The Newsletter No.63 December 2009

ARM 2010 Friday 26th to Sunday 28th March 2010

Hosted by Stafford Morris Men at the Abbots Bromley School for Girls, WS15 3BW

Reminder: We unashamedly want to lure more people to attend the event to both introduce them to our democratic processes (especially to vote for our new Squire) and to help keep the costs down - economies of scale and all that. Men can attend only for the instructional elements and attend the ARM if they so wish, or attend only the ARM joining the instructional element if they so wish.

The programme for the 2010 ARM weekend: The weekend starts on the Friday with the usual mixture of informal conversation, with opportunities for dancing, singing and drinking, plus a special screening of the film: "Morris a life with bells on". This is being opened to any and all of the local sides, partners, etc. by prior booking, for a nominal charge.

On the Saturday, in addition to the business part of the ARM and the instructionals many of our Morris Ring Archivists will be present with examples of their collections on display. Their individual reports will have been circulated prior to the weekend so there will be ample opportunity to informally as well as formally ask questions, make suggestions and offer help in this important area. The Instructionals, which are all sequential, are:

1. Rapper Workshop;
2. North West and
3. Adderbury

We have also received a tentative offer of a session by an osteopath concerning sports injuries and their prevention further information in due course. In the evening there will be the usual Feast.

Vetting and Barring Scheme

Vetting and Barring Scheme: Mis-reporting and rumour-mongering is still rife. Visit the ISA website for latest information: http://www.isa-gov.org.uk/

Message from the Squire of the Morris Ring: Brian Tasker

1. Consultation with Members and Associates As we approach the end of our 75th year it is an appropriate time to consider the future of the Morris Ring. We have to develop a strategy to take us forward for the next 75 years.

In the files section of the Morris Ring Google Group you will find a questionnaire entitled "Morris Ring Consultation with Members and Associates", which has been prepared by the Officers of the Morris Ring incorporating suggestions made by the Advisory Council. The importance of this questionnaire cannot be overstated as a Development Plan will be prepared from your replies. For this plan to reflect the views of all our members and associates a response rate of 50% or even 75% will not do. We need a response rate in excess of 90% to be sure that we have the balanced views of the total membership.

Please circulate this questionnaire to the members of your side and then call a meeting to discuss your responses to the questions and return the form to me by 31st January 2010 at the latest so that I have time to analyse the results and circulate them to the other officers and the Advisory Council before the ARM on 27th March. You can send your replies to me by post or on line.

This is your opportunity to make your side's voice heard on many issues and to influence the future course of the Morris Ring.

A copy of the Questionnaire is included with the printed version of this Newsletter.

2. Joint Morris Organisations Day of Dance Next year it is the turn of the Morris Federation to organise the annual day of dance. It will be held on Saturday 17 April in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

It will be a day only event taking place during the morning and afternoon. There is no charge for attendance. We have an allocation of fifteen places to fill. Due to the nature of the event it will probably only be possible to attend if your side is based within reasonable travelling distance of Bury St Edmunds. If your side would like to be included please let me know as soon as possible. To date I have six sides who have asked to be included. Please give this event your urgent consideration.

Morris Ring 75^th Anniversary Youth Fund

Has your side discussed this yet?

Look at the example from the Governments Primary Teachers publication, which is sent to every primary school in the country, of how a Youth Project may work. The article about a school Sword Dance club, on page 7, shows the Chelmo Champs Rapper Sword Team. http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachers/

Could you help a school and therefore a Morris side near you?

Treasurers Notes:

Many thanks to the sides who have already renewed their subs by Standing Order or cheque. It has made for a busy few weeks, but there is still a way to go!

For any side still to renew, please remember that an additional £10 is payable for renewals after 30/11/09 as set out on the form. Furthermore until your subs are renewed, you are not able to take advantage of the Public Liability Insurance Cover. If there are any queries, please contact me.

In the mean time, best wishes for Xmas and the New Year to you and your sides.

Morris Ring "Special" Musicians' Weekend: Report by Tim Peters

I started dancing Cotswold Morris in the seventies and have been privileged to dance to and learn playing skills from a number of very able Morris musicians, whose feel for the dancing was apparently effortless. Despite their almost universal preference for solo Cotswold Morris music, all have been unstintingly generous in letting me play along and gradually improve my playing skills.

By contrast, my experience of massed Morris bands as either dancer or musician has typically been a wall of mushy sound, sometimes made worse by the quality of the amplification of the selected lead players, however good the players were themselves. A sad effect is that I realise I now tend to associate Morris Ring events with awful music, so I wondered what to expect from the Morris Ring "Special" Musicians' Weekend.

To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. The opening welcome included the line that "we are not here to tell you how to play" and the weekend developed to give a deep and highly practical insight into ways in which musicians can use their playing to lift the dancers; and into the reasons why multiple Morris musicians are now almost inevitable, the musical problems that arise in any group of more than one musician, and into some simple and some more adventurous but still very practical ways in which a number of musicians can play together in ways which can enhance the music for both the dancers and any audience.

I have tried to emulate the playing of the musicians who have inspired me over many years, and found it hard to do so. However, when the different techniques were described clearly and simply in words and demonstrations, with a straight-forward analysis of how different techniques work, and with examples of when they can be applied and to what effect, adding techniques and skills to my playing became much easier and more efficient than my years of observation and frustratingly gradual improvement. The inclusion of experienced dancers provided a relevance and focus, and the opportunity to hear instant feedback from them was enlightening and rewarding.

If anyone reading this has ever thought about the problems of having more than one musician for Cotswold Morris, let alone a massed band, I can thoroughly recommend future weekends as a relevant, practical and most enjoyable way to introduce effective solutions. I would also support an idea that arose, that squires and foremen should definitely join all the musicians from any side (from the most experienced down to maybe the level of those who can play a fairly accurate tune and pick up changes to the tune reasonably quickly) at the weekend so that everyone can contribute to the development of, and appreciation of, the skills involved in what is such an essential side of the Cotswold Morris dancing tradition.

Who knows, in a few years time, we may all look forward to hearing and dancing to a massed Morris band! Many thanks to those who presented and hosted such an enjoyable and useful weekend.

Morris Ring "Special" Musicians' Weekend: A post-script. Whatever your level of experience or ability, if you are interested in attending future musicians' weekends, please let Clive Du'Mont have your contact details now. You won't be committing yourself to anything, but knowing who and how many might be interested will help greatly with planning and organisation. It would also be helpful if you can give some idea of what you would like to get out of, or do during, these events.

Morris Ring Shop Keepers Ramblings

Things have been quieter than usual on the Morris Shop front of late, except for two exciting additions.

CD: MORRIS: A life with bells on The soundtrack CD is now here. It is 32 tracks of original folk, orchestral and morris music written by Richard Lumsden, who also stars in the film. John Dipper, Saul Rose and Laurel Swift also feature on the record. 32 tracks equal 69 mins for £12.00 (£1 p&p)

MORRIS DANCING: A THRIVING TRADITION This beautiful full colour quality poster is the GCSE art coursework of Ollie King of Cambridge Morris Men. Depicted within this A3 portrait are the traditions of Cotswold, Longsword, Border, Molly, Rapper and North West. At a cost of £5 each Ollie has gallantly decided that this will include a donation to the reg. charity 'Headway Cambridgeshire'. As folding can ruin these posters this means that they do not travel very well via mail order (tubes are also expensive). However, they are available from the mobile Morris Shop or direct from the man himself: email:

EFDSS News

EFDSS News: www.efdss.org

Tel: 020 7485 2206
English Dance & Song Winter 2009 issue has just been published

• This issue includes a full list of 150 Folk Festivals in 2010, which is also available on the website www.efdss.org/festivals.html
• There's a feature on The Drayton Wassail song custom from Somerset, which Cecil Sharp visited a hundred years ago. And news of the re-publication of Percy Maylams book about The Hooden Horse of Kent.
• There's a feature on the remarkable dance and music group, The Fosbrooks, from Stockport in Cheshire: The Fosbrooks Phenomenon.
• EFDSS Education Director, Rachel Elliott, writes on the Take 6 Education Project.
• We also celebrate Library Director, Malcolm Taylors 30 years at the EFDSS, and the continuing party for Cecil Sharps 150th birthday.
• Plus all the regular features festive round-up, news, reviews and dance events.
• Visit http://eds.efdss.org to hear 'All in the Morning' sung by Bella Hardy, and to hear 'The Drayton Wassail' sung by the Wassailers in January 2009, recorded by Bob Patten.

'To Lubberland' - a new exhibition by Matthew Cowan
Exhibition dates: 11 December 2009 - 31 March 2010
Matthew Cowan has been the artist in residence at Cecil Sharp House, London throughout 2009. As an artist and curator he has been involved in directing and developing the visual arts at Cecil Sharp House (home of EFDSS), and over seventy artists have been involved in exhibitions and live art events during the year. The upcoming solo exhibition, 'To Lubberland' presents works he has made during this time.

This new work draws on the underlying influence of the medieval fantasy-land 'Cockaigne' in the folk consciousness. Topsy-turvy travelogues by quack doctors, plum pudding force-feeding by overbearing mothers, and a new take in neon based on Cecil Sharp House itself, all contribute to this new show. The works serve to map a path to Lubberland and its fantastic promise of luxury, whilst referring to the observation first noted in the 1820s that London is itself a version of Cockaigne.

The exhibition includes a specially created new piece in neon, an anagram of Cecil Sharp House that nods towards the joy of Morris Dancing.

Cecil James Sharp (1859-1924): The Diaries. Sharp was England's most prolific folk music and dance collector. The 22nd November will mark his birthdate and Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary). In celebration of his achievements and the impact he continues to have on folk music to this day EFDSS have launched his only surviving personal diaries on their website. Written between (1915 - 1918) these diaries include descriptions of his collecting experiences in the Appalachian Mountains of North America.

Between the time of his first serious collecting experience in a vicarage garden in August 1903, until his death on Midsummer Eve 1924, he amassed a total of 4,977 tunes in England and North America, many of which were published in various forms in order to promote and revive what was perceived to be a fading part of traditional culture. He was not alone by any means, following as he did the likes of Lucy Broadwood, Frank Kidson and Sabine Baring-Gould to name a few. However, his mission to revive the music placed him very much at the forefront of a movement which has attracted a great deal of attention over the past thirty years, but for which many primary sources have been difficult to access.

How on earth did this asthmatic, 56 year-old vegetarian survive in the heat and altitudes of North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and West Virginia, along with his young assistant, Maud Karpeles? How did he feel when he heard the news of the death of many of the young men of his English Folk Dance Society demonstration team in the trenches of the Great War? And what did it mean to collect 1,600 tunes from people he considered direct descendants and carriers of British cultural traditions?

The first of the series of diaries was launched online on Sunday 22nd November, 2009 followed by announcements of more events and content over the coming months. It is also planned to add a full, annotated transcription in time for Sharp's next birthday in 2010. Thanks to Cecil Sharp's grandchildren, Briony Jose and Richard Sharp, for allowing EFDSS to host the diaries online; to the managers of his estate, Bird & Bird, for helping us find them; to Chris Roche and The Shanty Crew for sponsoring this project.

Web: Sharpe Diaries Also see BBC Audio and photo slideshow

Sidmouth 2010

A Top Notch Line-up for Sidmouth 2010 Following on from a fantastic and very successful 2009 event, 2010 is already set to become a brilliant year for Britains favourite seaside festival. The guest list will go public at noon on 14 December, when the new website is launched. http://www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk

Morris 18-30

Next year, 2010 Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Burton on Trent. Contact for further information:

Morris on the Google Map: John Maher

Morris on the Map: Morris Ring Groups on a Google Map
The sharp eyed among you may have noticed that the Member and Associate club contacts which appeared in the menu of our website have disappeared and been replaced by "Google Map Sides List". A little further down, under the menu "To Find a Morris Ring Side. Click here!" also leads to the Google map: http://www.themorrisring.org/MorrisOnTheMap/index.html I hope that you will find the system easy to understand, but please read the instructions at the side of the map, then those below it!

The starting map shows our groups within 90 km of Leicester (where else?), both as green icons on the map and as a side list. Clicking on either brings up more information about a particular group: Club name, contact, telephone, web site link, and the latitude and longitude for the club. The lat/long were obtained from names of clubs, bagman addresses, web sites, and practice venues where I could find them. If you want to change this you need to work out a new lat/long with the aid of the red pointer icon, then email the new lat/long to me, john.maher@mac.com. I will not use postcodes; the map should enable you to search for an address; you should be able to move the red pointer to sit where you want the new lat/long to be. If you find this difficult to use then I have given an alternative link, or you could use a public utility, e.g. iTouchMap.cm at http://itouchmap.com/latlong.html

The information about the bagman/'phone is up to date from information supplied to Ed Worrall as of the end of November 2009. I will amend this as necessary from the latest Excel membership list as this becomes available or you tell me by email. The web site links are the ones that I have already, or have found. Clubs are often very bad at telling me about web site changes, the first I know about this is a bad link.
The map system is still new. I will try to mend any problems. There is room for a little more club information in the 'bubbles' that appear on clicking on an icon. Tell me. No pictures though. Morris On The Map is aimed at the public - our punters and maybe new members, so keeping the contact information up to date and easy to use is very important. As OSB I'm currently preparing a "World Morris Map" version, but leaving out other UK sides for the present!

Jigs Instructional 22nd - 24th January 2010

Important News about the Jigs Instructional The price for first-time attendees at the Jigs Instructional will be discounted by £10 What is more the price has been reduced for everybody to £42 previously £45! Geoff Jerram The Pseudo Upton-upon-Severn Stick Dance by Peter Boyce and How it Happened and how it became the basis for a new Chingford Tradition: Geoff Hughes' perspective of the dance commonly called The "Upton-upon-Severn Stick Dance". Following a lot of discussion over the past few weeks Geoff Hughes is keen to put the record straight and has asked that these two articles are on the Morris Ring Google Group.

Derty Rap!

DERTY Rap! is a Junior/Youth rapper tournament to be held in Derby on April 10th 2010, the last Saturday of the Easter holiday for many schools.

• For school-based teams there will be two age levels equating to primary school and secondary school. For other teams, where there are 3 or more of age twelve or older they go in the upper age group. In teams with 3 or less of age twelve or younger, they go in the lower age group.
• The competition will take place on the stage of the Guildhall in Derby between 10.30 and mid-day.
• There will be an entry charge for teams AND a charge for accompanying supporters, of any age.
• Exit time for ALL Junior/ Youth competitors and supporters will be 4pm.
• All competitors MUST have their own public liability insurance and it is sensible to include with this personal accident insurance.

Additional information:

• The organisers are unable to provide accommodation, either on the Friday or on the Saturday nights.
• There are plenty of eating places close by the event venue.
• If anyone has questions about this, please contact Peter Killingback, peter@killingback.co.uk or Jason Gallop, jason.gallop@btinternet.com.

DERT 2010

The annual adult competition is taking place on the same day and Morris Ring sides are encouraged to enter.

2010 ARM: Election of Officers & Area Reps

Squire - biographical sketches, photographs and supporting statements from the nominating clubs for the SIX candidates were received by the MR Bagman by closing date of 6th December 2009. The six candidates, in alphabetical order, are:

• Peter Halfpenney
• Fred Hands
• Steve Parker
• Will Partridge
• Robin Springett
• Harry Stevenson

The statements from their nominating sides along with their biographical sketches appear at the end of the (paper) Newsletter, and in the Word version document of this Newsletter in the Files section of the GOOGLE GROUP See Newsletter No 63.doc {2.7 MB date 14 Dec 2009)

Morris Ring Election Procedure Because of the unprecedented (at least in recent times) number of candidates I think that it is important that I remind Member sides of the Morris Ring voting procedures. This is also to be found on the Google Group in the "Pages" section.

Other elections:
Treasurer. Due to circumstances beyond our control insufficient notice was provided to the membership prior to the 2009 ARM of the election of a Treasurer. Eddie Worrall (Saddleworth MM) was unanimously elected at the meeting and as no other nominations were submitted by the closing date of 6th December 2009 the 2010 ARM will be asked to confirm him as Treasurer.

Area Reps whose term of office expires but are eligible for re-election:

• East: Vacancy (Graham Cox is not seeking re-election)
• North East: Brian Pollard
• South East Regions: Fred Hands

We have other vacancies due to resignations of incumbents and at the request of the Officers volunteers have stepped into the breach. These need to be ratified or otherwise by the ARM:

• West Midlands: Pete Simpson
• South West & Wales: Robin Springett

For your information the other reps are:

• North: Stuart Bater
• North West: David Loughlin
• North Midlands: David Thompson
• South Midlands: Roger Comley

2010 Meetings of the Morris Ring: An update

Thanks to all the sides who have applied to attend one or more of our meetings in 2010. All sides have got into their first choice meeting with the exception of four who applied to attend Trigg this year's over-popular choice. This unlucky four are being encouraged to apply to the meetings where there are still spaces: (Full details in Newsletter No 62) Can sides please ensure that their non-refundable deposits of £25 per man are paid to their host side before the end of February.

30th April - 2nd May 322 Helmond MM's 75th Anniversary
Sides attending. Currently approximately 50 spaces Contact: antony@heywood.nl
Mayflower, Dolphin, Great Yorkshire, Bathampton, Exeter.

4th June - 6th June 323 Thaxted (Approx 300)
Sides attending. Currently approx. 150 spaces Contact: iandbanderson@btinternet.com
Cambridge, Etcetera, Letchworth, Hageneth, Stafford, Jockey, Trigg, Wath, Peterborough, East Suffolk.

3rd - 5th September 324 Trigg Oversubscribed
Sides attending. Lincoln & Micklebarrow, Chapel en le Frith, Rutland, Thaxted, Winchester, Thames Valley, Forest of Dean, Northwood, Dartington, Grand Union, Harthill, Men of Wight.
Unlucky sides: Whitchurch, West Somerset, Standon, Martlett Sword & Morris.

10th - 12th Sept 325 Castleford Longsword
Sides attending. Currently approx. 25 spaces Contact: Evans.51@Ukonline.co.uk
Leeds, Foresters, Richmond on Swale, East Surrey, St Albans, Manchester, Hartley, Ravensbourne, Ripley.

If you have considered attending one of the three meetings where there are vacancies please contact the meeting bagman directly. Both Castleford and Thaxted can accommodate day men and Thaxted regularly host individuals and part sides.

On parade II

This is from an oil painting by Barbara King - a regular at Whittlesey Straw Bear. It is one of a new group of small works called 'close ups'. The site is worth a look

http://www.barbaraking.co.uk

In case that you wondered how Father Christmas gets around Saddleworth: Oldham Chronicle Article

On behalf of my fellow officers of the Morris Ring I wish you an enjoyable Christmas and successful 2010.

Future Dates - and appeal for hosts

Please note that we are looking for Hosts for meetings of the Morris Ring in 2011 and beyond. Does your side have an anniversary that it might like to mark by hosting a celebratory meeting or would you simply like to host one? Please discuss it with any of the Morris Ring Officers or your Area Rep. There are notes of guidance on the Morris Ring Google Group or available from the MR Bagman

 

2010
22nd - 24th Jan		Jigs Instructional 2010. Sutton Bonington
26th - 28th March		ARM Stafford Morris Men
30th April - 2nd May	322	Helmond MM's 75th Anniversary
4th June - 6th June	323	Thaxted
3rd - 5th September	324	Trigg
10th - 12th Sept	325	Castleford Longsword
2011
4th - 6th March (?)		ARM Hosted By TBA
3rd June - 5th June		Thaxted "Centenary" Morris Ring Meeting
TBA/td>		Bristol 60th Anniversary Morris Ring Meeting
2012
3rd - 5th March (?)		ARM Hosted by TBA
25th - 27th May		Chipping Campden Cotswold Olympic Morris Ring Meeting
1st June - 3rd June		Thaxted Morris Ring Meeting
27th - 29th July		Hartley 60th Anniversary Morris Ring Meeting
2013
? March		ARM Hosted by TBA
31st May - 2nd June		Thaxted Morris Ring Meeting
?		Dolphin Morris Men