The Furry Dance that takes place in Helston, Cornwall on the 8th of May is a very old custom, the first mention of it being in 1790 in a letter to the Gentleman's Magazine. It involves a processional dance performed to the accompaniment of the Helston Town Band. The tune has evolved into several versions over the years and I've used two of them here, the first one being closer to the melody the band use.
Flowers of Edinburgh is a very widespread tune, first appearing in print in 1737 in John Walsh's Caledonian Country Dances Vol 2, and finding its way into the Irish, American, French-Canadian and English Morris dancing traditions.
I'd intended to record this at Upton on Severn Folk Festival and show you the beautiful view of the Malvern Hills I had from my tent but it didn't quite happen, so here it is on mandolin from my kitchen. The mandolin was made in 1902 and bears the label of Ernest W Kirby, who was a music teacher in Birmingham, UK, and who apparently had instruments made abroad, presumably with the aim of flogging them to his pupils!
15 сен 2024
