Brandragon Morris

Oh, how I'd like to be in London this September!

2010-07-12T10:29:00.003+10:00

The clearest description I've yet seen of Morris. This clip contains examples of the various styles, including the rarely discussed 'Fluffy Morris' and indicates where they originate from.

A CLOCKWORK MORRIS

www.youtube.com

5,000 Morris Dancers is an anarchic weekend event at The Southbank Centre, London from 3rd-5th Sept 2010. At its heart is a large-scale installation of morris-inspired folk-pop art by David Owen enhanced by film, dance, music and mayhem.

Brandragon on the television

2010-06-05T11:36:00.003+10:00

Brandragon appeared in Costa's Garden Odyssey. They were doing a feature on lavender including Lavandula which is a lavender farm in Victoria. Brandragon annually dance out at the Lavandula harvest festival and have a great time.

While it is still up you can go to :

http://player.sbs.com.au/programs#/programs_08/fullepisodes/latestepisodes/playlist/Costa-s-Garden-Odyssey-Ep-22/

We appear about 17min 49 sec in and are only there for a few seconds.

English Ale - Mylor SA

2010-05-19T13:51:00.005+10:00

Home again and back to earth after a great English Ale in the Adelaide Hills. Thanks all round to Hedgemonkey Morris and Hot For Joe for their hospitality, to Bron for her brilliant organisation of the weekend and to everyone who came along;
It looked to be a promising weekend when Friday evening's venue, the Wheatsheaf hotel, had Mountain Goat Surefoot on tap.
Saturday morning was spent enjoying the idyllic Bridgewater pub garden. Lots of dancing was had, including mixed sets with South East North West and former Adelaide Lancashire Witches, a double set of Bunch of Fives with Longford and then a triple set of Greywell Tunnel for all who were able.
A short trip around the hills to Mylor and the dancing continued with Dani's Bakewell Tart having its first outing here in a tent raised specially for us, outside the main event hall.
Our performance of Ducks in the Privy went down brilliantly. Clogs on a timber floor always seem to bring our knees up higher and sharper.
Sunday afternoon continued in the same fashion til most of us leapt aboard a bus for the airport, grinning from ear to ear at the avenue of hankies we received from Hedgemonkey as we boarded the bus.
Thanks to all who made it a great weekend, especially Christian for joining us in Saturday night's processional on melodeon.

National Folk Festival Video

2010-04-12T15:03:00.004+10:00

Thanks to Henry Falkner for the excellent footage.

The first dance is 'Gisburn processional' (named after the town of Gisburn in Lancashire); the second is called 'Ducks in the Privy' (I don't know the origin), and the final one is called 'Emily's Hop' (written originally on a sleepless night many years ago and named after one of our dancer's daughter who was the cause of the sleepless night).

National Folk Festival 2010

2010-03-25T09:18:00.003+11:00

It's almost Easter again and therefore time for the National Folk Festival!
Come join us at the best dancer's folk festival in Australia. This year we'll be busking about the site at Exhibition Park in Canberra or look for us in the program. Alternatively, keep an eye out for us in the session bar...
Hope to see you there.

BlackAdder - English Ale 2009

2009-11-06T15:28:00.001+11:00

Lancaster - English Ale 2009

2009-11-06T15:17:00.001+11:00

Upcoming Performances

2009-11-03T13:34:00.003+11:00

10 January 2010
Lavandula Harvest Festival

Come and see Brandragon at their annual performance at Lavandula.

Dragons, Red & Green

2009-10-23T14:39:00.005+11:00

(November 2008 - February 2009) [TS]

Green like the ivy that is wrapped round the forehead
Of a red-faced dancer who is breathless and florid
With a waistcoat the colour of the fruit and the flower
Who hails from the Brandon raise a flagon to her Honour
Wearing dragons, Red & Green!

Oh, our foremost Dragon is so fond of her cider
Makes her eyes shine brighter, makes her scales glow greener
She a belle when a tartin’ and a hell of a ranter
But you’d best pay attention - she’s a real fire breather
When in Clifton, Red and Green.

Green like the ivy that is wrapped round the forehead
Of a red-faced dancer who is breathless and florid
With a waistcoat the colour of the fruit and the flower
Who hails from the Brandon raise a flagon to her Honour
Wearing Dragons’ Red & Green!

Oh, the Dragon-girls are eager to discover,
If the Cotswold-boys think they can handle just another
<shouted> “'Cos, what goes down - may come up!”
But the music lied, so hand me another
When in Clifton, Red and Green.

Green like the ivy that is wrapped round the forehead
Of a red-faced dancer who is breathless and florid
With a waistcoat the colour of the fruit and the flower
Who hails from the Brandon raise a flagon to her Honour
Wearing dragons, Red & Green!

Oh, find me a Dragon who can sing all the calls out
For oft it’s the Squire and sometimes the Foreman
You can count on me for Lostock it’s my favourite
With a Cast, Star, Hay, Chain, Reel, Final figure
When in Clifton, Red and Green.

Green like the ivy that is wrapped round the forehead
Of a red-faced dancer who is breathless and florid
With a waistcoat the colour of the fruit and the flower
Who hails from the Brandon raise a flagon to her Honour
Wearing Dragons’ Red & Green!

Well, the Dragon hatched in the heart of the Brandon,
But was formed by the clogs and the skirts of the Witches
Warmed by Brittania, kept alive in the clashing
*And *flies in the smiles and the shouts of the dancers
When in Clifton, Red and Green. [JP]

Green like the ivy that is wrapped round the forehead
Of a red-faced dancer who is breathless and florid
With a waistcoat the colour of the fruit and the flower
Who hails from the Brandon raise a flagon to her Honour
Wearing dragons, Red & Green!

Under summer sun we dance through the lavender
As autumn falls we're all cold up in Canberra
Over winter frosts our May Day is dawning
Through the spring-time fairs the Dragons are calling
When in Clifton, Red and Green. [SS]

Green like the ivy that is wrapped round the forehead
Of a red-faced dancer who is breathless and florid
With a waistcoat the colour of the fruit and the flower
Who hails from the Brandon raise a flagon to her Honour
Wearing dragons, Red & Green!
(final) Wearing dragons, Red & Green.

Ale deposit deadline has been extended.

2009-09-02T10:45:00.008+10:00

We've met our minimum requirements for accommodations, but we do still have a few more seats on the bus! To snap up the last remaining seats, please get your deposit to us by this Sunday, September 6!

Details of the Ale can be found here

For inquiries, RSVP and banking details contact brandragon@morris.org.au

The Great Victorian Ale

2009-04-07T15:11:00.015+10:00

October 9th, 10th and 11th, 2009.

brought to you by
Brandragon Clog Morris

with assistance from
Red Raven Morris
and Britannia Morris Men.

Come dance with Brandragon, Britannia and Red Raven, as well as sides from Sydney, Adelaide and Tasmania!

Accommodation at Candlebark Farm - with heated ensuites!
Tour bus transport all weekend, with breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and dinner Saturday night provided.

The tour bus will leave the city at 8pm, and everyone is welcome to join us at the Charles Dickens Tavern (290 Collins St) from 6pm! We will be returning to Melbourne by about 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.

Saturday foot-ups in Healesville include dancing on the old railway platform, farmers market and in the regenerating forest, as well as visits to the White Rabbit, the new boutique brewery and the well stocked Healesville Hotel, with foot-ups on Sunday being organised in the winery area of the Yarra Valley.

There will be an ale Saturday night, with catering organised by the famous Brandragon Catering Pty Ltd, ably assisted by the other Vic sides (and anyone else who wants to volunteer instead of drink beer!!).

$100 per head
$300 per family (2 or more children under 14).

A $40 deposit is due by September 6th, with the balance due by October 2nd.

For inquiries, RSVP and banking details contact brandragon@morris.org.au

Sounds of Music 2009, Diggers Rest

2009-03-16T17:08:00.002+11:00

Sunday, 22 February 2009
(Delayed by the Technocracy)

Brandragon had intended to dance out in Marysville at the town's festival, but the recent fires have turned a once beautiful main street into a stark, ashen ghost of its former self. Instead, at the invitation of the Britannia Morris Men, the Dragons joined them at the Diggers Rest "Sounds of Music" on the northern outskirts of Melbourne, an event now dedicated to those affected by the bushfires.

Between performances by the Sunbury Divas and Bush Wahzee, the sides turned out for two dances each on the timber floor of the hall and were pleasantly surprised by the calls for an encore. Not wanting to impede the laying out of refreshments, we declined and made our way offstage.

Eager to dance more, we set up outside the nearby Sports Club. The Britannia Men were immediately beset by locals keen to get in on the action and bravely took two of the lads into the set and ran them through Balance the Straw, much to the amusement of the gathering crowd who shouted encouragement at the two lads as they clashed their sticks with gusto.

The crowd, impressed by these antics, invited us into the Sports Club to perform for all and sundry, where both sides were joined by the local 'fool' (who actually did a pretty good job of hamming up the action whilst staying out of the path of the dancers). A hat was passed around for charity and donations were generously forthcoming.

The afternoon concluded with a relaxed footup at 'The Terrace' in Sunbury, much to the amusement of some of the Sunbury Divas who'd escaped there after their performance.

Thankyou to the Britannia Morris Men, it was an enjoyable afternoon; a relaxed gig with bemused, appreciative audiences. As ever, special thanks go to the lucky lass who played the role of the Rose for BMM.

What is morris?

2008-11-06T21:29:00.004+11:00

Morris dancing is English folk dancing.
To be more precise it's a range of folk dancing styles which differ as you travel from one town to the next, let alone one shire to the next!

Brandragon dance the Northwest style, from the areas around Lancaster, down to Chester and across into the West Riding of Yorkshire.

It is linked to the holidays of the industrial towns of the region, hence the wooden soled clogs that we wear, typical work-a-day footwear for the day.
Of course at the time they probably wore their Sunday best, leather soled shoes, but the clogs are a curiosity and make such a great noise that they've been revived.

Other Morris dancing styles include Border, Cotswold, Molly and Rapper.

Cotswold is the most common type, danced with a pad of bells on each shin, and then using hankies or long sticks (roughly 3' or 90cm long)

Border is from the Welsh border regions and is typically danced in a rag coat, using a string of bells on the ankles and with a blacked face for disguise.

Molly is from the east of England, often danced with a blacked face. It's loud and stompy and shares many facets with Northwest and Border.

Rapper uses timber or steel 'swords' which the dancers then weave in and about, making patterns whilst holding onto the swords end to end in a circle. Rapper comes from the north-east of England.

Hiring us

2008-11-06T14:05:00.002+11:00

Brandragon are available for performance or workshop by arrangement, with a store of dances that can be taught to the enthusiastic of all ages. Our repertoire consists of set dances for anywhere between three and twelve performers. We are happy to dance on grass, stone or timber, as long as the surface is level and free of pitfalls.

Live music is provided by our own musicians on whistle, melodeon and drum, with the added advantage that we require no amplification.

We are also more than happy to run a workshop for you, teaching you the basic steps and figures to one of our dances, giving you the opportunity to learn a simple, energetic dance form. We regularly teach dances at our performances both to children and adults, and have run workshops at major events, including the National Folk Festival and Woodford Folk Festival.

We can be booked for a single performance slot, or for full or half days. We are generally happy to stay overnight if festivals run for multiple days.

For further information please contact us at brandragon@morris.org.au

Practice

2008-11-06T13:24:00.011+11:00

We practice every Monday night at the Clifton Hill Hotel, 89 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill. It's next to the Taco Bill. You can catch the number 86 tram and get off at stop 23. This drops you right outside. Or you can catch a Hurstbridge or an Epping train to Clifton Hill station and walk from there. If you're driving there's normally plenty of parking. Practice starts at 8pm, out in the Emerald Room (it's the back room, or ask at the bar).

Here are our practice dates for the next six months.

July
06, 13, 20, 27

August
03, 10, 17, 24, 31

September
7, 14, 21, 28

October
5, 12, 19, 26

November
2, 9, 16, 23, 30

December
7, 14, 21, 28

For further inquiries, contact brandragon@morris.org.au