Sarum U3A Press Release

SARUM U3A JULY 2013 COFFEE MORNING

The origin of Morris Dancing is unknown. Some say it could be Moorish, others look to the French Court dances of the Fifteenth Century, others to the Portuguese Morrisco. All agree it has been practiced in England for centuries but there is very little written evidence. This could be because it was our working class forebears who danced, suggested our Speaker, Richard Death, and few of them were literate.

Richard is an enthusiastic dancer with Sarum Morris, and an equally enthusiastic speaker. We heard that the first written evidence of The Morris was in 1448 in London. A 1477 document describes Morris dancing at Whitsuntide at St Thomas’s, St Martin’s, and St Edmund’s churches in Salisbury. Interestingly, the document mentions that one of the four teams of dancers was a women’s team. This dancing seems to have been practised throughout England.

However, not everyone approved, for in 1611 the Tailors’ Guild in Salisbury was ordered by the mayor “not to profane the Sabbath with drum and Morris”. The Victorians also adopted this attitude. For a time Morris became a male domain. Not today, the ladies are back!

Richard donned his baldric and his bells, and took up his instruments and handkerchiefs, to demonstrate the different Morris traditions of Cotswold, Border, Clog, Rapper, and Molly Dancing. Accompanied by his own music he performed a complete Cotswold dance. We loved it but he wasn’t finished!  He introduced us to seated Morris which we all attempted with great hilarity.