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Author Topic: What is Morris?  (Read 30858 times)

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Lester

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #60 on: January 03, 2008, 05:39:30 PM »

Could someone please explain to me the Bampton hand movements. I need to know my Monday. You see, they taught me the footwork, but not the hands!

Cheers

Ollie
Even bigger can of worms there Ollie, the answer will depend on:

  • What year the specific Bampton your side dances was collected
  • Which of the village sides it was collecetd from
  • What the side have changed since then

And don't start me on whether Bampton is single step or morris step and which is the correct leg to start on !!!   :P

Ollie

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #61 on: January 03, 2008, 06:06:22 PM »

Could someone please explain to me the Bampton hand movements. I need to know my Monday. You see, they taught me the footwork, but not the hands!

Cheers

Ollie
Even bigger can of worms there Ollie, the answer will depend on:

  • What year the specific Bampton your side dances was collected
  • Which of the village sides it was collecetd from
  • What the side have changed since then

And don't start me on whether Bampton is single step or morris step and which is the correct leg to start on !!!   :P

It was for the single step. I was semi-taught it and there is an instuction on CMM's website, but it doesn't make much sense to me. It says -

Quote
The forearms are held in front of the chest. The handkerchiefs flick upwards and
slightly forward, mostly from the wrist, on the last beat of a phrase of music and on the last
beat of bar 2, then fall gently on the first beat of bars 1 and 3.

It's the when they go up and down bit I don't get.

Ollie
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trombonetom

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #62 on: January 03, 2008, 09:16:19 PM »

Hey guys.

I don't really do Bampton but I have had a jig taught to me before (which I can't remember how it goes). Hwever i can remember that it was single step.

Also, I think the hands ngo up on the anacrusis and down on the DOWNbeat once every 2 single steps.
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Ollie

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #63 on: January 03, 2008, 11:16:49 PM »

Thanks to trombonetom and a very helpful youtube video, my problem is now solved.

Ollie
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Pushpull

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #64 on: January 03, 2008, 11:30:04 PM »

Thanks to trombonetom and a very helpful youtube video, my problem is now solved.

Ollie

Don't know if you're still after help but the way I was taught was arms go up on 2 and a half and 8 and a half (counting 8 for the A music).

Roy.
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Pushpull

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #65 on: January 03, 2008, 11:32:22 PM »

the sort of people who smoke little bent meerschaum pipes and talk too loudly because you're obviously not as smart as they are.

Bruce you forgot about the pewter tankards clipped onto the belt!

I don't play for, or dance Morris and for years I thought it was a load of twaddle (for the reasons Bruce gives) until I saw same really great, young, athletic dancers doing stuff in the Cotswold tradition.  That was a complete revelation.  Leaps so high the dancers seem to hang in the air, and the musicians have to pause while they wait for the feet to get back to earth.  Magic :D

We need to find some way of getting young lads interested. Newcastle Uni / Folkworks perhaps Theo?

Roy.
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risto

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #66 on: January 04, 2008, 01:04:41 AM »

Quote
No, no, Risto.  You don't want to know anything about Morris!   ....  ;)

Even if I wanted I have now realized that it must be a codename.  :)

(EDIT: What I mean is that it is difficult for someone from the outside to understand what the Morris is all about.)

I could try some of the tunes the other day, but I will certainly not wear any of the dressed, no Sir. :) :)
« Last Edit: January 04, 2008, 08:32:14 AM by risto »
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BruceHenderson

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #67 on: January 04, 2008, 02:09:29 AM »

I could try some of the tunes the other day, but I will certainly not wear any of the dressed, no Sir. :) :)

   If you want to see what the well-dressed Morris musician is wearing these days, see my photo/avatar.  I'm playing for my women's Northwest side in the middle of US "Mid-Atlantic" heat in June!
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risto

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #68 on: January 04, 2008, 08:21:54 AM »

Quote
If you want to see what the well-dressed Morris musician is wearing these days, see my photo/avatar.  I'm playing for my women's Northwest side in the middle of US "Mid-Atlantic" heat in June!

And if you want to see what the Helsinki Morrisers are wearing in the middle of Arctic cold, take a look at the Ice Dance video on this page: http://helsinki-morrisers.tripod.com/
« Last Edit: January 04, 2008, 08:29:10 AM by risto »
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trombonetom

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #69 on: January 04, 2008, 09:48:58 AM »


We need to find some way of getting young lads interested. Newcastle Uni / Folkworks perhaps Theo?


Excuse me. I morris and I'm 14


Also, Whites are the way forward!!
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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #70 on: January 04, 2008, 10:33:24 AM »


We need to find some way of getting young lads interested. Newcastle Uni / Folkworks perhaps Theo?


Excuse me. I morris and I'm 14


Also, Whites are the way forward!!

Tom, maybe I should have said "MORE young lads". I'm extremely impressed how Earl of Stamford have attracted and kept many young lads and lasses. They should let the rest of us in on the secret. But sadly, you are in a minority.

Not sure about whites. I think I prefer black trousers (though I have to wear white breeches), they are less likely to get messy.

Roy.
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trombonetom

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #71 on: January 04, 2008, 12:00:37 PM »

Tom, maybe I should have said "MORE young lads". I'm extremely impressed how Earl of Stamford have attracted and kept many young lads and lasses. They should let the rest of us in on the secret. But sadly, you are in a minority.

The secret is to get them when they're young. I started when I was six.
By the way, i am the only "young lad". The rest are girls. Although we do have a full set of six young people :):):)

Not sure about whites. I think I prefer black trousers (though I have to wear white breeches), they are less likely to get messy.

WHAT!! Whites are so cool although they do get very muddy, especially on festival campsites. The trick it to roll them up whenever you aren't dancing.
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Ollie

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #72 on: January 04, 2008, 12:12:12 PM »


We need to find some way of getting young lads interested. Newcastle Uni / Folkworks perhaps Theo?


Excuse me. I morris and I'm 14


Ditto
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trombonetom

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #73 on: January 04, 2008, 12:32:55 PM »


We need to find some way of getting young lads interested. Newcastle Uni / Folkworks perhaps Theo?


Excuse me. I morris and I'm 14


Ditto


YEAH!!
14-year-old Morris dancers ROCK!
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Lester

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #74 on: January 04, 2008, 01:13:17 PM »

Don't you all realise that Proper Morris can only be done by fat, old, knackered, blokes, we don't want any of you young people showing us up with accuracy and athleticism etc.

Now go play with you computers and mobile phones and other stuff which confuses the elderly.  :)

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #75 on: January 04, 2008, 01:17:31 PM »

Quote
If you want to see what the well-dressed Morris musician is wearing these days, see my photo/avatar.  I'm playing for my women's Northwest side in the middle of US "Mid-Atlantic" heat in June!

And if you want to see what the Helsinki Morrisers are wearing in the middle of Arctic cold, take a look at the Ice Dance video on this page: http://helsinki-morrisers.tripod.com/

Risto,
You little tease you. All the time you had a Helsinki side up your sleeve.
Believe I recognised the stepping on the 'Ice Dance' video, Marcus, Sweet Lamb stage, Rally GB, 2004 but the hand movements were different.
You are probably aware that some guy danced a jig from London to Norwich or the other way round. Is there an official Suomi Morris Langlauf record? ???
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Matthew B

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #76 on: January 04, 2008, 03:53:30 PM »

I don't play for, or dance Morris and for years I thought it was a load of twaddle (for the reasons Bruce gives) until I saw same really great, young, athletic dancers doing stuff in the Cotswold tradition.  That was a complete revelation.  Leaps so high the dancers seem to hang in the air, and the musicians have to pause while they wait for the feet to get back to earth.  Magic :D
I'm not a Morris dancer either, but I love the tunes.  Particularly (strangely enough) the Bampton tunes.  And I'm a big fan of the dancing.  Judging by what's been added to this thread recently, its attracting some great new talent.  But without the "fat knackered old blokes" who kept it going for all those years the dances and tunes would all have been lost long ago, and there'd be no one left to teach the magic.  I raise my pewter mug in a toast to their continued health, such as it is. 

One of the aforementioned Old Blokes, shares some of his thoughts on this in an interview on the current (Dec 30, 2007) broadcast of Genevieve Tudor's radio show, to be found here http://tinyurl.com/23v6ur for a few more days. 

As for whether or not Morris is a "real" tradition: Who gives a flying caper?  All the dancers I've ever seen seem to be having a really great time, which is surely the point.  And one of the finalists on the BBC Young Folk Musician contest this year was a London-based British-Turkish-Cypriot fiddler and morris dancer (and, I believe, aspiring melodionist).  Welcome to the 21st century! 
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BruceHenderson

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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #77 on: January 04, 2008, 04:51:12 PM »

Don't you all realise that Proper Morris can only be done by fat, old, knackered, blokes, we don't want any of you young people showing us up with accuracy and athleticism etc.

Now go play with you computers and mobile phones and other stuff which confuses the elderly.  :)

   Excuse me!  I morris and I'm 59!  (Guilty as charged, M'Lud, on the fat, old, knackered bit ...)
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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #78 on: January 04, 2008, 05:32:40 PM »

One of the aforementioned Old Blokes, shares some of his thoughts on this in an interview on the current (Dec 30, 2007) broadcast of Genevieve Tudor's radio show, to be found here http://tinyurl.com/23v6ur for a few more days. 

Not quite sure where on this BBC page to find the specific interview, Matthew - and I haven't got time to listen to everything there to find it.  But I have a horrible suspicion that the "Old Bloke" may well turn out to be younger than I am..... ;D
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Re: What is Morris?
« Reply #79 on: January 05, 2008, 02:17:59 AM »

Quote
Risto,
... All the time you had a Helsinki side up your sleeve.

Actually someone from here kindly told me this, I never knew. They can all be from England as well.

Quote
Believe I recognised the stepping on the 'Ice Dance' video, Marcus, Sweet Lamb stage, Rally GB, 2004 but the hand movements were different.

Hehe, OK. Btw, Monte Carlo is now only three weeks away, I'm waiting a positive surprise from Latvala ...
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