Tony Parkes - Singing Square - Marianne

Recorded at the Greenfield, MA, Grange Hall on June 27, 2010. The event was sponsored by Country Dance and Song Society to celebrate the publication of "On the Beat with Ralph Sweet."

In his introduction, caller Tony Parkes mentioned that this dance, created by the great New England caller Dick Leger, was "the surprise hit" of the 1957 National Square Dance convention and that it was one of the best-selling singing square dance recordings of all time. Marianne was a huge hit in 1957 for caller Dick Leger, who claimed that it was the best-selling square dance record of all time. More information about Marianne, and a link to the original recording, is here.

The musicians are the band Elixir (Ethan Hazzard-Watkins, fiddle; Jesse Hazzard-Watkins, trumpet; Anna Patton, clarinet; Owen Morrison, guitar; Nils Fredland, trombone), joined by Lee Blackwell, drums; Corey DiMario, bass; Ann Percival, piano, guitar, backup vocals