The Festival of the Furry Dance

The Festival of the Furry Dance 8^th May

When I began to research this particular festival held on the 8^th May (or close to if the 8^th does not fall on a Sat.), I almost immediately realised I’d had a misconception that had lasted a lifetime regarding a song that’s associated with the festival. The Furry Dance Festival at Helston, Cornwall, is one of the oldest traditions in Britain, though the originals died out centuries ago and what is now held may only bear a token resemblance to the original.

Another name for the Helston Furry Dance is Flora Day. The Helston symbolic flower is the Lily of the Valley and may be seen worn by dancers and festival officials. The day is a long one and full of vibrant activity, singing and dancing around the streets a merry throng. One of the songs associated with the festival is "The Floral Dance" and this is where I now realise I’ve been wrong about it all of my life!

I grew up listening to an old 78 rpm record of this song played by a brass band that I now can’t remember the name of, but read on because I do remember the name Peter Dawson. I still have a carton full of old 78 rpm records but sadly, The Floral Dance is no longer among the survivors of the pre-vinyl era. I always thought that it was a northerners song, e.g. from Yorkshire or Lancashire, since some of my family collection of records were of brass bands (my dad/aunt/uncle’s records) from those areas. But now I find The Floral Dance song is associated with the town of Helston, in Cornwall.

Kate Emily Barkley ("Katie") Moss (1881-1947) was a professional violinist, pianist and concert singer. She was brought up in London and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. The story goes that on a visit to the Helston festival of The Furry Dance, she enjoyed the event so much that she composed the lyrics and the music to her famous song on the train home in 1911.

It states on the original songbook cover that she founded her music on an old Cornish tune. Her words are not strictly accurate, though, since the traditional band of Helston is a Brass Band which did/does not include stringed instruments, or woodwind. "The Floral Dance" was first recorded in 1912 by the Australian bass/baritone Peter Dawson. I’m pretty sure that was the singer on my aunt’s record because I do recognise that name as being part of the original family collection.

Skip forward from me listening to Peter Dawson singing ti in the 1950s and early 1960s, to 1978 when Terry Wogan did a rendition of it, which was not nearly as impressive as Peter Dawson but it rocketed up the Music Charts at the time.

And…just last year during the Covid 19 lockdown a brass band made an incredible version of it – each of the band players playing in their own living rooms and the whole recorded via a ‘Zoom’ like online-process. 

 

If you’re like me, old enough to have heard this song, I think you just might be singing it if you read the lyrics below! 

It's sad that the festival is cancelled again for a second year but that's how it has to be till it's safe for people to enjoy such events- even when in the open air. There's a lot more details HERE for the festival. 

Music and lyrics by Katie Moss, 1911

"As I walked home on a Summer night

When stars in Heav'n were shining bright

Far away from the footlight's glare

Into the sweet and scented air

Of a quaint old Cornish town

Borne from afar on the gentle breeze

Joining the murmur of the summer seas

Distant tones of an old world dance

Played by the village band perchance

On the calm air came floating down

I thought I could hear the curious tone

Of the cornet, clarinet and big trombone

Fiddle, 'cello, big bass drum

Bassoon, flute and euphonium

Far away, as in a trance

I heard the sound of the Floral Dance

And soon I heard such a bustling and prancing

And then I saw the whole village was dancing

In and out of the houses they came

Old folk, young folk, all the same

In that quaint old Cornish town

Every boy took a girl 'round the waist

And hurried her off in tremendous haste

Whether they knew one another I care not

Whether they cared at all, I know not

But they kissed as they danced along.

And there was the band with that curious tone

Of the cornet, clarinet and big trombone

Fiddle, 'cello, big bass drum

Bassoon, flute and euphonium

Each one making the most of his chance

All together in the Floral Dance

I felt so lonely standing there

And I could only stand and stare

For I had no boy with me

Lonely I should have to be

In that quaint old Cornish town.

When suddenly hast'ning down the lane

A figure I knew I saw quite plain

With outstretched hands he came along

And carried me into that merry throng

And fiddle and all went dancing down.

We danced to the band with the curious tone

Of the cornet, clarinet and big trombone

Fiddle, 'cello, big bass drum

Bassoon, flute and euphonium

Each one making the most of his chance

Altogether in the Floral Dance.

Dancing here, prancing there

Jigging, jogging ev'rywhere

Up and down, and round the town

Hurrah! For the Cornish Floral Dance"

I sincerely hope that the Festival of the Furry Dance will return in 2022. 

Slàinte!