Album Notes

Becky Ross, Liz Donaldson, and Colleen Reed play regularly as part of a vibrant and talented community of musicians at the weekly English Country Dance sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington in Glen Echo, MD. They have found an easy chemistry as a trio, weaving together sweet harmonies and melodies with lively rhythmic punctuation.

English Country Dancing is thought to have taken place as early as the 16th century, but became all the rage in the 1600's and continued well into the 18th century. In the early 1900's, reinterpretations of historic dances sparked renewed interest. All the while, new dances are continually being devised so that today's dance community enjoys a vast repertory of modern and old dances, with music from the 1500's to the present.

English Echoes represents a selection of our favorite tunes offering a variety of meters (jigs, reels, waltzes, 3/2 time) and moods, from elegant and smooth to bouncy and lively. We ordered the dance-length selections as a dance program representing a variety of styles and dance formations. We hope you will also enjoy this recording for general listening.