Gloucestershire Morris Men - Cuckoo's Nest (Sherborne)

[puggle1802]

that'll be the splits...... mind you the beetle crushers can't afford to be too slow either. We once did Constant Billy (Sherb) at breakneck speed. Not funny....

[carollizc]

This has always been far and away my favourite dance, both to do and to watch others perform. This is really nice, though, the dancers are wonderful, and I love the tuned bells.

[puggle1802]

@carollizc Thanks a lot. Sherborne is a speciality of ours. I always like to call at least one dance from this tradition if I'm Squiring.

[Joffan7]

You need the music a little faster lads. Nice effort though, those capers with up & down hankies are not easy.

[brinwins]

@Joffan7 i duno man, sherborne sort of lends itself to large hand movements and high leaps, requireing slow music

[puggle1802]

@brinwins I agree....but if it's too slow, then the upright capers in say, Orange In Bloom, can look a bit odd. There aren't many dances that don't look wrong from being slightly on the slower side. There are many that don't benefit from being rushed though.

[brinwins]

@puggle1802 indeed, I once had a bit of an inexperianced musician play for me on this very dance... at about the speed of headington! not nice

by upright capers do you mean the sherborne split capers or the beetle crushers?

[petersurya]

I saw these performances in Sherborne in the 1970s. It brings back good memories of the summers in Sherborne.

[Lainiodurrant]

This was amazing too, especially the sound of all the bells. I would like to see the musician.