Back | Diary | Pictures | Movies | The Press | About Morris Dancing | About Mumming | Forward HOME

BIDFORD ON AVON Darcy Ferris was a professional singer, voice trainer, and a specilaist in reviving old customs and pageants. He lived in Cheltenham, and in 1885 had realised that morris dancing was becoming extinct and well before Cecil Sharp came on the scene decided to do something about it. He chose Bidford as his base. Bidford had a morris side some 25 years earlier but like many other sides had gone out of fashion. He recruited his dance side from some experienced dancers and musicians and from those laid off work over the bitter winter at that time. The dancers were paid to perform and trained full time over the following months. The new Bidford side was an immediate success. Launched in a blaze of publicity they danced all over the area and at Cheltenham, Bath, Bristol, Islington and Malvern. At Pebworth they danced in the school room which was so full that many of the audience were perched on the roof beams to get a better view. Old Morris dancers walked miles to see the side. Second performances had to be arranged because of the overflow from the first . The whole group must have looked quite spectacular with hobby-horse and a fool to compliment the dancers The Bidford side, did however lapse for a while, and was then revived in 1904 and continued until the start of the war 1914. Cecil Sharp recorded the dances in his Morris Book. After the war the Bidford men never danced again and it was left until 1955 when a boys side was formed in the town and revived the old dances. Again, however, the side folded a few years later and the Bidford dances have now been left to a few revival sides to perform. The style of dancing was described by Cecil Sharp as dull. Other informants tended to disagree and said it was brisk and vigorous. The tradition was very flexible and often tunes and dances were mixed up. The notations of 12 dances have been recorded but it is likely than there was a repertoire of at least 24. There were a number of different figures which could be used in variable selection and order. There was also a mix of single and double stepping in different dances which brought a varied feel to the dancing. For a more detailed look at Bidford Morris click on this link

Back | Diary | Pictures | Movies | The Press | About Morris Dancing | About Mumming | Forward HOME

email: bagman@solwaymorris.org.uk