Ruth - thanks for coming, despite the weather our team had a great year. (im not sure my melodeon was too happy by the end of the day though)

I think its always a positive thing that new styles are developing but this rejection of the old Cotswold styles is a bit short sighted. I admit that sometimes I have danced at events and felt like a bit of a hanky waver, with one man and his dog watching, and therefore have danced with all the energy of an arthritic sloth. However during Whitsun weekend there is a magic in the air that cannot be matched. Why else do people want to join the team but are too nervous to have a go? How come there are so many children that you catch glimpses of trying to match the steps? This kind of magic cannot be created by making up some rituals that are vaguely similar to those practiced years ago by our pagan ancestors. The magic is in human interaction, the 'rituals' we go through are very much based in the community as it is now, and evolve naturally, through friendship, having a laugh, and getting a bit pissed now and again.

THe comment in the article about playing in minor keys to be more soulful is a load of crap, it is just a sign of bad musicianship, in my opinion. Also, rural communities are not dead, people just refuse to acknowledge them or believe in them anymore. Just because we dont all work on the land, we shouldnt go into mourning over the loss of community. Bampton may appear to be fairly unique but it doesnt have to be.