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PRACTICE SESSIONS continue throughout the winter at our base in Goldington Church Hall. 8pm on Wednesday evenings. This is the IDEAL TIME TO JOIN AS A NEW RECRUIT!! Last Updated: 11/10/2008
We perform dances from a range of Cotswold Morris traditions, as well as dances from the North-West of England and the English-Welsh Borders.
In winter, we perform a traditional Plough Play from Leicestershire.
The Morris can be traced back to at least the 15th and 16th centuries and there
have been many theories as to its origin. One explanation for the use of
the word "Morris" for describing dancing, mumming and other seasonal
activities, is that men used to blacken their faces to maintain their anonymity,
thereby resembling "Moorish" men. There is still some doubt
about whether these activities were associated with fertility rites or whether
they were part of ceremonial or competitive parochial festivities.
Hard evidence, such as detailed descriptions
of the dances, dates back only as far as the beginning of the 20th century.
There is no historical record of any dancing in Bedford, but there are
references to morris dancers in Potton (1560), Woburn and Bletchley (1767),
Silsoe (1789) and Stevington (1870). The last of these occurred on a Plough
Monday and may refer to Mummers.
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either the
hyperlinks in the text or click on the links on the left
or below to learn more
about us, where we are performing and how to contact us. We intend to build a
gallery of pictures from the past years of our history, so visit again to see
how the site is developing. We would also be grateful for any pictures you might
have of Bedford Morris Men or their guests..... Contact
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