New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-05
Reufyal of Morris Dancing
Even Masculine Aversion to the Light Fantastic
Overcome by Its Charm

-. car wood" was introduced from the ne"
hemisphere.
Follovinc the tobacco ditty comes the
"Niaid Of the MIX" reminiscent OF fhe
time when the farmer and his wlfe roue
/ "tie." that H.. one rode four miles theh u'S-
I mounted. tied the horse and walked on
tho other coming up rode again Tor iour
miles overlook the walking partner ana
"tiod" i'm turn and so on until the Jour-
news end other numbers on the pro
sramme arc Rigs O. NARROW Jig called
Jockey to the Fair "Laudnum bnnches'
which may he a corruption ol baus d
Punching" How DO We Do. Sir? whlch
i reminiscent of prizefeht and mas three
0eures. the salute. the fight and the recon-
citation. and odd Molly oxford, NOR
ris Jig.
The music for these dances is also
Gift from antiquity, via an aged hddIer'
/ Mics Noal met him wandering through the
bodgerovs of Yorkshire on a donkey ne
oause has was too feeble to walk. Inc
/ ,,roe be plaved on his BATTERED fiddle ne
had learned from his father, who had re-
ceived them as his only heritage from
/ 49,, line NJ musical ancestors. The music
has never been written down but Ike the
]
nations. has been handed down from
! father 10 SON Miss Neal had musical
! ,riend and no sat by while the old fiddler
played and wrote down these Ola anu an
7 ,io,o songs. They have not yet been
printed. and this occasion at the RAJ" 10
| the first time they have ever peeh pay
! professionally. In another Ene"S" '
| the seekers after antiquity met an CIV
countrvman with concertma' on ""'."
he was playing other ancient melo"'eS'
the music al the Plaza Will be from ~"
die and a concertna, with piano PENN"
the scenes TO keep things gong III 'dNo
nj emergency The fiddler and the "le'ue'
of the concertina. however, in theH "h"-
s,ro, garb will be part of the show OUT
in front. where they can give color 10 'ne
performance, making 1t still more IKE y"
Hour in Merrie England
| Tho nromoters hope that the tame oi
those dances will spread throughout 'h'S
land as il has through the mother couh'
trv and help bind the two peoples even
more closely together, In the new spirit W
race consciousness which is SURFING az
England. A writer in THE London lliheS
last Julv connects the teaching oil lhe
| morris dancing at Stratford-on- Avon WIN
!
this renaissance of race Consciousness
..Tt is finding" he says, IAN outward a"i
Visible sign IN a revival of folk art anu
IN q love of nature, having its deep roots
I IN tho traditions of the English people IN
tho great cities young men and women
IRON, shop and factory are spending the
! hour of recreation in singing the songs Oh
| long ago. dancing the dances evolved oN
! ~ .;i1ars of the soil as an expression ol
! relicious ceremonial no less than OF JOY III
EVERYDAY work and life. and in acting
and reciting the masterpieces of Engilsh
literature. In remote villages miracle plays
| nageants Of history. songs and dances are
studied during long winter evening 10 iiiahe
merry the DAYS when the sun shines and
| life can be lived outdoors. There is every
where n striving after saner, iulier alu
! more wholesome life. for something more
vital and simpler. There are eVerywhere
signs that the ugliness OF cities mas reacheo
lis limit; that the power Of commercialisn
has palled. and once more men and womer
are returning to the rhythm of life Ions
ago broken by the rush and whirr of ma
chinery. and are seeking beauty in color
and form and sound as men found then
in olden DAYS when they saw in all beauty
whether in nature or in art, manifesto
ton of the gods they worshipped.'
This summer. al Stratford. from July ..
to August 70. there will he classes in NOR
ris dancing. folksong singing and old Eng
lish childrens singing games for the beneh,
of teachers who cannot profit by the ex
hihitions which will take place in connec
ton with the annual Shakespeare birthday
festival in April.