I’ve been playing Crested Hens (such a lovely tune!), and I noticed that it’s referred to as a bouree (you’ll just have to picture the accent mark over the first e, as I never have been able to get them to work). That’s not a term I’m familiar with, and I can’t find it in any of my dictionaries. Does anyone know what makes a bouree a bouree (other than being French)?
Redwolf
I got this from Mirriam Webster online…hopefully it will give you an idea, though I am sure others here can give you a much more specific explanation. I hope this helps a little, though! 
“a 17th century French dance usually in quick duple time; also : a musical composition with the rhythm of this dance”
So I guess it’s fast and in duple time…as well as being French…but it did spell it bourree, which might facilitate your search, if you try it with that spelling.
If I remember correctly, a bourreé is a French dance in 2/4 time that usually starts with a pickup. I think it is from the 17 century (a lot of Bach’s suites have a bourreé section.) I think it is similar to a gavotte (also common in Bach’s music!)
I hope this helps. I wonder if there are any bourreé dance instructors out there?
picardy
In ballet , it’s a step where you barely wiggle your toes and move across the floor en pointe or demi-pointe. The steps are very tiny and fast.
Then there’s the Jethro Tull version-- starts out with a Bouree from a Bach Suite, and takes off from there!
Paul, I used to play that Tull version on my fife back in the '70’s. You just brought back a rush of memories!
There’s some information in the Encyclopaedia Blowzabellica. Blowzabella was an interesting band in the bagpipy/hurdy-gurdy style. The Encyclopaedia is mainly a collection of tunes they played but there is also some information on dances. There are several bourees in the book. Les Poules Huppees (Crested Hens) is given in 3/8 time. They state "Bourees are danced to either 3/8 or 2/4 tunes. Stepping for the 3/8 tunes is basically a fast waltz. " They then go on to give a brief description of the steps and some dances such as the line bouree, bouree croissee and circle bouree.
If you would like to hear a bit of a Bach bouree played on clawhammer banjo, go to this page and look at Cello Suite III.
http://www.magicbanjo.com/mbanjo_recordings.html
Steve
to make things even easier (not) there’s also different types of bourrees depending of which part of frances they’re from, how many dancers are involved … what the musicians are wearing, what food they had for lunch, and all sort of little considerations that only us, french people, can understand … and of course they’re all with different time signatures:
X:1
T:Bourree
M:3/8
L:1/8
O:France
R:Bourree
K:GMix
f4e2| d3Ade| fe(df)ed| f2e2d2| f4e2| d4c2| B3ABc| d2B2G2 ::
gdBcd2 |gdBcd2| g3fga| b2a2g2| gdBcd2| gdBcd2| g3fga| g6:|
X:1
T:Bourree a quatre du Carni
M:3/8
L:1/16
Q:1/8=180
K:C
defdef|e2c2c2|Bcdfed|e2c2c2|defdef|e2c2c2|Bcd2B2|c4c2:|
|:BcdcBA|G4e2|defdef|e2c2c2|BcdcBA|G4e2|def2B2|c6:||
X:1
T:Bourree
M:C
O:France
K: D
|A>A AB G2 DG | FE FG A/2G/2A/2B/2 AF/2G/2 |
A>A AB G2 DG | FE GFD3 
|:G/2F/2|
DE FG A/2G/2A/2B/2 Ad| cd ed A/2B/2A/2G/2 AG/2F/2 |
EE FG A/2G/2A/2B/2 AF/2A/2 | GE GF D3
X:1
T:Bourree
L:1/8
M:2/4
O:France
R:Bourree
K:DMix
D>E FG| A3 _B/A/| G>A _BG | A>G FE | D>E FG | A3 _B/A/ | G>A GF | E4 ::
d>F GA | c>B AG | F>E FG| A4 | d>F GA | c>B AG | Fd FE | D4
X:1
T:Bourrée
R:Bourrée à 3 temps
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=190
K:C
e/2f/2|g/2a/2g/2f/2e/2f/2|g2 d/2e/2|f g/2f/2e/2d/2|ece/2f/2|
g/2a/2g/2f/2e/2f/2|g2 d/2e/2|f g/2f/2e/2d/2|c2|
|:G|e3/2f/2e/2d/2|c2G|f3/2g/2f/2e/2|d2G|e3/2f/2e/2d/2|c2c|B/2c/2dB|c2:||
the original crested hens would have been played much much faster in 3/8.
Olivier
Jethro Tull’s version is one of the first things I learned to play on the flute.
My two year old granddaughter loves it. When I play it she will dance all over the room.
you’ll just have to picture the accent mark over the first e, as I never have been able to get them to work
Hold the ALT button down, and at the same time push 0233.
The definition I’ve learnt in school is ‘a dance in 2/2 time (that’s 2 minims in a bar) with a 2 note anacrusis (these would be crotchets).’ That’s very much a bach-cello-suite ‘classical’ definition though.
Jo.
Hmmm…doesn’t work for me. Wassup? I have to use the character map.
Thanks all! You’re right…I’d left off an “r”, which is probably why I couldn’t find it (note to self: pay closer attention to spelling of foreign words when seeking definition).
I’m rather glad someone (Solas?) decided to slow this tune (Crested Hens) down a bit…It’s a pretty dance tune played in 3/8, but in 3/4 it makes an exquisite air. Makes me think of skating through falling snow.
I was playing it along with the CD accompanying L.E. McCullough’s “Complete Tin Whistle Tunes” book today, and was rather surprised at the very staccato (almost choppy) feel he gives to it. He tongues to a fair-thee-well…not on the attack of the note, but to close it off abruptly. Not a style I find appealing on this particular tune…I find myself wanting to play it very smoothly (very little tonguing, with mostly little slurs to articulate the notes), with the feel of wind blowing across a snowy plain, making the snowflakes dance before they settle softly to earth.
Redwolf
What’s next, Red, BRANLES? 
Huh? 
No Jambourree
jim_mc and geekformusic,
I can play that original Bach piece on the classical guitar, I always jazz it out like Jethro did as I get toward the end of the song.
A drunk female.
PC
In case you were in suspense, Audrey, a Branle or “brawl” is a rustic Froooooooooooonch country circle dance, complete with kicks that may make it the ancestor of Le CanCan. There are tons of em in the lute repertoire, indicating that they must have been very popular, but as a musical form, I think it died out sooner than the Bourree.
As for JT’s version o’ Bach’s Bourree in E minor, it was wonderful and horrid. Wonderful because it brought people to Bach, horrid when they asked my flute and guitar duo to play it. My flute player was not an improviser so she’d say no. We had an unruly drunk get pretty loud once cause we didn’t honor his sloppy sentimental need to hear it. Heck, i woulda just for the tip… but as I say, he wanted to hear the flute do it.
Ah ha! Now I can sleep tonight! 
Redwolf