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A Joyous May To One And All!


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This one (from 1931) has a concertina (or two ;) ) in it, starting at 1.18:

 

"Oxford. 'Ye Merrie Monthe of Maye.' Centuries'-old custom of ushering in May-day at dawn with old English songs and dances, filmed for the first time."

 

Happy May Day! :)

 

Edited to add: It's starting to look like this newsreel could be a bit of a "discovery" because (on my Facebook page, where I've also posted it) Paul Groff asked about the man watching (on the edge of the crowd, on the right) who is wearing a cap and holding an Anglo, and I believe it's William Kimber!

 

kimber1931.jpg

 

In fact the concertina playing at the very beginning sounds like him too...

 

If so, it's a great pity it's not him that's playing "Country Gardens" for the morris dancers. :(

 

Edited to add photo

Edited by Stephen Chambers
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Certainly looks like Kimber, and the playing at the start sure sounds like him too. I wonder when that sound recording at the beginning was made? The Youtube clip says 1931, but the earliest recording on the EFDSS Absolutely Classic is 1935.

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Certainly looks like Kimber, and the playing at the start sure sounds like him too. I wonder when that sound recording at the beginning was made? The Youtube clip says 1931, but the earliest recording on the EFDSS Absolutely Classic is 1935.

 

It's a British Pathé newsreel issued on 4th May 1931Tony, so that's the year it was recorded.

 

If only we had the out takes from the filming... :huh:

Edited by Stephen Chambers
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Great singing, and what a period piece! Clouds of cigarette smoke! A poster of a "cowboy" with guitar on the wall--an upcoming attraction, perhaps? Glad we're done with all that smoke, even though I contributed to it at one time; done with it, I suppose, except for the residue in old concertinas!

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