Clodagh Chapman remembered

• Morris

Clodagh Chapman who was an original member of Bury Fair (founded in 1977, but originally part of Hageneth Morris) and a founder member of the Haughley Hoofers died in June.  Her funeral will be at the Bury St Edmunds Crematorium in Risby at 9am on Monday 2^nd July 2018.  Colourful clothes and Morris kit should be worn to celebrate her 95years.

Clodagh (back right) with Bury Fair in 1981

(photo from the East Anglian Daily Times December 2010)

I have known Clodagh since her days with Bury Fair and in 2014 I wrote the piece below for the Mardles Magazine and re-publish it today in her memory.  She is the only person I know who created a dance and an embryonic “tradition”.  Like many new dances some worked and some didn’t but Clodagh had one big “hit”; Fires of August which is still being danced today by people who have never heard of Clodagh Chapman.  The Suffolk Weaver is still also danced by Bury Fair but has not been picked up by other sides as much.

I saw “Fires of August” (in the “Buxhall tradition”) performed four days after she died, not in her memory; no-one dancing it knew she had died.  It was danced because it is a good dance (a bit like Brighton Camp, Stanton Harcourt) and can be made into an entertaining race between musicians and dancers.  Few who dance it will know that it was written by Clodagh in the 1980s.  It was originally performed by Bury Fair but has migrated to Little Egypt Morris Men and Westrafelda and maybe others besides.  Hageneth practiced it and I remember performing it once on the Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds.  Unfortunately we never mastered it and it disappeared from our programme.  You really need to go to the Little Egypt summer solstice event to see it danced with enthusiasm and at a pace which always impresses the audience.

“It’s not just skipping around waving handkerchiefs”- Clodagh Chapman remembers creating dances.

From Mardles Magazine September 2014 

Read more: Clodagh Chapman remembered

Maypole Re-mixed

• Morris

 

 

Breaking News; - deadline of 11th May extended by EFDSS following Mardles appeal

"I will definitely extend the deadline for applications - we don't want anyone to miss the opportunity.  We really hope we can get a number of young folk dancers to be part of this project". Cassie Tait, Education Manager, English Folk Dance and Song Society

Oxblood Molly Day of Dance 17th March 2018

The Beast from the East was back!  Russian snow!  Just the weather for a day of dance!  There is a saying in Suffolk that “there’s nothing between us and the Urals”.  For once local lore and the Met Office agreed: the sun was not to shine on Oxblood Molly’s 4^th Day of Dance in Halesworth.

Oxblood Molly (photo John Heaser)

Read more: Oxblood Molly Day of Dance 17th March 2018

Mark Jones Day of Dance 2018

“Me pals were all agog at the kit of the mollies, misfits and glorious champions hailing from Good Easter to the Washes and who got the blood racing on the Mark Jones Day of Dance in January.” 

How many references to Molly sides can you find in the above sentence?  Contrived I know, but somewhere you will find references to all the molly sides who were dancing on that day.  No prizes for getting them all right. 

Some years ago Cotswold Morris and Molly dancer Mark Jones tragically lost his life in a car accident and this Day of Dance, organised by Ouse Washes Molly Dancers in and around Ely, is regularly held in his memory.  With Ouse Washes, gathering to mark the occasion were Gog Magog, Good Easter Molly Gang, Kit Witches, Mepal Molly, Misfits, Old Glory, Oxblood and Seven Champions – Molly dancers all.  One of Mark’s favourite songs was “Rolling Home” and at the first stop this was the music for a massed molly dance “Birds a Building”.

Ouse Washes get things started at the Mark Jones Day of Molly Dance

Read more: Mark Jones Day of Dance 2018

Normal for Norfolk –The Kitwitches at the Globe

• Norfolk

Review by Jonathan Hooton

“In Christmas time, and especially on plough Monday, several Men dresse themselves in Womens Close and goes from House to House a Dancing along with fiddles” so the entry in the Arderon papers at the Norfolk Record Office reads.  It dates from the mid 18^th century.

This was the inspiration behind the formation of the Norwich Kitwitches Molly side.  Like many of the traditional sides we do not start practising until November and only dance out in December and January.  Being a 21^st century Molly side, we are mixed and therefore the women have to dress as men, dressed as women.  Perhaps it was this fact that led Andrew Logan to ask us to dance in the 2018 Alternative Miss World, whilst the judges were making up their mind as to which of the contestants had won the coveted crown.  This was the reason why we broke with tradition to dance in October on stage at the Globe.  It was combined with dancing on the South Bank and outside the Globe as the audience was entering.  Luckily it was fine weather.  We stood at the side of the stage for most of the show and our pantomime dame outfits, wigs and make-up did not look out of place amongst an audience of alternative Londoners.  We had been asked to provide ten minutes entertainment at the final interval before the winner was to be crowned Alternative Miss World 2018.  There was time for two dances and the stage at the Globe was large enough for two sets as well as the musicians.   We started with the traditional Comberton Molly dance ‘The Special’ published by Cyril Papworth.  It is a linked handkerchief dance but instead of handerchiefs the Kitwitches have always used bras which seemed very appropriate for that evening.  We have also added a final figure – the lock – similar to Rapper sides, but with underwear instead of swords and inspired by the Illmington Maid of the Mill dance.  It was well received and we finished off with one of our own Norwich dances, ‘The Witch’ with its now, fairly traditional zombie ending.  It was a rare but thoroughly enjoyable outing to the capital, but now we need to prepare ourselves for Plough Monday and the winter weather in Norfolk.

Milkmaid Molly - "Buddies" and Musicians needed

Milkmaid Molly founded in 2012 is part of Milkmaid Folk Arts, a Community Interest Company, offering a place of welcome and acceptance for people with disabilities and those without who meet on equal terms and find companionship. The Milkmaid’s ethos is to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people to build a life that is both fulfilling and rewarding through the joy of music, art and performance.

We meet at Station Hill Social Club, 1 Station Hill, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 6AD on the first Thursday of each month promptly at 07.30 pm and finish by 09.00 pm. Both the Buddies and the Mollies would be so grateful if you could come along and help for just an hour and a half once a month. We are also looking for more musicians. Next meeting 1^st March 2018.

Milkmaid Molly have a core of people with Learning Disabilities who choose to be called the ‘Mollies’ and a group of dance “Buddies” who assist the Mollies. The idea has proved so popular that we have a large number of Mollies but need more Buddies. Assisting with the Mollies does not mean you have to be in any way super fit or have any dance experience, Buddies just help with steering in the right direction when we perform very simply adapted Molly dances. The Buddies have more complicated routines of their own and during the evening to give the Mollies a rest from dancing we invite them together with our regular musicians to play for us. The Mollies enjoy playing percussion instruments, or in some cases their own guitars or mouth organs. Every practice we have fun, lots of laughs and have all made some good friends.

If you are fleet of foot and wish to take part in more intricate dances please come along on the third Thursday of the month as well when the Buddies have a practice alone concentrating on more complicated dances. During the summer both branches of the team have performed together Euston Rural Pastimes Country Fair, Ely Folk Festival and Oxjam.

If you wish to join us please ring Gill 01284 767476, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., look on line at www.milkmaidmusic.co.uk or just turn up on the night we would love to meet you.

Jan Robinson; Milkmaid Molly

Milkmaid Molly performing at Ely Folk Festival 2013