This page is (and will always remain!) under construction.
If you know any useful links for us to add,
General Links |
| Webfeet |
The national folk dance site, links to anything and everything folky. |
| The Folk Mag |
"The online guide to folk song, dance and roots music for the West Midland counties"
Very good resource if you're within reach, especially the 'Diaries' section which
detail song and dance evenings as well as local folk festivals. |
| SpireFolk |
Similar to The Folk Mag but for the East Midlands. Fairly thorough but be
careful – the diary doesn’t include regular dances/sessions, you’ll find them
in their own sections further down the taskbar. |
Clubs |
| The Abbey Music Sessions |
"A chance for anyone new to playing for english folk dance to come and
play with other musicians in a non-threatening session". They also say "Any
instrument is welcome - provided you can get it through the door!" Concert Grand,
anyone? |
| The Nottingham Folk Dance Group |
Includes information about this (obviously) Nottingham-based group. They
go in for dances from as far back as the 17th century and even
hold a Playford Ball each year. A slightly slower dance club. |
| Run of the Mill Folk Dance Club |
Folk Dance club meeting on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Wednesday each month except
August in Holloway, near Matlock. |
| Sheffield University Ceilidh Society |
Young, fast, energetic, these people have Hekety (see below) as a home band and a green furry thing as a mascot. Make of that what you will! Very very good. |
| Warwick University Ceilidh Society |
Set up in 2001, I've not yet managed to get to one of their ceilidhs (they're not
particularly regular as yet) but from the photos on the site they look superb. Another
(again fairly obviously, actually) of the student cadre, although all are welcome. Features a
live band and blonde bombshell Gilly (see website :) ) as regular caller. |
| Ockbrook French Music & Dance Session |
"One of the best places in this country to experience traditional French folk music & dance" says the webpage, and in my experience it's very true. |
| Cambridge University
Folk Dance Club: The Round |
Details for a club meeting weekly in Cambridge. Also a very good archive of
dance notation – the site to go to if you know the name and know it was good but
can’t remember where to put your feet! STOP PRESS - just seen them perform at IVFDF,
and Wow. Just wow. |
Resources |
| "The Elements
of English Country Dance" |
An explanation of almost every term I've ever heard called, only really missing the
very silly ones like 'Penguins!' |
| English Country
Dancing Links |
What it says! Unfortunately quite a few of the links appear to be broken. |
| English Ceilidh Newsgroup |
"A discussion and news list with a narrow focus on "English Ceilidh"" -
but it also has links to wider-based ones. |
Bands |
| Our Resident Bands | |
| Fish n'Taters |
One of the Mumpers Resident Bands, this is their official homepage. Need we
say more? |
| ContrabanD |
The other Mumpers Resident band..... who have promised to let us know when they have a website.... :-) |
| Current Guest Bands | |
| The RBB Band |
English & French music and dance from the men in black - the band with the hurdy-gurdy! |
| Fred’s Folk |
"A ceilidh band for all occasions" they say, and certainly are. Watch out for the
drum kit with red plasticy bits that looks like it's just landed from Mars!
Really great music! |
| Knotted Chord Folk Dance Band |
Formed at Nottingham University a year after I was born, but don't let that distract you! More about them when I've heard them play but for now, they have a dancing elephant on their webpage, what more could you ask of a band? Playing at Mumpers they have to be good :) |
|
| Ripley Morris Men |
The homepage of Ripley Morris Men, who have performed at Mumpers several times in past years. They're back again on the 1st of December, a good band and great entertainment. Be there or have men with large poles hunt you down. |
| Other Bands Links | |
| Hekety |
A fantastic English Ceilidh band, formed out of the Sheffield University Ceilidh
Society and now based in Sheffield. See the webpage for demo tracks and gig/dance
information. |
| Aardvark Ceilidh Band |
"Where traditional 'Barn Dancing' enters the 21st Century" - And it does it with a bang, well several, following which the electric guitar and ensemble kick in with the melody and your feet leave the floor of their own accord. a Very Good Band :) (Yes, I realise I give all these bands good reviews, but hey, if they weren't good they wouldn't get listed here :) ) |
|
| Captain
Swing's English Country Dance Band |
Homepage for this band, the mainstay of the Bard Ceilidhs in Birmingham.
Contains a listing of dances on in the Birmingham area. |
|
| Whapweasel Ceilidh Band |
The homepage, surprisingly, of Whapweasel, a "dynamic, eclectic, original
and - most importantly - danceable" band. Now, I went to dance to them at IVFDF,
and I will swear blind that at no point was anyone in that room standing still.
I'm lead to believe the only way to stop yourself dancing involves a guillotine. Brilliant. |
| Barn Dance & English
Ceilidh Bands - Arcadia Music Agency |
A pretty good site, mostly an agency for bands in the Home Counties
(does however cover the entire country) and with a slightly annoying yellow
font in places. It also contains a useful FAQ on organising a ceilidh. |
