Whorlton Sword Dancers in 1921 with EC Player

[michael sam wild]

In my latest Folk Music Journal Nov 2010 (EFDSS Vol 10.No.1 page 131) is a short article by Gordon Ridgewell, there is a copy of a photo ( from Illustrated Chronicle 31 May, 1921) of this NE sword team taking part in a distress fund procession. There was also a pic of North Walbottle Soup K.itchen. Mr John Hall of Westerhope is mentioned as a musician (English Concertina). He is on the photo

 

I don't know if this can be found online .

 

Maybe this was in the post WW1 depression that met the heroes and their families

Edited December 3, 2010 by michael sam wild

[michael sam wild]

That depression my account for the activity of those rapper dancers on Gav Davs post off Pathe News.

 

 

Maybe hard times brought people out to play, sing and dance for a few bob

[michael sam wild]

They interspresed shots of that archive pic with some current rapper men on the BBC 4 show with the Unthank sidters last night on BBC4. Well worth a catch up

[inventor]

I was at King's College Newcastle 1958-62, and an enthusiastic member of the Morris Dance Club. During my time there the Squire, Bill Cassie (Professor of Civil Engineering) brought along the Musician who had played for the Westerhope rapper dancers, with his English-concertina. I don't remember his name but I guess it was the musician named above. At that time we performed the North Wallbottle dance with the Tommy and Bessie joining in at the end. The Westerhope dance differed slightly from the N-W dance, in particular a spare dancer joined in at the end not the T & B. This musician no longer played, and presented his instrument to Bill Cassie.

Inventor.

[inventor]

The 1930s depression did bring out a bit of a revival of Rapper dancing in the North-east, with a number of teams including for instance Prudhoe, and Mickley who weren't around in Cecil Sharp's collecting days. It was a case of anything you could do for a few pennies to buy food to keep your family from starvation!

Fred Foster from High Spen Rapper told us of how they danced all the way down to London, and being very well received and accomodated by EFDSS groups. They made very much more than they could have made "doon the pit".

Inventor.

[michael sam wild]

Nice first hand information. Where would that concertina be now i wonder?