20 media items.
207/
Earsdon Sword Dancers Mr Thomas Armstrong (34 North Road, East Holywell, Shiremoor, Newcastle on Tyne) is the leader, He does not dance now as he is too old, but he is manager and director. The dancers perform very much the same way as Swalwell men but know many more figures and dance in a far more finished way. They have an elaborate dress, plush breeches, white stockings, white shirts with Turkish tunic of crimson plush edged with gold braid etc. This dress so far as the plush & gold braid is concerned is a modern inovation bought about by annual visits to Alnwick Castle, where the Duchess of Northumberland constantly asks them. The picture painted by Hedley and reproduced in the Newcastle Chronicle (see article in back) is of the Eardson dancers of 30 or 40 years ago, and represents the genuine traditional dress. Like all northern sword dances they are accompanied by a Betty or Bessie ie a man dressed up in woman's garb (see pictures) There are two sets of words used for the opening song, sung by her, one old the other modern. The latter goes as follows:-
208/
Good people give ear to my story
We have called for [to ?] you by chance
Fine heroes I've bought lithe and bonny
Intending to give you a dance
For Earsdon in our habitation
The place we were all born and bred
There are not finer boys in the nation
And none shall be gallanter led
[Now my first handsome youth for to enter]
Now this is the son of bold Elliot
The first youth to enter my ring
So proud I rejoice for to tell it
He fought for his Country & King
He would conquer [a clan] he would die
Bold Elliot defended the place
Their plans he soon caused them to alter
Some fell others fled in disgrace.
Now my next handsome youth for to enter
He's a boy we've got very few such
His father is that great [?]
And defeated the fleet of the Dutch
209/
Now his father he was that Lord Duncan
Who played the Dutch men such a prank
That they from their harbours went [shirking]
And fled to that great Dogger Bank
Now my next handsome youth for to enter
He's a boy of abilities [right]
Five thousand gold guinees I'd venture
That he like his father would fight
At Waterloo and [?]
Lord Wellington made the French fly
You scarcely could find such another
He would conquer or else he would die
Now this is the son of Lord Nelson
That hero who fought at the Nile
Few men with more courage or talent
The Frenchmen did nearly beguile
When the Frenchmen they nearly decoyed him
The battle he managed so well
In their [?] he totally destroyed them
Scarce one did get home for to tell
210/
Now my last handsome youth for to enter
He's a boy both straight and .....tall
He's a son of that great Bonaparte
The Hero who conquered them all
He went over the Lowlands like thunder
Made nations to quiver and quake
Many thousands stand gazing with wonder
At the [?] he always did make
Now you see all five noble heroes
My five noble heroes by birth
And they each bear as good a character
As any five heroes on earth
And if they're as good as thier fathers
Their deeds are [discovering] record
It is all the world company [?]
To see how they handle their swords
This is sung to a tune of no merit whatever (and no 2518) but at Alnwick Castle they prefer this modern version. The older version and tune are
given in the Chronicle. Appended is the version that I took down from Armstrong (tune no 2519)
211/
A rambling here I've comed
Good people for to see
Five actors I have bought
As have as have can be
It's Earsdon on the Hill
What the water washes clear
To Earsdon habitation we [?]
And many we'll appear
The first that I'll call on
He is a [pitman] bold
He walks on underground
To keep him from the cold
The next that I'll call on
It is his heart's demise
He [?] and [parts] the coals
The old woman makes the fire
The next that I call on
He is a tailor fine
What think you of his [walk]
He made this coat of mine
212/
He is a tailor fine
And a [?] are to his trade
He never closed one hole
But two for one he made
The next that I'll call on
Is Jack upon the deck
He cooks for our ship's crew
And he sells all the fat
The next that I'll call on
It is big walloping Tom
He's got his woman with child
And [digent] many one
For if he married one
The other he should slight
And the best thing he can do
Is to make them both [alert]
Now I['m] going to kill a bullock
Of that I'll make you sure
We'll kill it in Earsdon Town
And divide it amongst the poor
213/
(Betty)
Dance on my bonny lads
I heard the landlord say
He would stand another galeon of beer
Before we go away
An actor he is dead (alas are [parsons's] dead)
And on the ground he's laid
We'll have to suffer for it
Because boys I'm sore afraid
Well I'm sure its none of me
Or never in my time
But he that followed I
That did this bloody crime
Well now boys that he's dead
His body it is cold
We'll take hime to the church yard
And bury him in the mould
214/
Mr. Armstrong;
The sword is 2 feet , 3 1/2 in overall
Hilt and brass ring 4 1/2 inches
Blade 18 1/2 in by 1 1/4
Tip 3 3/4 in.
He made the blade out of an old saw. The present dancers get thier blades from Birmingham and keep them well polished. The handle is very neatly finished and blokcs of wood are rivetted on for the tip. They [really] call them swords but "wrappers" or "rappers". What this means they could not say, nor tellme how to spell the word. Mr Hislop suggested "wafties" or something waved, but Armstrong said they were never called "wafties"
215/
There is no stereotyped music. The musician - a fiddler, told me he played any jig tune in 6/8 time and [just] changed it in the course of a dance
when he felt it was getting monotonous. His tunes were all in Kerr's Dance Album No. 9
His favourites were Tenpenny Bit
Black Thornstick
Irish Washerwoman
Hase to the Wedding
The Delight
Paddy O Rafferty
Lanningan's Ball
Lairs of Cockper
Kitty's Ramble
etc.
When they danced to me they danced to Tenpenny Bit, then to Blackthornstick.
216/
The Dance
All stand in a line and step (8)
Then form ring facing centre, hold swords up, and step. At last note of strain clash and form ring ready for Single Guard (see photo)
ie swords over left shoulders. and holding tips of left neighbours swords
Single Guard or (One Turn Off)
All dance round clock wise No 1 breaks off turns left and goes counter clock till he comes to his place. When he turns and falls in No2 at once breaking off and doing likewise, 3,
4, and 5 follow suit. Directly 5 has got back to place they
4 3
5 2
1
Tie the Nut
No 1 turns to left and retraces his own track, followed by 2, 3, and 5 No 5 turns ot right & [?] clockwise . this turns ring inside out crosses hands of dancers & ties nut, the
dancers in this position
2 1
3 5
4
5 1
4 2
3
217/
They then form line, leader holds up nutt and all step for one [stain] They then form ring, each man [grips ] his hilt by right hand and tip with left ( the tip is two off to left) and holding up nutt in ring all step for 8 bars (This is the position in Hedley's picture) At the end of the strain all break away ie [release] swords with a sharp jerk and then proceed to unties Knott.
To untie Nutt
Nos 2,3, 4 & 5 turn clockwise while no 1 stands still, turns right and allows rest to pass round to original places under his left arm. Each figure begins with Single Guard untying knot, followed by Single Guard and the new figure. Ending up tying the nutt & stepping. The figure is technically "A Nutt".
218/
[Thru & Two] or The Needle
4 3
5 2
1
No 1 turns out to left and the same way as if to tie the nutt, 2 & 3 follow him while 4 & 5 turn to the right. They then revolve in two circles touching tangentially, 1, 2 & 3 in one circle revolving counter clock, 4 & 5 in the other turning clockwise. At the end of each revolution no 3 changes from one circle to the other. When this revolution has been done several times leader says "Nutt" and they all at once proceed to tie up. This is done by all turning and facing centre, and no.[?] falling out to left as already described. The leader is careful that this is begun when no. 3 is in his own circle that is when 3 is following 2 not 4.
219/
Turn In
4 3
5 2
1
All turn clockwise. Then no 1 breaks aways turns round on his axis twice, counter clock, and then falls into place, the rest all continuing to dance
around clockwise no.2 follows suit and then nos 3, 4 & 5. [Comment: Then tie the nut in ordinary way except that each makes a right turn in process]
Follow me or we
4 3
5 2
1
No 2 turns left and all follow except no.5 who turns right and revolves in opposite direction, ie clockwise. Two circles are in the needle revolving in reverse directions. Then no.2 breaks away and joins 5, then 3 joins 2 then 4 joins 3, and finally 2 joins 1. This is the position to tie nutt.
[Comment: Tie when 2 is behind 1,5 must be careful not to turn out]
220/
[Comment; To tie When 1 & 5 are in places & facing out, 4 changes to r circle & follows 3 1 turns out followed by 3 &4 5 turns out but does not twist]
4 3
5 2
1
Changy
This is the same as the needle except that 1 & 5 [keep] changing from one circle to the other, simultaneously 5 always passing in fron of 1. No. 3 always turns in right hand circles.
[Comment:( Red ink instructions were pencilled in my M.K.)]
Tumble or Tummle
3
4 2
5 1
No. 5 turns left and stands between 1 & 2 with his back resting on No.1's sword. He then turns a back somersault to position, 5 then turns right
and stands behind & between 3 & 4 and executes the same evolution. He then moves forward & jumps sword held by 2 & 3. The latter hold the sword up waist high, and then lower it, after a manner of a skipping rope, while 5 jumps it holding his two feet together - he then stands with his back between 2 & 3 and somersaults back to his place.
221/
Right & Left or Figure Eight
4 3
5 2
1
Nos. 5 & 1 turn out, No.1 to left, No.5 to right [No. 2 3]follows 5, [Comment:? close to him No. 3 4 ]Follows 1 and [Comment: No. 2 first follows 4
No. 4 Who follows 1 follows 5 :] No. 5 & 1 leep crossing and dancing the figure 8.
Raffally
[Diagram]
No. 4 goes under arch made by Nos. 1 & 2 , then turns left. Then no. 5 turns twice round clockwise , & meets 4 and they go round together counter clockwise. So that there are 2 circles revolving in reverse directions as before, 1,2, & 3 clockwise , 4 & 5 counter clockwise.
To get into position to fasten nutt, no 1 stands still (at right moment) in middle 2 & 3 walk round nos 4 & 5 and follow no1 which fastens nutt.
222/
The Prince of Wales
[Diagram]
Nos 2, 3 & 4 face audience . No 1 & 5 go round circle in appropriate directions, right round nos 2, 3 & 4 and back to places. No 1 turns left , counter clock; No5 turns right clockwise.
[Comment: Normal position] Then 2 & 4 do same as 1 & 5 no.3 merely stands still [Comment:this gives normal position]
Dr Cork
No.1 jumps over No.5's sword, then turns round on his axis twice [Comment: counter clock] then round circle counter clock back to his place [Comment:This leaves him as he started] Then No.2 jumps No 1's sword and does ditto.
3 2's
4 3's
5 4's
[Diagram]
[Comment: (Red ink corrections were pencilled in M.K.)]
223/
Fixie
[Diagram]
No.3 stands still
No.1 & 2 twist and turn left
No.5 & 4 twist and turn right
No 3 stands still garlanded with swords (see photograph) then all in this position step, returns to positions and tie nutt.
The Old Fiddler
All go round clockwise
No.5 breaks off , truns right and stands by no1; 2 & 4 behind & 3 at back thus
3
4 2
5 1
Here they step. Then 5 & 1 go back, 2 & 4 step forward and 5 becomes hindmost thus
5
3 1
4 2
224/
Then similar change produces
4
5 2
3 1
Then
1
3 4
5 2
Then
2
5 1
3 4
Finally
3
4 2
5 1
[Diagram]
[Dr] Parry
No.1 jumps (like skipping) over 4 & 3 then turns left and comes to place
Then no. 2 jumps 4 & 5 (4's sword)
Then no. 3 jumps 1 & 5 (5's sword)
Then no. 4 jumps 1 & 2 (1's sword)
Then no. 5 jumps 2 & 3 (2's sword)
225/
Waves
4 3
5 2
1
This is the same as Changy except that no.1 crosses in front of no.5, instead of behind him. [Comment: nut as changy]
Double Guard
Same as Prince of Wales, only performed in couples, [Comment: ir 1 & 2 c. Clock ( 1st outside then inside) 5 & 4 clock . This gives normal position.]
[Comment: (Red ink additions were pencilled in M.K.)]
Face Up (Final Figure)
1
2 5
3 4
Go round in circle clock wise
No.1 stops facing audience
2 & 3 pass to left of him
4 & 5 to his right
[Comment: No.5 go under 1's sword etc] 5 4 1 2 3
4 & 5 under 1's sword
[????]
226/
Saghill
This is an old and obsolete figure known still to old dancers, none of whom have ever, will or can teach it to the Earsdon Men, It was a figure of decapitation, and was a very rough one. It was called Saghill because this is a very rough , uncouth mining place- the Billingsgate of the district.
The small hole in the middel of the nutt is called the Crown, showing that it was once used on the head. The Earsdon men say that the old fashioned name for them was Morris dancers.
Mr Hedley the artist told me that the dress etc of the men in this picture was exact. The place depicted is Tanfield Gates. The men were in white shirt with bows and rosettes. black breeches, made of alpacca or satinette & shoes with ribbons on them. The reproduction of the Betty is as exact as he could make it, she carried a tin collecting box. They were the Earsdon men and he painted picture about 30 years ago . doesn't know who is the present ones
