“Pipe and tabor is a wonderful pipe and drum combination played by a single musician. This three-hole pipe —a whistle flute with a fipple mouthpiece like that of a recorder or pennywhistle— allows the player to execute with one hand sprightly tunes with a distinctive vigour, authority and charm. Add the other hand playing simultaneous percussion, and the coordination of expression resulting from a single player, makes it an ideal dance accompaniment instrument: a one-man band.”
This is the introduction to Dick's The Pipe & Tabor Tutor, the definitive instructional book for the English style pipe, with play-along CD and Tune Book. First published in 1988 and completely revised in 2005, it is now available through Sweetheart Flute Co., Lark in the Morning, Kelischek Workshop for Historical Instruments, and The Early Music Shop (UK).
The Deer Creek Morris Men are currently in practice for the 2008 season, probably beginning in April. Gigs aren't set yet but are likely to take us from Sebastopol to Pacific Grove, but mostly in the Bay Area. May Day at sunrise at Baylands (Palo Alto) and the Oakland Zoo will be on our tours.
There is an international organization, The Taborers Society, devoted to the instrument.
|www.pipeandtabor.org |
We hold annual gatherings, so far all in England. The 2006 International Pipe & Tabor Festival was held in York, in conjunction with the York Early Music Festival.
The Taborers also played within the York Mystery Plays, medieval dramas that have been revived in modern times, and are presented every four years.
|www.yorkstories.fsnet.co.uk/york-mystery-plays|
Deer Creek Morris Men of San Francisco Bay
The morris is a tradition of display dances, with some aspects of ancient ritual and roistering associated with them. Mainly performed by teams, occasionally as a solo jig, the morris involves intricate figures and stepping, and lively high capers. In the Costwold style, which Deer Creek specializes in, the dancers wear sets of 25 bells on each leg, and embellish the dance with sticks or waved hankies. England is the home of these traditions, the origin of which is murky enough to delight folklorists; there are well over 200 morris teams in North America currently. The pipe and tabor is the oldest traditional accompanying instrument.
2005—The Deer Creek at Union Square, San Francisco.
Dick is the Squire (manager) and Fool
of the Deer Creek Men.
PiperHQ Home | PiperHQ Studio | "Across The Pond" Ceilidh Band
Greenman Portrait |
Dick's Scrapbook |
Contact Dick Bagwell
2005—The Deer Creek at Union Square, San Francisco.
Dick is the Squire (manager) and Fool
of the Deer Creek Men.
of the Deer Creek Men.
Greenman Portrait | Dick's Scrapbook | Contact Dick Bagwell