English Traditions
Events exploring the traditional music and dance of England.
Melbourne Session
On the third Saturday of the month, at
The Last Jar, 616 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Simply turn up with your instruments, play some tunes or have a listen. Sheet music and recordings of common repertoire is available.
Workshops
Coral runs workshops in English tunes (suitable for all melody instruments), step clog dance, and traditional rapper sword dancing. Workshops can be provided for festivals and events, for private groups, and Coral regularly organises events open to the public. Online workshops can be provided in English tunes and step clog dance.
Rapper Sword Dance
The rapper sword dance is a traditional dance form originating with the miners of North-East England. It is fast-paced, rhythmical and precise; dancers weave in and out to create intricate displays with the flexible steel swords.
Step Clog Dance
Step clog dance is the precursor to modern tap dance, performed in wooden soled shoes. Originating from the industrial North of England, workers would tap along to rhythms they heard in the mills during the day, and compete with their best steps in the pub at night!
Books
A couple of times a year, a recommended tune book is bulk ordered from the UK, making difficult-to-source English tune books available in Australia.
Books previously ordered include ‘John of the Green, The Cheshire Way’, and ‘The Bonny Cumberland’, by John Offord, and “The Great Northern Tune Book”, the William Vickers’ manuscript.
Sign up to Coral’s mailing list to hear about future orders.