FTX-116 - DANCING IN THE STREETS

Dances recorded in the street in London, Sussex and Essex. First, Seven Morris Dances from the Abingdon (Berkshire) team with melodeon-player, Francis Fryer performing for the Queen's Jubilee celebrations. Also included are dances recorded the following year at the annual May Day Festivities at Shoreham, Sussex, with the crowning of May Queen, involving speeches by both their local Squire and the May Queen herself, and 3 dances at a Morris Men's Gathering held at Thaxted, Essex in 1955.

ABINGDON MORRIS DANCES rec by PK Trafalgar Square, London 12/5/56

1. Atmosphere in Trafalgar Square, London - 1'13"

2. THE SQUIRE'S DANCE - 1'13"

3. SALLY LUKER - 2'00"

4. A-NUTTING WE WILL GO - 2'17"

5. THE CURLY-HEADED PLOUGHBOY - 2'40"

6. THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME - 2'26"

7. JOCKEY'S TO THE FAIR - 3'24"

8. THE PRINCESS ROYAL - 3'14"

VILLAGE MAY DAY FESTIVAL DANCES, Shoreham, Sussex 1957

9. THE FURRY DANCE (Processional with fiddle, accordion & drum) - 1'20"

10. THE MAID OF THE MILL (Handkerchief Dance) - 2'02"

11. THE BONNY BREAST KNOT (Sussex Country Dance) - 2'56"

12. YOUNG COLLINS (Stick Dance) - 2'31"

13. THE NUTTING GIRL (Solo dance with solo fiddle) - 2'00"

14. THE CIRCLE DANCE (collected by Maud Karpeles at Abram, Lancs) - 1'58"

15. THE BROOMSTICK DANCE (Tune: Keel Row - Solo dance with solo fiddle) - 1'12"

16. QUADRILLE TUNE/ LA RUSSE (2 fiddles) - 2'09"

17. The Crowning of the May Queen (in a hall) with speeches - 1'08"

MORRIS GATHERING rec by PK Thaxted, Essex 1955

18. LEAP FROG - played by Kate BUTTERS (accordion) - 0'47"

19. HASTE TO THE WEDDING - (accordion with harmonica & drum) - 1'34"

20. GALOPEDE - (Country Dance with accordion & drum) - 1'04"

Tracks #1-7 recorded by Peter Kennedy at the Queen's Jubilee Celebrations on the 12th May 1956 by London's Trafalgar Square, #8-16 rec 1957 and #17-19 rec by Peter Kennedy at a Morris Men's Gathering held at Thaxted, Essex 1955. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975.

The ABINGDON Traditional Morris Dancers were recorded by Peter Kennedy when they were dancing through the streets of London during the Queen's Jubilee celebrations on the 12th May 1956. During the same year the Queen visited Abingdon and the Council presented the team with money to buy new costumes. The Squire of the Team, who took office in 1942, was Tom Hemmings (who died in 1960). At the time this recording was made, their musician was also their patron, "Fanny" Fryer, a retired Army major living at Wargrave Hall, who did so much to keep the team in being after the War.

In the Abingdon Parish Records during the mid 16th Century there is mention of payment for "morres belles" and "Robin Hood's Bower". Brand's "Popular Antiquities" has a company of "Morrice" Dancers from Abingdon at Richmond in Surrey in 1783. To this day the team carry an ox's head marked "1700" which is held by the "Mayor of Ock Street" before the day in June when the Morris dancers traditionally come out in Abingdon. "A Brief History of Mr. Hemming's Morris" has been written by their musician, Jonathon Leach.