Roger Hare Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 (edited) Dunno if this is the right place to post this... For Folk's Sake: Morris Dancing and Me A documentary about Morris. BBC 4, Monday 1 April, 2100.(*) Details and preview clips at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003vh (*)Also Sunday 31 March, 0255, signed version, I believe... Edited March 28, 2019 by lachenal74693 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 (edited) And the "Ladies go Dancing at Whitsun": https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/mar/29/morris-dancing-gender-women Roger, unless you have secretly taken up the melodeon, I don't see you in the picture of the Manchester Morris Persons? Over here in the hinterlands of the Empire, we cannot view the BBC's broadcasts so if anybody cares to capture this on All Fool's Day then I for one would be very grateful. Edited March 30, 2019 by Don Taylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 The Kettle Bridge side springs to my mind... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hare Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 (edited) 16 hours ago, Don Taylor said: (1) Roger, unless you have secretly taken up the melodeon, I don't see you in the picture of the Manchester Morris Persons? (2) Over here in the hinterlands of the Empire, we cannot view the BBC's broadcasts so if anybody cares to capture this on All Fool's Day then I for one would be very grateful. Don, good morning. (1) No, I'm not in any of the pictures. In the main picture, we have: George, ?, Malcolm, Richard, (the presenter), Bruce, Marjorie (plays the whistle in the closing titles), David, Tony (our ace melodeon player), t'other Roger, Richard and t'other George. I'm not sure which are the other pictures you are looking at, but I am (usually) the blurred figure on the right in those pictures where you can see the massed band performing... (2) I wasn't sure where in the world this would be viewable, but thought it was worth posting so that folks can look, if possible. Isn't there a television equivalent of US NPR which you can access? We had a private showing on Thursday (my very first world premiere!!!). Very interesting, and (I thought) a sympathetic view of an activity which is in some danger of slowly withering on the vine unless summat is done. No spoilers here - not till after the transmission date, but t'aint just about Manchester Morris, though that's a central theme on which the whole thing is hung... Roger PS: Oh, aye in case it hasn't been posted here before, here is a link to the world-famous Badger Morris: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-quarantine-2018-online PPS: 'Ladies go Dancing at Whitsun' - 'False Bride' innit? Edited March 31, 2019 by lachenal74693 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hare Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 (edited) 15 hours ago, Wolf Molkentin said: The Kettle Bridge side springs to my mind... ? Two sides based up here in God's Country: Fidler's Fancy Poynton Jemmers There's probably more, and many Border sides are co-ed in any case: Boggart's Breakfast Edited March 31, 2019 by lachenal74693 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wild Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 22 hours ago, Wolf Molkentin said: The Kettle Bridge side springs to my mind... ? Kettle Bridge Clogs have been dancing for 35 years. They are a ladies' side based in Kent, and have always set a high standard in their dancing. Last year, with a few more dancers retiring, there was a major recruitment drive, utilising all the advice available from the Morris Federation and other sources. While some people expressed an interest, at the end of the year the number of new recruits form this campaign was zero. This year we shall be dancing with the minimum number of dancers, and have reworked some dances to be performed with 6 instead of 8, or 4 instead of 6. So we are starting a new dancing season with no new recruits, and a low probability of recruiting more during the year. The bottom line is that the side has decided that this year will be Kettle Bridge Clogs' last season as a performing side. Very sad, but there seems no other way to go. - John Wild, band member for Kettle Bridge Clogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 John, that‘s very sad news indeed - I’ve been able to watch a very appealing appearance in Lewes some years ago as you may be aware of. However I just read Kettle Bridge Concertinas will be celebrating their tenth anniversary this year and hope they’re alive and well... All the best - ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hare Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 3 hours ago, John Wild said: ...The bottom line is that the side has decided that this year will be Kettle Bridge Clogs' last season as a performing side... Don't despair. One of our local Morris sides had decided to shut up shop last year, and sometime in the autumn about six blokes turned up out of the blue saying 'Right, what about this bloody Morris dancing then - let us at it!', and said side is now revitalised and continuing to function. Fingers crossed... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 I am surprised that Morris has not been taken up by the schools. I well remember the old BBC schools broadcasts 'Singing Together' which, I think, reignited interest in folk music and led to the second wave in the '60s. Maybe a program called 'Dancing Together'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wild Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 5 hours ago, lachenal74693 said: Don't despair. One of our local Morris sides had decided to shut up shop last year, and sometime in the autumn about six blokes turned up out of the blue saying 'Right, what about this bloody Morris dancing then - let us at it!', and said side is now revitalised and continuing to function. Fingers crossed... Thank you. I will pass on that comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crimson Avenger Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 12 hours ago, Don Taylor said: I am surprised that Morris has not been taken up by the schools. I well remember the old BBC schools broadcasts 'Singing Together' which, I think, reignited interest in folk music and led to the second wave in the '60s. Maybe a program called 'Dancing Together'? Nice idea, but it'll never get off the ground. Morris is 'English' and therefore unacceptable to the education authorities and to the BBC in these 'diverse' and 'multi-cultural' days. In Scotland 'Scottish Country Dancing' is (or was?) part of the educational syllabus - sensible people, the Scotch. In any case, Morris is irredeemably 'racist', see: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/08/morris-dancers-forced-abandon-performance-accused-racism-threatened/ and a large number of similar posts about this incident. My barber showed me film of this on his 'phone at the time (2017). Very scary. I see that at least one festival appears to have followed the rush to P.C. acceptability, and banned 'blacking-up'. Pity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 2 hours ago, The Crimson Avenger said: In any case, Morris is irredeemably 'racist', see: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/08/morris-dancers-forced-abandon-performance-accused-racism-threatened/ and a large number of similar posts about this incident. My barber showed me film of this on his 'phone at the time (2017). Very scary. I see that at least one festival appears to have followed the rush to P.C. acceptability, and banned 'blacking-up'. Pity. IMO it is not appropriate to refuse or ridicule bringing racist tendencies, deliverances or elements into question. Nevertheless, I would be very confident that the Morris tradition will be able to confidently survive such challenges and required adjustments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wild Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 4 hours ago, The Crimson Avenger said: - sensible people, the Scotch. "Scotch" is Whisky! The people are Scots. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hare Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, John Wild said: "Scotch" is Whisky! The people are Scots. ? I think it was the late, great A.J.P. Taylor who said in one of his books something to the effect of (I paraphrase): "In Scotland, there are three (*) words used to describe things pertaining to Scotland: Scotch, Scots and Scottish. In England, there is only one word used to describe things pertaining to Scotland: Scotch." I always did like AJPT - he was controversial in a friendly sort of way ? Whatever, make sure you watch the film tonight - preferably with a glass of Scotch at your elbow...? Roger (*) Scotch (whisky); Scots (the people), Scottish (everything else). Edited April 1, 2019 by lachenal74693 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Morris dancing and Pow-wow dancing have a lot in common: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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