Malmesbury's World Record breaking Morris Dancing side (Malmesbury Morris)

Malmesbury's World Record breaking Morris Dancing side

News

We have now entered our quieter period when we concentrate on practice and developing new dances. If you are interested in joining or learning more about Malmesbury Morris, this is the perfect time.

Join Us

We perform mainly Cotswold and Border style dances both traditional and modern. We practice on Thursday nights from 7:30pm in the Reading Room in Corston, just South of Malmesbury. We are always looking for new dancers or musicians. If you're interested in giving it a try or in finding out more, please contact us to arrange a visit to one of our practice sessions or performances - no previous experience necessary.

Malmesbury Morris is a member of the Morris Federation.

The aims of Malmesbury Morris are:

To have fun
To enjoy keeping fit
To entertain the public and bring traditional English dances to Malmesbury and the surrounding area.

Malmesbury Morris also supports the aims of the Morris Federation:

To encourage and maintain the interest in the practice of Morris Dancing
To contribute to communication between Morris sides
To encourage the improvement of standards of dancing among team members

Membership

Membership for 2009/10 officially costs £60 for the year, split into 3 payments of £20 payable in January, April and September. However, due to surplus finds, at our AGM we agreed interim rates of £10 for September and January, plus an amount up to £20 to be determined for the April payment. Alternatively you can pay £3 per session, though this would work out to be a lot more expensive over the course of the year.

Officers

Squire: Ange Grigsby

Deputy Squire: Maggie Dyson

Foreman: Barbara Strange

Secretary: Ann Roberts-Phare

Treasurer: Linda Davies

Ragman: Caroline Lockwood

Publicity: Woody

Musicians

We try to have live music played for all of our performances and practice sessions. Music is provided by our side's doughty musicians.

Hilary Rawles (Lead Musician): Fiddle & Whistle

Mark "Woody" Allen: Anglo Concertina, Tenor Guitar & Guitar

Jane Wade: Bodhran

Picasa Web Slideshow

About Us

Morris dancing in Malmesbury can be traced back to at least 1641. A reference to the Malmesbury Morris men describes a conflict with neighbours from Long Newnton...

It was the custom in Long Newnton, Wiltshire of marking Trinity Sunday & commemorating the granting of a common in Saxon times by having a maid of the town drape a garland of flowers around the neck of a bachelor from another parish while claiming a monetary payment and granting three kisses. In June 1641 Long Newnton men carrying the garland were met by a gang of about 80 men from nearby Malmesbury, led by one John Browne “with a hobby-horse and bells on his legs” and accompanied by bells & drums. “Win it and wear it” challenged one of the Malmesbury morris men, “come three score of you, you are but boies to we.” A bloody melee ensued. Magistrates termed it "an unlawful assembly" and six months later were still proceeding against some for actions of 'riot & battery'.

The local Morris side does not appear to have survived the advent of the industrial revolution and the tradition seems to have died out in the Malmesbury area. This changed when Malmesbury Mixed Morris was formed in the summer of 2004 to provide a local Morris Dancing group for the Malmesbury area. Since the first meeting at the Market Room in Malmesbury Town Hall, the group has continued to develop and grow assisted by instruction from experienced dancers from Chippenham and Stroud Morris sides. In September 2005 we decided to change our name to Malmesbury Morris.

In our first season we put on ten public performances and two introductory workshops and since then have done many more of both. We marched in the 2005 & 2006 Malmesbury Carnival processions; took part in the 2006 & 2007 Chippenham Folk Festivals; danced in Malmesbury's twin town of Niebull, Germany; and we have taken part in setting the World Record for the largest ever Morris dance in Moreton-in-Marsh.

We started with a small group that possessed little Morris dancing experience. Since then we have grown in both experience and in membership, and we have been fortunate to be joined by some more experienced dancers making our group more balanced.