Spring & Summer
These are the seasons when we perform South Midlands (Cotswold) morris. The dancers wear white clothes with bright sashes and jingling bells. They flick white hankies (probably to accentuate the hand movements) and occasionally clash sticks (possibly symbolizing ancient combat). The Cotswold dances are graceful, but virile. Music is to the melodeon or fiddle. The dancers are often accompanied by a bizarre "Beast", and sometimes even a "Fool" carrying an inflated sheeps bladder.
The Sources
The South Midlands morris is the most widely recognized and collected style - there are literally hundreds of dances collected throughout the area. The key collector of these dances was Cecil Sharp, and his research (in the early 1900s) forms the basis for over 90% of the current South Midlands morris repertoire. However, there have been more recent well-known collectors, probably the most prominent of which is Roy Dommett.
Our key sources are:
"The Morris Book" by Sharp & Macillwaine, Part 1 of which is available for free download here)
"A Handbook of Morris Dances" by Lionel Bacon
"Sherborne Dances and Jigs" by Bert Cleaver
Video: Bampton Whit Monday (1990) by Graham Baldwin
Video: Eynsham Morris Men by Graham Baldwin
Video: Sherborne Instructional (1991) by Bert Cleaver
Personal communications (re. Eynsham) with Michael Heaney
Personal communications with Bob Greco (MossyBack MM)
The Morris Ring archives
The Dances
Our style of Bampton is taken from the Bampton Traditional Morris Men (as filmed in 1990). Our "Bampton set" includes (but is not limited to):
These are the seasons when we perform South Midlands (Cotswold) morris. The dancers wear white clothes with bright sashes and jingling bells. They flick white hankies (probably to accentuate the hand movements) and occasionally clash sticks (possibly symbolizing ancient combat). The Cotswold dances are graceful, but virile. Music is to the melodeon or fiddle. The dancers are often accompanied by a bizarre "Beast", and sometimes even a "Fool" carrying an inflated sheeps bladder.
The Sources
The South Midlands morris is the most widely recognized and collected style - there are literally hundreds of dances collected throughout the area. The key collector of these dances was Cecil Sharp, and his research (in the early 1900s) forms the basis for over 90% of the current South Midlands morris repertoire. However, there have been more recent well-known collectors, probably the most prominent of which is Roy Dommett.
Our key sources are:
"The Morris Book" by Sharp & Macillwaine, Part 1 of which is available for free download here)
"A Handbook of Morris Dances" by Lionel Bacon
"Sherborne Dances and Jigs" by Bert Cleaver
Video: Bampton Whit Monday (1990) by Graham Baldwin
Video: Eynsham Morris Men by Graham Baldwin
Video: Sherborne Instructional (1991) by Bert Cleaver
Personal communications (re. Eynsham) with Michael Heaney
Personal communications with Bob Greco (MossyBack MM)
The Morris Ring archives
The Dances
Our style of Bampton is taken from the Bampton Traditional Morris Men (as filmed in 1990). Our "Bampton set" includes (but is not limited to):
- Single-Side-Step (various tunes)
- Double-Side-Step (various tunes)
- Step and Fetch Her
- Bobbing Around
- Furze Field
- Jockie to the Fair (a double-side-step jig)
- Princess Royal (a single-side-step jig)
- Webley Twizzle
- Trunkles
- Greeny Up
Our style of Eynsham was learnt from the Eynsham Morris, with the particular help (by e-mail) of Mike Heaney. Our "Eynsham set" comprises:
- Eynsham Processional
- Brighton Camp
- Eynsham Poacher
- Maid of the Mill
- Feathers
- Figure Eight
Figure Eight (Eynsham)
Our style of Sherborne is taken from the teaching of Bert Cleaver (Greensleeves MM), as reported in his Sherborne booklet and as taught to us during an instructional in Vancouver in 1991. Our "Sherborne set" comprises:
- The Old Woman Tossed Up in a Blanket
- The Orange in Bloom
- The Cuckoos Nest
- Constant Billy
- How d'Ye Do?
- I'll Go and Enlist for a Sailor (a double jig)
- Princess Royal (a double jig)
Old Woman Tossed Up in a Blanket
Cuckoo's Nest
Our style of Ducklington is from the dancing of the Mossyback Morris Men of Seattle WA. Our "Ducklington set" comprises:
- Princess Royale
- Old Tyler
- Jockie to the Fair
- Nutting Girl
- Bonnie Green Garters
- The Fox
The Fox (accompanied by a couple of MossyBack MM)
To see more examples of us performing these dances, please explore our Media Archive.
