FAO Any Mudcatters within reach of North Sheffield:

We're organising an "evening of song and dance" on 20 March as a fundraiser for a local group, Friends of Chapeltown Park, which will feature a performace of "Six Jolly Miners", a recently composed longsword dance performed mainly by present and former members of Grenoside Sword Team: details below, taken from a local paper, incase anybody can make it...

John


"Making a Song and Dance for Chapeltown Park

Friends of Chapeltown Park are organising a fund-raising evening of traditional song and dance, featuring well-known local folk musicians Vic Shepherd and John Bowden, and introducing the "Six Jolly Miners" sword dance team.

The Six Jolly Miners team was formed two years ago, originally as a side project of local traditional team, the Grenoside Sword Dancers. Traditionally, sword dances were performed by miners, and the name of the team originated from the local song 'Six Jolly Miners', a variation of a song found all over the world. Research suggests that the mention of 'six' miners is a reference to those who lost their lives as a result of the explosion at Newton Chambers pit in Chapeltown in 1862, and the names of the victims, one only 15 years old, are recited at the beginning of the dance, in honour of all those who lost their lives in this perilous occupation. Although the team have already performed the dance in Denaby, Thorpe Hesley, Barnsley and Grenoside, this will be the first time it will be performed in Chapeltown itself.

The evening will also feature songs and music from Vic, John and friends, and some easy dances - without swords! - for everyone to join in with.

The event will take place on Sunday 20 March, 7.30-10.30, at Hesley Wood Scout Activity Centre, White Lane, Chapeltown. Tickets cost £ 10, including pie and pea supper, and are available from Doris Denton 0114 246 7483, or Vic and John, 0114 246 5317. All proceeds to Friends of Chapeltown Park."