It’s been an extraordinarily successful year for New Moon Morris, and our November AGM seems like a good time to review what we’ve been up to…..
By the end of 2024 we will have ‘danced out’ 38 times – that’s roughly once every 10 days. Most of our activities have been local: from Tring to Chesham, Aylesbury, and north into the Bedfordshire countryside. We’ve danced at many pubs, often with our friends from other Morris sides, and this year we’ve performed at Oxford, St. Albans and Chippenham Folk Festivals.
We’ve also danced at fetes, farmer’s markets, craft events, and outdoor museums. We danced in a church (to raise funds), in a school to teach pupils about Morris and traditional English dance, and – a highlight for all of us in New Moon – a wedding! This year seems to have been the year of Maypole Mayhem, and many of the public have joined us dancing with the maypole, and also in our participation dances.
This year we’ve welcomed many new members, both dancers and musicians, we’ve developed our own dance, and added three audience participation dances to our repertoire, so that other people can get a taste of the joy of Morris dancing.
We are especially proud of our own New Moon Morris seasonal events which are attracting an ever-larger audience. Read on to find out more……
January Wassailing
Wassailing is an ancient tradition of wishing ‘good health’ and luck to apple trees and to friends, families and neighbours. Our wassailing tour took us from placing toast in the church-yard apple tree, to involving the residents of sheltered housing in pouring cider onto the roots of a tree in their garden, to singing wassail songs to locals at the pub. All around eastern Tring, we danced, drank wassail (mulled apple drink), and sang wassail songs. Finally, we were warmly welcomed to an orchard party, with hot soup, mulled cider, songs and poetry around a roaring bonfire. A wonderful seasonal event to connect with nature and warm the spirit during the winter-time.
Maypole Mayhem
A very special new tradition began this year on Ivinghoe Lawn.
On the eve of May Day Morning (a traditional celebration in Morris circles), New Moon Morris debuted their own new Morris dance. With friends Whitchurch Morris, we danced Morris dances, and with members of the public we merrily danced round our Maypole. Then the new dance was revealed…..
A folk tune, known as Buckinghamshire Poacher, was collected in Ivinghoe, from George Paradine (rumoured to be a poacher), who is buried in the churchyard in Ivinghoe, some 100 yards or so from where we practice.
While other Morris dances have been created to this tune, we wanted something that brought the tune back to Ivinghoe – so we made a new dance. It contains moves based on local landmarks and on poaching terms. We call it Ivinghoe Poacher. We would love it if other Morris sides decided to add this dance to their dance repertoires. Of course, after dancing into the evening with Whitchurch Morris we were still up early the next day to greet the sunrise on May Morn on top of Pitstone Hill.
Day of Dance in Tring
In October we held our own 10th Anniversary Day of Dance with other Morris sides at the Apple Fayre in Tring. The Fayre starts with a parade down the High Street, it is always a lovely event, and it was really special to be able to dance with our friends from other sides.
Photo: Stephen Kitchener.
Dancing the Sun Down
On the day that the clocks went back in October we ended the main dancing season by ‘Dusking’ at the Greyhound Inn, Aldbury, with our friends from Armaleggan Border Morris, then went to Pitstone Hill where we danced the Sun Down. We’ve been Dancing the Sun Down since 2015 and the event has grown each year, with more people coming to watch and participate each time. This year we were lucky enough to have a pagan celebrant, Nikki, from Armaleggan with us.
Our aim at Sun Down is to celebrate the wonderful summer that we’ve had, the harvest, and the changing seasons, and to remember the connections between all of us. After the singing and dancing our focus turned for a while to thoughts about how we are about to enter the dark time of the year, ready for rest and repose, and we reminded ourselves of the Sun and the warmth returning next year. There were songs, poems, readings and plenty of dancing, including an audience participation dance. Next, as the Sun began to go over the horizon we all gathered at the edge of the hill, to watch the Sunset, while sharing food and drink in friendship and peace with everyone who had come to join in our celebration. Finally, everyone circled the top of the hill as we played music, shining lights out into the gathering darkness, to symbolise the return of light in the spring next year.
You can see our dance outs with Armaleggan on Instagram. GREYHOUND, and PITSTONE HILL.
Our friend, photographer Stephen Kitchener from Tring, has produced a fantastic VIDEO of the Pitstone Hill celebration.
Charity fundraising
New Moon Morris has raised £954.18 (and possibly a little more) for our charity of the year DENS. Next year our charity will be Red Balloon, which provides educational support for children who have had to miss school because of bullying, abuse, mental health problems or life-long conditions.
It’s been a spectacular year already, and we’ve still got events to come:
- Music-a-thon – music only. Saturday 23 November 2:05 – 2:25 St. Mary’s Church, Ivinghoe.
- Welcoming Santa at Dobbies Garden Centre in Wendover. Sunday 24 November, Dobbies, Wendover – 10:30 – 12:00.
- Tring Christmas Lights. Saturday 30 November – 5:30 – 6:30 pm. Dolphin Square, Tring.
- Midwinter Sunrise – Saturday 21 December from 7:30 am. Pitstone Hill, Stocks Road, Aldbury.
- Tring Farmer’s Market – music and carols! Saturday 21 December 10:30 – 12:00.
Next Year
Next year we start again with the Wassail Tour on Saturday 11 January 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Starting in Church Square, Tring.
You can find out more about New Moon Morris on this website, on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK.
We welcome new members. You need no experience to dance, and most portable instruments will be suitable. There is a free trial period of four weeks.
