Esperance Morris Book vol 1 - online book

A Manual Of Morris Dances Folk-songs And Singing Games With Sheet Music And Instructions

	THE ESPERANCE MORRIS BOOK.		57
	APPENDIX I. SOME OPINIONS OF THE DANCES.
	The Countess of Beauchamp writes :— Both Lord Beauchamp and I were more than pleased with *     * * and with the way she taught all the children, and the two rectors and one vicar of the three parishes were delighted with her, also the school teachers and all who came into touch with her. The performance was quite charming— a great success—in spite of the rain, and everyone enchanted with it and much interested. In instructing the children, *     * * was always so nice with them, very firm, but at the same time so gentle and patient. She is so charming herself, and won the hearts of all. Sister Amy Agnes, C.S.A.S., writes :— I have been given a copy of "Set to Music," which I think is beautiful. May I ask you to send me another copy so that I can at once order the songs and dances to teach our girls. I enclose two stamps for the same. I am sending you one of our Reports so that you may know of another set of girls? whose lives will be more attuned, by God's grace, to the divine music of the universe. I gave your book to a priest whose church is in the worst slums in Edinburgh, and he too is hoping to have his club girls taught as it recommends. This is the Festival of the Holy Angels, and I shall pray that some of their joy may come into your heart, and may God bless you for your love and care of His children.—I am, yours very faithfully, in Christ, Sister Amy Agnes, C.S.A.S. Rev. Ingham Brooke writes :— I have had no time to write, and tell you how I enjoyed Thursday night, and how more than wonderful I thought it all. I have always maintained that the East End ought to missionize the West End, and it seemed to me that your girls were bringing a very beautiful gospel to all of us who watched them. I was quite cheered up by it all, not by any means merely by the dancing and singing, which were, of course, enjoyable enough in themselves, but by the whole spirit of the Club. The dancing you can teach, but the spirit is only created by long years of personal influence. I only hope you will go steadily on with the work you have begun in the country, not regardless of the critics, but " undiscouraged " by them. I only wish there were ioo such clubs as yours in England. * * *              * * * has finished her engage- ment with us to-day for the second time. Her three weeks' teaching in Barford—a fortnight now and a week in October— has given great satisfaction, and the classes have been a great success in every way. I consider she has a natural gift for teaching, and her simple, unostentatious, quiet manner make her very welcome in this house. I have very great hopes that the singing of these half-forgotten melodies may revive the love of music in this neighbourhood, and that the actions may develop the dramatic powers of expression among the children. * * * I may say, in conclusion, that though I have worked at this kind of thing in East London, Halifax, and in the country, I have never met with anything for clubs or schools, boys, girls, or adults, which has given me greater satisfaction. There are many forms of Corybantic philanthropy, but this is by far the best that I have met with in a long and varied experience. Mrs. Lund writes :— We have found * * * quite delightful, and the classes a great success.	Rev. A. M. Boswell writes :— I wish to thank you most heartily for inviting us to your display at Queen's Hall. * * * I am exceptionally glad some did come, because they are filled with a desire of repro­ducing. Particularly one boy who came has caught the enthusiasm—he is a lad who has the power of leading a Bible class into disorder ; and now he is keen on morris dancing. I have good hopes of seeing him lead others into disciplined enjoyment. I was exceptionally delighted with your girls' exhibition, and specially when their enjoyment was so manifest. I must also express my pleasure at seeing how the instructress you sent us managed. Her patience and good cheer is admirable. A Lady of Cheshire writes :— I am writing to thank you for sending us such an efficient and pleasant teacher for morris dancing. We have had a most delightful week, and the girls are all immensely pleased. * * * has proved a most excellent teacher, and it is quite wonderful how much she has managed to teach in such a short time. Miss Walton, of a Liverpool Training Home, writes :— I think it may interest you to know that one of the Victoria Settlement children whom * * * taught came to this little Home for domestic training. At the end of her training I placed her with some nice English people who had lived for some years in America, and she is now teaching morris dancing to the little daughter of her mistress and her young friends, and they are to dance at an entertainment which is being given in aid of a local charity. I think for a little servant maid of 16 this is very good reading, don't you ? She was reckoned the best dancer at the Settlement, and is such a happy little person. The sound of folk-songs is often in the Home too, for I encourage the girls to sing them whilst doing their needlework. They come to us at 14 straight from the schools, and I always ask them if they have learnt any folk-songs at school, and those who have not soon learn them from the others. I shall never forget the pleasure I felt soon after I came here when I heard in the Home one day the tunes I had learnt to love. The Secretary of the Nottingham Branch of the Froebel Society writes :— I am desired by my committee to compliment your Association upon the possession of so capable and energetic a teacher as * * *. She conducted the work of training our scholars last week in a most admirable manner, and the demonstration on Saturday last was an unquestioned success, so much so that 1 am instructed to call a meeting of the Propaganda Committee for the 21st instant in order that the question of engagement of * * * for our large demonstration in either February or March next may be settled.
		The Head Teacher, Romford, writes :— My teachers and I are charmed with the morris dances that * * * is teaching to our scholars. We all think * * * is a most brilliant teacher, and the way the children can alreadv do the dances is simply marvellous.
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