Folklore: border morris

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 03 Sep 14 - 04:45 AM

You are probably correct JP2. I have a number and this is one.

Best wishes

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: JP2
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 03:06 PM

Don't rise to the bait Dave,Les is about to mount his Hobbyhorse!

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 12:32 PM

Good for you, Bubblyrat. Keep up the good work.

Border morris: music, costumes, dancing, getting out of the house, and the chance to meet girls. What's not to like?

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 11:50 AM

Les...please clarify .........

I guess I am refering to the blackface issue - clearly rooted on Blackface Minstrelsy - but rarely if ever accepted as such

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: Tradsinger
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 11:46 AM

The bunch of grandads waving their hankies about were once young and vigorous and they communicated their joy at the dancing to the audience in the same way as today's Border Morris.

I suspect Les is referring to the so-called "pagan" origins of Border Morris. We all know that that is a load of rubbish, but if people want to use it as an advertising gimmick, then who's to stop them.

Border Morris appeals because it is easy to learn and noisy to perform. Cotswold Morris requires a longer apprenticeship and for a variety of reasons it is not getting enough youngsters to join.

Wait 40 years and see what people say about aging Border Morris dancers, trying to relive their youth!

(By the way, I play for a Border side and a Cotswold side, with equal pleasure and satisfaction.)

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: bubblyrat
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 11:38 AM

I play percussion and prick balloons ( for Pop ! Goes The Weasel !!) for a Border ( Death Before Cotswold ) side from Winchcombe in Gloucestershire , and believe me a lot of hard work,imaginative choreography , and musicianship go into our performances .Yes,there are points where yelling and noisy stick-clashing, not to mention rude and suggestive posturing ,have a part to play but generally I think that "Happenstance" is a well-balanced (except for me !) and,as far as I know "tradional" Border Morris side. If not, never mind ,we'll keep on doing it anyway , so there !

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: GUEST,Dave Hunt
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 09:45 AM

Les...please clarify 'And a fair degree of make believe about its origins'

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 07:46 AM

I never did get the hang of yelling and dancing at the same time.

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: Ged Fox
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 07:31 AM

I was watching a border morris side on Dartmoor (no prizes for guessing who they were) a couple of weeks ago. Lots of dressing up, not much shouting, plenty of lively dancing and clashing of sticks, good music, good mix of ages.

Obviously the performers were having a rattling good time, and their enthusiasm communicated itself to the audience, who all joined in the joining in bits. My grandchildren loved it.

Far more appealing to watch or be part of than a bunch of grandads waving their hankies about.

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 04:19 AM

And a fair degree of make believe about its origins

Subject: RE: Folklore: border morris
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 03:45 AM

You answered your own question - a lot of shouting and dressing up without worrying too much about the dancing.

Subject: Folklore: border morris
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Sep 14 - 03:23 AM

There seems to be an explosion of border morris, with teams popping up all oover the place. Carnivalesque, some teams are much better at dressing up than dancing? Whats the appeal?