey from a border morris dance. In each hey, double step when passing someone, upstep when not. All ds and us alternate feet, starting by the right. Always end up at original home. In the following, all identities are by places, not faces.

  1. Square hey: pass by the right (ds) across the set, turn the hard way to face up or down (us), pass by the left up or down, hard turn to face across, pass by the right across the set, etc.
  2. U-shaped hey: pass by the right up and down the set (ds), tops cross the set by the left (ds) while bottoms turn over the right shoulder (us) to face up, all pass by the right up or down the set (ds), tops cross the set by the left (ds) while bottoms turn over the right shoulder (us) to face up, etc.
  3. Z-hey: First corners cross by the right on the diagonal (ds) while 2nd corners turn by the right in place to face up or down (us), all pass up or down the set by the left (ds), first corners cross by the right on the diagonal (ds) while 2nd corners turn by the right in place to face up or down (us), all pass up or down the set by the left (ds), etc.
  4. Step into it: This is a linear hey, up and down the middle of the set. Starts by ds into the middle and turning right. At each measure, either pass someone with a ds or turn at the end by us. The first ds counts as passing someone, so, for example, number 3 does: ds passing number 4 by the right and turn right, us at the end to face up, ds to pass number 1 by the right, ds to pass number 2 by the left, ds to pass number 4 by the right, us to turn and face down, etc. Each us is a left us turning over the right shoulder. The last measure is replaced by 2 pit capers to face up.

Ending: Caper to face up


Back to the Squash Beetle Home Page