Chip Off The Old performs Cotswolds morris dances, which are mostly from villages in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. It is usually danced with sticks or handkerchiefs, and each dance is accompanied by a specific piece of music played by a live band.
Morris dancing is a type of traditional English folk dance that dates back hundreds of years. Morris is thought to be a derivation of “Moorish,” a type of dance popular in several European countries. In England it has been mentioned in records as early as 1448, and was popular entertainment in Royal Courts, initially appearing in the Court of King Henry 7th. It gradually transcended the grand halls of the nobility to become an integral part of rural life where it was included in civil and religious celebrations. Team members were now the village folk of “working class” who performed dances for donations of food and money. Although a predominantly male pastime there are records of female morris dancers and musicians throughout the centuries. It was popular until the Industrial Revolution , when it declined due to people moving out of the villages and in to the towns.
The music would have been a combination of existing tunes with some newly written for special occasions. Some teams still sing the songs associated with the early tunes. Teams typically only had one musician, it wasn’t uncommon for musicians to play for more than one local team. The early instruments were a small drum and tabor pipe which could be played by one person. In the 19th century the fiddle and melodeon joined the band, both being more versatile than the tabor pipe.
Kit would have been “Sunday Best” with some teams lucky enough to be sponsored by the parish or local Lord of the Manor. White shirt and black breeches being replaced with white trousers during the Victorian period. Women danced in long skirts as was the modest fashion then.
Some people recorded and helped revive the dances in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The number of Morris dance teams, or “Morris sides,” grew slowly until the 1960s, when many more female sides were established.
Chip Off The Old were formed in September 1977 and dance in peasant style kit. We are a traditional side who perform dances from Lionel Bacons’ black book, which were collected around the late 19th century. We practice once a week during autumn and winter then dance out at pubs, fetes, schools and festivals during the summer.
There are now around 830 sides in the UK which includes other regional styles of morris and folk dancing and this number increases each year. In the graceful sway of our handkerchiefs and the rhythmic beat of the sticks, we beckon you to join us in celebrating the enduring spirit of England’s rich and vibrant folklore.