The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Morris Book, by Cecil J. Sharp

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Title: The Morris Book

Author: Cecil J. Sharp

Release Date: July 17, 2004 [EBook #12926]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: MORRIS DANCERS, AS DEPICTED IN AN OLD STAINED GLASS WINDOW
IN A HOUSE AT BETLEY, STAFFORDSHIRE.]

THE MORRIS BOOK

A HISTORY OF MORRIS DANCING

WITH A DESCRIPTION OF ELEVEN DANCES
AS PERFORMED BY THE MORRIS-MEN
OF ENGLAND

BY
CECIL J. SHARP

AND
HERBERT C. MACILWAINE

IN TWO PARTS.
PART I.

LONDON
NOVELLO AND COMPANY, LTD.
1907.

_This Book is issued in connection with
"Morris Dance Tunes," by the same Authors_

(Sets I. and II., price 2/- each.)

LONDON: NOVELLO AND COMPANY, LTD.

TO OUR FRIENDS AND PUPILS

The Members of the Esperance Girls' Club,

CUMBERLAND MARKET, N.W.

PREFACE.

Besides other friends, too numerous for individual mention, who have
given us able and willing help in the writing of this book, we desire to
tender especial thanks to the following: To the Lady Isabel Margesson, by
means of whose kind assistance we were enabled to note certain of the
dances herein described; to Miss Florence Warren, whose help was simply
invaluable; and to the Rev. S. Baring Gould, for permission to reproduce
in our text the old woodcut of the historic Kemp, who danced the Morris
steps all the way from London to Norwich.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
HISTORICAL
Bibliography
MORRIS DANCE TUNES
Notes on Morris Tunes
THE DANCE
The Morris Step
Diagrams of Morris Steps (explaining Notation-marks)
Positions, and Change of Position (Diagrams)
Evolutions
Down-and-Back; and Up-and-Back
The Chain (Diagrams)
Cross-over (Diagrams)
Back-to-Back (Diagrams)
Go-and-come
The Ring
Steps in Foregoing Evolutions
The Jump (explaining Notation-marks, &c.)
The Hands (movements described)
The Call
Length of Dances (how to shorten or extend)
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR VARIOUS