The Domesday Morris (dancers) arrived in Orkney with a variety of venues scheduled to take place, we caught up with them outside The Reel in Kirkwall on Saturday afternoon.
I am not embarrassed to say that I arrived to watch the Domesday Morris with a few misconceptions which I am extremely pleased to say were not long in being displaced. This group managed to engage with you right from the start and very soon had a large audience gathered around at the end of Albert Street/Castle Street much to the chagrin of some car drivers who in my own opinion should have just parked up, got out and joined in. Their sets were well structured and absolutely full of energy and joyfulness, their sheer want for you to join in was contagious; in fact they indeed managed to succeed as will be seen at the end of the video where a few ‘weel kent faces’ may well pop up.
The Domesday Morris won the coveted Evesham Stick this year, 2017, at the Vale of Evesham National Morris weekend which took place from the 22nd-24th June and for me it was easy to see why. As the organisers of the event said “This year’s Evesham Stick was presented to Domesday Morris. Not only for the quality of their dancing (there was such a high standard of dancing this year there couldn’t not have been one winner if that was the only criteria) but that as a family orientated side they are inclusive of the children, of all ages – they don’t just drag them along but involve them fully with kit and the music and dancing. They are also a side that have impressed us with their inclusion of the public and our decision was reinforced when, after being presented with the Evesham Stick they didn’t perform their show dance, but instead had a mass dance for public and other Morris alike.Well done Domesday !!” Which for me exactly summed up how I felt upon watching Domesday Morris perform.
If you were to get the chance to go and see them perform I would highly recommend it. If you can’t get along to see them perform here is our You Tube Video: Domesday Morris Comes to Orkney
Photo by Kenny Armet
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