CHELSEA REACH

Square for eight; in three parts (3rd Ed., 1665). Square set, numbered clockwise

MUSICMOVEMENTS
First Part.
A11–4All move forward a double and fall back a double to places (r.s.).
5–8Partners set-and-honour (Fig.3, p.11).
B11–4All face outward. Partners lead out a double and fall back a double to places (r.s.).
5–8Partners set-and-honour.
A21–2Second and fourth couples meet and stand back-to-back (r.s.). Simultaneously, first man and first woman change places, move forward and come face to face, respectively, with fourth man and second woman (sk.s.); while third man and third woman do the same and face, respectively, second man and fourth woman.
3–4Second couple, first woman and third man hands-four, half-way round; while the other four do the same.
5Second and fourth men give right hands to their partners and change places with them; while first man does the same with third woman, and third man with first woman (sk.s.).
6–8First and fourth men turn with the left hand, and move back into their original places; while second and third men, first and second women, and third and fourth men do the same (sk.s.).
B21–8Same movement as A2, first and third couples meeting in the middle.
Second Part.
A11–4Partners side (r.s.).
5–8Partners set-and-honour.
B11–8All that again.
A21–2Each man takes his partner by both hands and pushes her backward into the middle (r.s.).
3–4Partners change places (r.s.).
5–8Partners change places. The woman right-hands-across half-way round; while the man dance half-way round, counter-clockwise, outside them (sk.s.).
The couples are now in opposite places.
B21–8The movement continues as in A2 to places, the women setting the men into the middle, the men giving left-hands across and the women dancing round, clockwise, outside them.
Third Part.
A11–4Partners arm with the right.
5–8Partners set-and-honour.
B11–4Partners arm with the left.
5–8Partners set-and-honour.
A21–4Each man, taking the woman on his left by the left hand, leads out a double, changes hands and leads back a double (r.s.).
5–8Circular-hey with hands (Fig.10, p.25), half-way round, each man giving his right hand to the woman on his left (sk.s.). Each man is now face to face with the woman he led out.
B21–8Same as A2 to places.
Playford’s description of the First Part is so obscure, that the editors would probably have omitted the dance altogether, had it not been such a beautiful and interesting one. The interpretation given above depends on the supposition (paralleled only in “Fain I Would”) that the women throughout the dance stand on the left of their partners; this peculiarity has not been preserved in the text, as it makes no difference to the form of the dance, and it would merely perplex the performers. There is a further difficulty in that the figures do not properly fit the music; this has been obviated by omitting one of the movements (a “turn”) given by Playford.
Under these circumstances the editors make no claim to have found a final solution. The following interpretation, which is put forward as an alternative does not presuppose the unusual disposition of the dancers alluded to above, though in other respects it is perhaps less probable than the version given in the text.
First Part.
(Alternative Version.)
A11–8As above.
B11–8As above.
A21–4Second and fourth couples meet and stand back-to-back. Simultaneously, first man and first woman change places, turn off to their right and come face to face, respectively, with second woman and fourth man; while third man and third woman do the same and face, respectively, fourth woman and second man (r.s.).
5–6Second couple, first man and third woman hands-four, half-way round; while the other four do the same.
7–8Second and fourth men give right hands to their partners and change places; while first man does the same with third woman, and third man with first woman (r.s.).
B21–4Second couple, first man and third woman left-hands-across; while the other four do the same.
5–8Each man turns his partner once round and all fall into their original places.
A3, B3Same movement as A2 and B2, first and third couples meeting in the middle.
In this version the tune must be played three times instead of twice.

Note: This text is from the first edition. The third figure was later corrected to
A21-4Each man, taking the woman on his left by the right hand, leads out a double and falls back a double (r.s.).
5-8Circular-hey, handing, half-way round, each man passing the woman whose hand he holds by the right (sk.s.). Each man is now face to face with the woman he led out.
In the first part (Alternative version) the B2 turn twice round was replaced by turn once round.
Interestingly, a copy owned by Susannah Sharp (Cecil Sharp's youngest daughter) has a handwritten "whole-gip" to explain the alternative version "first man and first woman change places, turn off to their right".
Later, as a style point, in A2 7-8 (the change right hands and go into a left-hand star) she notes "men turn to right, women to left"

A modern version, based on the alternative version of the first figure above is:-
Into the middle and back; step and honour partner.
Out a double and back; step and honour partner.
Side couples lead in and face out while the head couples gypsy partner right and go to their corner to form circles on the side; circle half and cross right up and down the set into...
Star left; two hand turn partner in home place.
Repeat, heads leading in while sides gypsy, forming rings top and bottom and crossing right across the set.
Side; step and honour. Side; step and honour.
Men put partners in to the middle, gypsy partner left and women star right half while men skip halfway round the outside.
Women put their partners in to the middle, gypsy partner right into men star left while the women skip home.
Arm right; step and honour. Arm left; step and honour.
Lead your corner out and back; grand chain the wrong way to meet corner again. Lead corner out and back; continue the grand chain ending home with partner.

Page transcribed by Hugh Stewart