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Major Boxing Day Venue Change
50 YEARS OF TRADITION TO BE BROKEN
A Boxing Day tradition in Steyning is to be broken after more than 50 years as the Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men move their annual performance of the Steyning Tipteerers Play out of the town. Performing the play requires a combination of a decent size car park to accommodate the audience and an enthusiastic licensee who is willing and has enough space to support the tradition, which includes the singing of Sussex carols in the pub after the performance. For many years, the White Horse has been the venue, but since its closure this year, followed by its rebirth as Whites Bar, it is no longer suitable for the event and the Chanctonbury Men have been forced to seek an alternative.
Fortunately, Chris Andrew, the licensee of the Frankland Arms at Washington has come to the rescue and has welcomed the opportunity to host the event. We have been trying for months to establish whether we would be welcome at what used to be the White Horse but with less than a month to go, it became clear that it was not going to happen. We approached Chris at the Frankland Arms and she could not have been more helpful. It is a pity to have to move the play out of its home town, but as the Frankland Arms is close by and is right at the foot of Chanctonbury Ring, it is an ideal solution to the problem from our point of view.
We hope that our regular supporters from Steyning will help us keep this seasonal tradition alive by joining us at Washington.
Chanctonbury Ring Morris Mens Christmas performances are as follows:
Tuesday 26th December: 11.00 am at the Marquis of Granby, Sompting
12.30 pm at the Frankland Arms, Washington.
Saturday 6th January 2007 6.30 pm Apple Howling at Old Mill Farm, Bolney (on the north side of the A272 a mile west of the A23)
posted on 30.11.06 by John
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New men progressing well
The Clog Dancing practice night went well. It was good to see the progress of all our new men.
Have a look at some of the video clips, look first at the stepping instuctional and then look at the complete dance. When you see the dancing there is at least one that prior to the night had done no Clog Dancing at all and several that had never done these particular dances.
So well done to them for their skills and well done to Ed to being so good at passing on information.
By the summer we shall at this rate have both Cotswold Morris Dancing and North West Clog Morris Dancing teams available without any hassle for the Bagman.
Christmas is coming up and our venues for Boxing Day will soon be announced. Be ready for a surprise!
posted on 26.11.06 by John
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The Real Origins and History of Morris Dancing?
Found this whilst idly surfing the net. It is by Rich Holmes's, should stir up a little bit of interest.
The first thing to remember about this subject is, simply: DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING. There is a lot of hogwash being circulated on the subject of the "origins" of morris dancing -- especially by morris dancers (such as me :-) ). Enormous amounts of speculation based on little or no data, faulty assumptions, wishful thinking, and bad logic.
Beware.
The second thing is: not everything that is called "morris dancing" is necessarily related, and some things that are not called "morris dancing" may be. Nomenclature is a dangerous basis for historical theories.
The third thing is: even a particular type of morris dancing probably has multiple antecedents. It's misleading to talk about "the origin".
Based on what I've read, my capsule summary of what seems to be the most reasonable interpretation of the evidence is as follows:
0) There is no reason to believe morris dancing ever had anything to do with pagan fertility rites.
1) There probably was nothing called "morris dancing" in England much earlier than the 15th century. Around then, a form of dance typically called by names like "moreys daunce" was imported from somewhere in Europe as court entertainment; this may have been the dance form (or one of several dance forms?) going by names like "morisco" on the continent. The dancers wore colorful, fairly elaborate costumes with pendant sleeves and attached bells. Very little is known about the dances per se, though there seem to have been two types: a solo dance, and a dance in a circle around a "maiden" (who could have been a man in women's clothing) for whose favors the dancers compete.
2) By the early 16th century morris dancing had become a fixture of Church festivals. Later in the century, the morris became attached to village fetes, particularly in the springtime; Shakespeare says "as fit as a morris for May Day" and "a Whitsun morris dance." In the process of going from court to church festivals to village festivals, some changes in the dance may have occurred. By this time we have references to dancing with hankies (this might have been a substitute for the pendant sleeves). Will Kemp danced a solo morris from London to Norwich in 1600 (see his Nine Daies Wonder). There was a brief fad of morris in the theatre; see The Two Noble Kinsmen, attributed to Fletcher and Shakespeare. Fletcher and Kemp both refer to women morris dancers; one can infer that women's participation in the morris was not uncommon in this era. Fletcher's morris dancers number twelve, six men and six women; little can be deduced about the choreography.
3) It has been hypothesized that the morris was largely forgotten under Cromwell, and that afterward it was "revived" by the expedient of taking the accoutrements of the old morris -- the bells and hankies -- and using them in adaptations of ordinary social country dances. The truth is probably not that simple; Playford's collection of country dances went through several editions during the Protectorate, demonstrating that dance was not as thoroughly suppressed as one might think. But the resemblences between Cotswold morris dances and some of the Playford dances are suggestive of a connection. Cecil Sharp read this as evidence that the social dances were derived from the morris, but vice versa seems more likely by today's scholars. In this sense, what was called "morris" in the 18th century may have had very little to do with what was called "morris" in the 16th century. Remember what I said about the dangers of relying on nomenclature?
4) By the mid 18th century in the South Midlands region, morris dancing with bells and hankies was a fixture of the Whitsun ales (village festivals). By this point, the morris was in the hands of common folk who couldn't afford the fancy costumes of a couple centuries earlier, and they were resorting to ordinary clothing decorated with ribbons and flowers. There was a separate variety of morris, called bedlam morris, being done in a swath from the Welsh border counties through Warwickshire and Northamptonshire down to Buckinghamshire; the bedlam morris seems to have been mainly or exclusively done with sticks.
5) By the late 18th century the bedlam morris had exerted an influence on the Whitsun ale morris, so that the latter often had both stick and hankie dances. As a result of the element of competition in the Whitsun morris ales, the dances often became quite elaborate in their choreography. These were the dances Sharp mainly collected, commonly (though inaccurately) called "Cotswold" morris, and are what is often thought of as the morris today. Remember what I said about multiple antecedents? There's evidence of at least three for Cotswold morris: the European-derived 16th century morris, social country dances, and bedlam morris. Meanwhile the bedlam morris continued to be a relatively simple style done in the Welsh border counties, and ended up being what we now call border morris.
6) As for sword dances, Northwest morris, molly dancing, the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, the Derbyshire processional morris, the Welsh Cadi Ha, and other such possibly-related things -- I don't know.
Remember what I said at the start: DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING, including what I just told you.
posted on 20.11.06 by John
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Practice night video clips
Well the Cotswold Morris Dancing practice went well on Wednesday, at least as far as the video clips were concerned. Some of the dance steps were proving to be a little tricky so I have separated out the side step in Bampton and the corner movement in Litchfield and also added a little slow motion.
Let me know what you think.
The web index/library has been updated and you can click straight from there to a specific YouTube clip.
Some breaking news about Boxing Day will appear over the weekend, be the first to hear it by popping back regularly to this blog.
No comments yet appeared either here or on the YouTube clips, is it because you don't know how or because you are overwhelmed by the outstanding dancing prowess?
Kind comments only, please.
posted on 17.11.06 by John
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Weird Google ads
Morris dancing is proving quite a challenge to dear old google ads. Have you clicked on any of them? Don't know what ones you are seeing, but when I was writing this, the belly dancer was there, anyone followed it up? What about buying a troupe of Morris Dancers? Well who knows where that might lead, like to see some feedback from you guys and gals as to what mischief you can get into with some of these links. (The Salsa might be worth doing.)
But hey! At last a relevant one, an enterprising Clog maker and repairer, well done, hope we can hang on to you. Could it be that Google's computer is at last working out just what Morris Dancing, Clog dancing and the folk world is all about. Just one more step and maybe the great British public will also cotton on.
Will be doing some more filming tonight so possibly tomorrow and probably Friday there will be some more YouTube clips, keep checking the index (top left).
posted on 15.11.06 by John
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Practice night on film
Morris Dancing as it has never been seen before.
It is one thing to see the polished dancing of Morris as a performance, but what about when we are all learning.
We may spend all of one evening (but usually only 30 to 60 mins) on a dance then that's it till next week.
I am planning to record all our practice sessions and within a day or so of doing it, get them onto youtube, so that those who are learning a dance for the first time and those others who are still not completely sure, can have a visual note as to what it's all about.
Whenever possible I will have a separate stepping guide (where the Captain explains what is required) and one which will have a complete dance, occasionally there will be several on the same dance showing progress. A positive outcome will encourage us all to improve.
I have set up a web site index so that you can go there and have a direct link to any specific youtube clip the links to youtube and the web index are near the top of this page on the left hand side.
posted on 13.11.06 by John
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Style change
I have had requests to add some bells and whistles so that the real techo's can link more easily and get automatic notification every time I update the blog. Well this is it, I hope all the little buttons mean something to someone, I just punted around until I found the right site and followed instructions.
If they are not doing what they should can you let me know and even better tell me what to do to get it right.
Next blog will be (I hope) on the new youtube pictures of Morris Dancing Clog Practice from tonight's activities.
posted on 8.11.06 by John
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Nov 4th (5th)
Well all of you that turned up at Lewes on the 4th know that we celebrated Bonfire night on the Saturday, those that turned up on Sunday possibly found it a bit quiet.
Over 50,000 watched the Grand Procession (that's the one we dance in). We took a strange route, it was almost as if those at the front were looking for a route that had not been blocked off by a super efficient police force, the first part was great with massive cheering audiences, still good as we went past the station, after that we went along roads I didn't even know existed. I think I saw Rotten Row on one signpost.
We did start flagging a bit coming up the last hill but as soon as we hit the main road and the cheering crowds again, then our spirits lifted as did our feet and knees. There is just nothing like an enthusiastic crowd to boost your energy levels.
Our new Pub 'The Brewers Arms' did us proud, excellent service, reasonable prices and right where the action is. Quite a change and one I hope we do again and again.
Our intrepid photographer (Sonia) was not able to get an inspired photo of us this year so you will have to make do with the existing one, click at the appropriate place above.
However if anyone reading this has a good one (picture that is!) then our bagman (see website for email address) would be delighted to receive an email copy, thanks in anticipation etc.
posted on 7.11.06 by John
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Poland Blog update
Have had a lot of requests for the exact location of Anna's Bar, so I have added a Multimap link to the picture title (go to picture link).
posted on 2.11.06 by John
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Lewes bonfire 4th Nov
Don't forget the celebrations are on Saturday night and our Clog team will be in the big parade as per usual. We are not meeting in the usual pub, (change of landlord) not interested in us. Instead we will meet at the Brewers Arms 7.00pm.
With any luck there will be a follow-up report with pictures, but as last years picture was so good then maybe not.
posted on 2.11.06 by John
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