Morris at the Olympics!

Subject: Morris at the Olympics!
From: Penny S.
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 06:09 PM

Briefly, with Eric Idle, and Bhangra, looking on the bright side of life.

Penny

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 06:12 PM

Which side?

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 06:19 PM

Not out of place really. Maybe that's a cue for a newly composed morris dance to the 'bright side of life' song!! Or perhaps not.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 06:28 PM

Blackheath with the sticks, the less obvious side was Rag Morris from Bristol.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 06:28 PM

Blackheath, I'm informed.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 07:12 PM

Didn't see either, how far into the show?

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 07:19 PM

"As Electric Light Orchestra's Mr Blue Sky filled the stadium, home-made flying machines made several attempts to get off the ground as a would-be rocket man played by Monty Python comedian Eric Idle collapsed under the stage, only to return to lead the crowds in a new version of Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.

"Joined by a surreal collection of jigging Morris Dancers, a choir of rugby players and skating nuns, a human cannonball was launched across the stadium."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187413/London-2012-Closing-Ceremony-Feeling-sad-end-Games-Eric-Idle-leads-80-000-crowd-rendition-Always-Look-Bright-Side-Life.html

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 07:20 PM

At 23.06 precisely.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 12:09 AM

Yay!! Just caught it here in US Mountain Standard Time.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 12:50 AM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187413/London-2012-Closing-Ceremony-Feeling-sad-end-Games-Eric-Idle-leads-80-000-crowd-rendition-Always-Look-Bright-Side-Life.html

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 04:53 AM

Exactly! Skating nuns, Indian drummers, a human cannonball...and morris dancers! But then, this was a highly organised pop concert. How else did you expect them to be presented?
Frankly, I thought that the closing show wasn't a patch on the opening one, which left me speechless at times. (Though the film of John Lennon singing "Imagine" was very moving.) Like many others I approached the games with loads of trepidation, and, again like many others, I was won over by it all. Mind you, proudly seeing my daughter carrying the Olympic Flame through the streets of Cambridge did make a vast difference.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 05:56 AM

On iplayer at 2:05:50 into the show.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: G-Force
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 06:31 AM

OK, so we've proved we can win 29 golds but still can't mike up a voice properly.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 08:29 AM

"Blackheath with the sticks, the less obvious side was Rag Morris from Bristol. "

Curiously, according to Rag Morris's website it wasn't them who were 'less obvious' - they had noticed the nuns, the bhangras, the Welsh rugby choir... but don't seem to have spotted that there was another morris side there:

"IT'S THE OLYMPICS!
Yes it was us! 24 members of Rag Morris performed on stage with Eric Idle, an opera singer, roller skating nuns, roman soldiers, angels, bhangra dancers, Scottish pipers and a cross-dressing welsh rugby choir as part of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games! "

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 11:00 AM

Morris On at Cropredy

Supreme Morris - the guvnors!!

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 06:35 PM

Download the clip here.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9r11gqg1je8dv0s

If you get to see the whole show watch out for the long stave dancing and the 'morris' with dustbin lids about 10 mins before the morris.

Subject: RE: Morris at the Olympics!
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 11:04 AM

A blog post at CDSS from EFDSS about English folk dance and music in events ancillary to the Olympics: EFDSS and the Olympics. The ceremonies themselves are a global stage, but of course the celebration is larger than the sports events and opening and closing ceremonies. Nice to see this.

~ Becky in Tucson