Tadpoles

Dance and Music Repertoire

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Music & Musicians

We are fortunate to have plenty of Morris musicians.  Our instrumental line-up comprises:

  • Melodeons (D/G)
  • Piano accordions
  • Concertinas
  • Fiddles

For most dances we play traditional tunes, with original tunes for most of our own Harbury dances. Occasionally, though, we like to ring the changes and some of our special occasion arrangements have stuck. Our repertoire table shows where we depart from the usual traditional tunes given in Lionel Bacon's Black Book.

We have written out musical notation for all the tunes we play (using computer software) so that there is a definitive tune and chord arrangement for each one. Some of the musicians use the notation to learn a new tune, some refer to the music as an occasional reminder while some play by ear exclusively. At the beginning of 2019 we embarked on a project of recording our practices so that the tunes can be used for personal music practice purposes. These recordings are of the whole dance (including the 'Once To Yourself', but not the walk on or walk off). We will add to the collection as we practice the dances.

If you want to download the recordings to your own computer, right-click on the link and select 'Save link as'.

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Dance Repertoire

Here are the dances we've learned and performed over the years:

Type Key:
H: Handkerchief, LS: Long Stick, SS: Short Stick, C: Clapping, J: Jig, P: Processional

Tradition Key:
Ad: Adderbury, As: Ascott-under-Wychwood, Ba: Bampton, Bl: Bledington, Bo: Border, Ch: Chingford, Ey: Eynsham, Fi: Fieldtown, Ha: Harbury, Il: Ilmington, Li: Lichfield, Ot: Other, Wi: Winster

Dance Music
Name Tradition Type Notation Usual Seasonal
Balancy StrawAsLS   Balancy Straw Deck The Halls with boughs of holly
Balancy StrawFiH   Balancy Straw iconmp3
Balancy Straw Fieldtown and The Holly and the Ivy
Banks of the DeeAsLS   Banks of the Dee We Three Kings
Black JokeAsLS   iconmp3
Black Joke
 
Bonny Green GartersBaH      
Brighton CampAsH   iconmp3
Brighton Camp
 
Brimfield 8BoSS     Jingle Bells
Bromsberrow HeathBoLS      
Bull RingHaH Bull Ring iconmp3
Our own original tune The Bullring
 
CastleringLiH      
Constant BillyAsLS   iconmp3
Constant Billy
Deck the Halls with boughs of holly
Country GardensAsC   iconmp3
Country Gardens
 
Exeter Triangle DanceOtLS Exeter Triangle Dance    
Figure EightEyH      
Flowers of EdinburghBaH     In the bleak mid-winter or Ode to Joy
Gallant HussarBlH      
Hereburgh ProcessionalHaP      
Highland MaryAsH     Ding Dong, Merrily on High
Highland MaryBaH   iconmp3
Highland Mary/Portsmouth
Ding Dong, Merrily on High
Idbury Hill/Morning StarBlH   iconmp3
Idbury Hill
iconmp3
Morning Star
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Jockie to the FairAsJ   iconmp3
Jockie to the fair (Double jig)
 
Klez MorrisMossyback, in the style of BlH   Lustig Sein (Be happy)  
Ladies PleasureBlJ      
Lads a-BunchumAdLS      
Life in the Old DogHaH Life in the old Dog iconmp3
Our own original tune Life in the Old Dog
 
Lucy Grant's JigHaJ Lucy Grant's Jig Our own original tune Lucy Grant's Jig  
Maid of the MillEyH      
Miller's GhostHaLS Miller's Ghost iconmp3
Our own original tune The Miller's Ghost
iconmp3
...and with Lord of the Dance
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Milley's BequestLiLS     See amid the winter's snow
Mrs CaseyAsH      
Much WenlockBoSS      
MusketeersBlLS   iconmp3
Our own original tune Farnborough
 
Nutting GirlAsH   iconmp3
Nutting Girl Single Jig
 
Nutting GirlBaH     
Old Molly OxfordAsH   iconmp3
Old Molly Oxford
 
Old Woman Tossed UpAsH      
Orange in BloomAsH   iconmp3
Orange in Bloom
 
PeopletonBoSS      
Ring of BellsLiLS     Good King Wenceslas
Saturday NightBlH     In Dulci Jubilo
Shepherd's HeyAsC      
Shepherd's HeyIlC   iconmp3
Shepherds Hey(Ilmington)
 
Sheriff's RideLiH     It came upon a midnight clear
South AustraliaOtLS   South Australia (sung)  
Speed the PloughBaH Glaister's Gambol    
Step and Fetch HerBaH   iconmp3
Shave the donkey
 
The BellAdH      
The JubileeIlH   iconmp3
The Jubilee
 
TrunklesBlH      
Ugly DucklingHaLS Ugly Duckling iconmp3
The Ugly Duckling
 
Upton-on-Severn Stick (Chingford version)ChLS History and figures of the Chingford Upton on Severn Stick Dance iconm4a
Upton on Severn (Chingford)
The Seven Joys of Mary
ValentineAsH   iconmp3
Valentine
 
Vandals of HammerwichLiLS   iconmp3
Vandals of Hammerwich
Angels from the Realms of Glory
WindmillHaLS Windmill iconmp3
Our own original tune The Windmill
The Seven Joys of Mary
Winster ProcessionalWiP      
Young CollinsBlLS      
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this page last updated on 10th February 2024