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The Redding Moreys recreate a 16th Century Morris dance
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Morris dancing revival 'not for wimps'

By Linda Fort
January 08, 2013

Reading is celebrating 500 years of Morris dancing this year with a series of hankie-waving and jingling events to mark the occasion.

On August 10, 1513, it is recorded that the churchwarden of St Laurence Church paid three old pennies for ale for Morris men to dance at a festival at the church.

Although this is not the oldest record of Morris dancing in the UK, it is the oldest in Reading.

As a result, the borough has a 500th anniversary to celebrate.

The Redding Moreys group has been formed to recreate the event on August 10 with as much historical accuracy as possible.

It is thought it will be the first attempt at re-enacting the occasion.

Redding Moreys is looking for new members and period musicians – for the sake of authenticity, all the 1513 members would have been men.

Chris Hutchinson of Kennet Morris Men said they now have around 10 dancers available for the new Redding Moreys group.

But he said: “We are all too old. These would have been young men and the dances are very vigorous – more like fighting.”

The name of the 1513 group is not known, but the spelling of “Redding” was current at the time and the churchwarden’s note had ‘morris’ spelled as ‘moreys’.

He said: “They would have worn hose and a shirt and some kind of jacket.

“We are going for a jacket in the St Laurence Church colours.

“There would have been bells and spangles of some kind. It was a courtly dance at the time which was taken up by the riff-raff later.”

He said no-one was sure where the word ‘morris’ came from.

He said: “It is hotly debated. It might be from moorish and it seems the dances may have come from the Middle East.”

The first event to mark the anniversary is on Wednesday, January 16, organised by the History of Reading Society.

The meeting will be at Abbey Baptist Church in Abbey Square at 7.30pm when Redding Moreys will explain and demonstrate Morris dancing from 1513 to the members. The event is free to members and £2 to non-members. All are welcome.

New Moreys members are welcome to go along to the meetings at St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Lane, Shinfield, from 12.30pm to 4.30pm on the first Sunday of the month from Sunday, February 3.

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Look at the interest in the background - the only person watching is another Morris dancer watching thinking "Do I really look like that?!?!? What am I doing here?!?!?"

Wookie
09/01/2013 at 13:04

Not very authentic, one of those dancers has a watch on!

Barbie Q
08/01/2013 at 20:39

They are Gay Swindon Fans

Charles Thorn, Tilehurst
08/01/2013 at 18:57

#hoho @ dog leg

You are easily pleased then. I presume you too have seen this strange game of kissing and leaping men as i believe your god was one of them.

parlovero, Earley
08/01/2013 at 16:47

Haha @ Parlovero.

At least my god, Dennis Bergkamp, exists ;-)

Dog Leg
08/01/2013 at 15:44

Blur said Modern Life is Rubbish.

Caractacus Potts
08/01/2013 at 13:15

You mean Blur, cadoxton conner

Joe Katesgrove
08/01/2013 at 13:15

Nothing wrong with battle re-enactments.

Isn't each performance of Hamlet, and the fencing duel, an upmarket form of battle re-enactment?

THOMAS CASAGRANDA
08/01/2013 at 13:15

"A chap I worked with" was into battle re-enactments i.e. swords, full body armour, the whole works. We thought it strange but cool. As Pulp said, "modern life is rubbish"

cadoxton conner
08/01/2013 at 13:06

:o) let you off this once - is that coz you're always on here?

Wookie
08/01/2013 at 12:48

@Wookie - that was unintentional. What I meant was to spend 15 minutes standing around doing nothing. It rarely happens!

Common Cents, Reading
08/01/2013 at 12:45

@ Common Cents - surely describing the time as being wasted insinuates you don't really like it?

Wookie
08/01/2013 at 12:39

I quite like watching morris men and would happily waste 15 minutes of my time watching their performances.

There was a chap I worked with who was a morris dancer and wood whittler who was mocked mercilessly by his 'cooler' colleagues. Shame really.

Common Cents, Reading
08/01/2013 at 12:23

"Redding Moreys is looking for new members and period musicians – for the sake of authenticity, all the 1513 members would have been men.

Chris Hutchinson of Kennet Morris Men said they now have around 10 dancers available for the new Redding Moreys group."

For the sake of authenticity you need another 1503 members!

Wookie
08/01/2013 at 12:19

As well as the physicality of it, the curiously deceptive rhythms of morris dancing are surprisingly difficult to master.

Morris On!! A great album - try to get hold of "The Prospect Before Us" if you are into that sort of thing.