Morris Dancing

We went along to the most fabulous group get together yesterday - Morris Dancing. Liam, the Director of this company, was absolutely fabulous with the children and kept them captivated for two hours, willing to stay with them a little longer to show and help them play a variety of unusual instruments he brought along.

He started the session by teaching the children a dance which they picked up brilliantly (and it wasn't that simple). It needed lots of team effort, and with some teams ranging in age from about 5 to 11 or 12, they worked together really well. After each team displayed their dance, accompanied by Liam on his melodeon to much clapping and foot tapping from mums and dads in the audience, we had a small break before taking a look at some musical instruments. Liam introduced us to the triangle! An instrument often associated with school music sessions and not particularly exciting (sorry, hopefully that won't offend anyone too much), or so we thought. However, he showed us how to hold the triangle, then clench it to make fun sounds and beats. Next came the dulcemar (I can't find a decent web link for this), which is like the insides of a piano and you gently tap the strings with a special wooden "tool" to make the most beautiful and relaxing sound. A set of Lincolnshire bagpipes, which one of the children tried to play and made the most hilarious noise, followed by of the mums, who'd got a pair of pipes at home (but hadn't played them for quite a while), who managed a actual tune. After the group having fun keeping beat to the melodeon using spoons, Liam showed us a herdi gerdi - (again, can't find a pic to show you).

Here's some piccies. Ben made a lovely film of the teams dancing, but there's just too many faces to safely put it up on the blog.

A dance move called "high basket"

A dance move where dancers first go under the sword and then step over it.

Listening and learning about the melodian

I think I can say we all had a really fun time - much recommended.