Morris Matters Vol. 43 Issue 1

Summary: Vol. 43 Issue 1

Published: Jan 2024

Table of contents

  • Expanding the Frontier 5 – Yardley Gobion, Northants
    by George Frampton
  • A Small Quiet English Town
    by Paul Tully
  • Damien Barber’s Lock In: ‘A Christmas Carol’
    by Jill Griffiths
  • Voices of Morris : Oral History Project
    by Chas Leslie
  • Half a life as boss
    by Tony Forster
  • Cecil Sharp and Clevedon
    by Sue Swift
  • Morris bells – forerunners?
    by Jonathan Hooton and Philip Heath -Coleman
  • Britain’s Greatest Living Folklorist
    by Rob Curry and Tim Plester
  • Cecil Sharp and the Quest for Folk Song and Dance: a new biography
    reviewed by Shirley Dixon

Editorial

Welcome to 2024. It was great to start the morris year by attending Whittlesey Straw Bear watching a great diversity of teams and a very lively Straw Bear. This issue seems to be all about documenting morris history while we can: I along with hundreds of others enjoyed the film about Sidmouth festival in the summer of 2023 and more recently have been following news of the crowdfunder for Doc Rowe’s collection. Having enjoyed Mike Heaney’s 2023 tome about the Ancient Morris Dance we now have David Sutcliffe’s biography of Cecil Sharp -a fascinating read.

Citation

Editor: Beth Neill
Citation: Morris Matters, 43(1),

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Featured Teams

The PDF file has been analysed to list the morris and sword dance teams which are featured in the issue. Note we can’t be 100% sure that this list and dance category is accurate.

Morris Matters 43(1), January 2024

Historic & Traditional Morris Teams

  • Yardley Gobion Morris Dancers – extensive historical reconstruction (pp. 2–5)
  • Brackley Morris – influential reference tradition
  • Headington Quarry Morris – referenced via repertoire and collecting
  • Sherborne Morris – comparative reference
  • Pilgrim Morris – mentioned via workshop transmission
  • Rose & Castle Morris – modern revival embracing Yardley tradition

Clevedon & Somerset-Area Morris

  • Somerset Morris Dancers – taught in Clevedon in 1908
  • Mendip Morris Men – formed 1947, still active
  • Clevedon Morris Men – revival from 1984

Modern Revival, Mixed & Experimental Morris

  • Peterborough Morris
  • Fenstanton Morris
  • Motley Mixed Morris
  • Duns Tew Morris
  • Yaxley Morris
  • Fendance

Molly Dance Teams (Sword-adjacent winter traditions)

  • Old Hunts Molly
  • Ouse Washes Molly
  • Pig Dyke Molly – major autobiographical feature (pp. 9–11)

#MFmorrismatters

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