euphonium in Morris dancing

Subject: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 03:02 AM

Is it possible to play a Bb euphonium in D and G for Morris dancing?

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: Leadfingers
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 03:46 AM

Yes

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 04:00 AM

Yes, it is possible. If the player is used to reading the (non-transposing) bass clef, and you can write it, you need not even transpose anything. A simple bass line, one or two notes per measure, is adequate.

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 04:56 AM

Apparently you can. Whether you should is another matter and will depend on what flavour of Morris dancing you mean. North West - no problem. Border, probably the same. Cotswold - please don't. Cotswold depends on an interplay between dancers and musician and really needs a solo musician. I deplore the fashion for bands for Cotswold morris which makes this interplay impossible, and adding bass and rhythm instruments or percussion just make this worse.

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: Will Fly
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 05:11 AM

Is this because of things like the half-pace steps (with a jump) which come into the Cotswold style?

It's interesting that the Cotswold style, as taught in the EFDSS pack for schools (The Full English) talks of accompaniment by small bands.

Cotswold Morris Dance

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 05:32 AM

It depends on the particular tradition, but in capers in particular the musician needs to adjust to the dancers as much as the dancers follow the music. I'm sure there were exceptions, but in many cases sides danced to a single musician and the trend to larger bands seems to be relatively recent.

In my personal opinion a solo musician is to be preferred. However many modern sides dance so badly it probably doesn't make much difference.

I suspect the schools pack is aimed at involving as many children as possible rather than strict authenticity.

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST,Riah Sahiltaahk
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 06:24 AM

I'm sure I have seen an old pre-revival village morris band featuring a wonderful assortment of cast off military brass (instruments), so as far as - er - strict authenticity goes I'd say it was a no brainer really.

Thing is, when I do a Google search for Old Morris Photo I get THIS...

Otherwise, in the hands of the right musician, a euphonium can be just as nimble a solo instrument as any other...

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 08:50 AM

The REALLY traditional accompaniment to Cotswold is pipe and tabor. Of course, this is one musician, so there should be no discrepancy in timing, and the interplay between musician and dancer shouldn't be compromised. North West Morris was originally accompanied on brass instruments, so euphonium is more 'aauthentic' than accordians and squeezeboxes.
John Kelly.

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 08:55 AM

I would certainly not be so rash as to claim that traditional sides only ever danced to a solo musician. Anyone seeking 'strict authenticity' in these things is on shaky ground. And it is undoubtedly true that a far wider range of instruments were formerly used than would now be considered to be "folk" instruments.

However I do stand by my view that in Cotswold morris the subtle interplay between music and dancers is often one of the features which distinguishes outstanding sides from the run-of-the mill, and that this can be best achieved with a solo musician. No doubt someone will now point out morris bands who can achieve this, but I think they would be exceptional.

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: sleepyjon
Date: 02 Jul 15 - 10:07 AM

I am (not untypically) on both sides of this discussion.
On the one hand, yes-it's all to do with the capering (and a few other less obvious subtleties). The days of being able to caper onto a table are behind most of today's dancers (apparently "back in the day" you were too old for the Cotswold Morris once you turned thirty!) and with the best will in the world the dancers can't hang on in mid air till the band reaches the next carefully timed double-length beat.
On the other hand, sides do tend to rely on the music to enable them to keep together. (Yes, I know we should practise more, but even in Winter there's still all that "hedging and ditching our time away" to fit in.) In our side, we tend to have the wall of sound approach for the full side dances, especially in noisy surroundings, but for one- or two-man jigs always a single instrument.

SJ

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jul 15 - 02:21 AM

Thanks all very helpful as ever

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: bubblyrat
Date: 04 Jul 15 - 06:53 AM

Possible ;yes, but acceptable ? not really ! My most disliked instrument in the Morris world has to be the badly-played trombone -in fact,even somebody such as George Chisholm would have been able to add little other than his evident virtuosity ( and then only as an embellishment rather than a terpsichorean necessity ).Of course , I have nothing against either euphoria or tromboniums ,having played in Royal Naval Volunteer Bands for 11 years, but their use for Morris ; no thankyou !!

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 04 Jul 15 - 07:38 AM

Guest, if you give yourself a nickname ("From:") and tell us more about the circumstances, you may get more detailed advice and satisfy our curiosity.

The good thing about good traditions is that they can evolve and adapt to special circumstances. Euphoria is not required; pleasure and some sense of cultural rooting suffices.

Subject: RE: euphonium in Morris dancing
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Jul 15 - 08:21 AM

Well I played electric guitar for a Croydon morris side back in the mid 80s. Not only did the morris dancers have an opportunity to actually hear the music, it also gave me an opportunity to be flash at 50watts - especially at a Morris Ring in Thaxted, much to the annoyance of some purists!!!