Strictly no dancing and lots of singing in performance by Sheffield City Club

They are best known for their dancing skills, but the City Morris group are putting down their dancing shoes and picking up their microphones
Sheffield City Morris Men pictured performing in the Peace Gardens. Picture: Marie Caley NSST St.George's MC 3Sheffield City Morris Men pictured performing in the Peace Gardens. Picture: Marie Caley NSST St.George's MC 3
Sheffield City Morris Men pictured performing in the Peace Gardens. Picture: Marie Caley NSST St.George's MC 3

The group will be will be appearing at Crookes Folk Club for a “Friday Night Special”, called 'Strictly No Dancing: Unbelled, Non-Stick, and Hanky-Free’ tomorrow.

Member Dominic Rice said: “We are doing a Friday Night Special with songs, tunes and monologues, but no dancing.

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“The only dancing taking place will be if any of the audience are moved to get up and boogie.”

As well as being known for their unique dance style known as the ‘Medup’ tradition and their green trousers, Sheffield City Morris have also built up a reputation for their music, singing, and general entertainment.

When they are performing at festivals they often get requests for songs from the audience, including songs composed by their own members.

Dominic added "We regularly include musical and song interludes in our performances – and sometimes we even sing whilst we dance.”

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The group, which formed in 1975, had always had a passion for msuic as well as dance, but it wasn’t until their 40th anniversary four years ago that they decided to do something about it.

In 2015, they recorded some of their most popular songs and party pieces, along with a few tunes, which were later released on their first CD called ‘All Mouth and Green Trousers’.

Group members Pete Smith and Alec Thompson have been  guests at Crookes Folk Club previously, but it will be the group’s first Friday Night

Special at the club.

Dominic added: “Some of the regulars at Crookes Folk Club will have seen us dancing though, as we have been known to perform

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outside the pub in the summer, just before the folk club starts.”

Sheffield City Morris Men were formed in 1975 with the aim of making Morris dancing an entertaining hobby in an urban environment, with the additional aims of singing, playing music, and going to the pub.

The team has danced at various venues locally, throughout the UK, Europe, and further afield. They performed in Ecuador in 1993, and more recently in France in 2016.

Over the past few years they have danced and sung at many of the major UK folk festivals, including one in Whitby.

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The team welcomes new members at any time. Sheffield City Morris are a men’s morris team, but they are in the process of setting up a parallel women’s team.

The show, ‘Strictly No Dancing: Unbelled, Non-Stick, and Hanky-Free’ is taking place at Crookes Folk Club, The Princess Royal, Slinn Street, S10 1NW, on Friday March 22 between 8pm and 11pm.

Entry to the show costs £5, payable on the door, and all proceeds will be given to the Crookes Community Forum.

Please visit official website at www.scmm.co.uk for more information. You can also e-mail [email protected] and visit the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SheffieldCityMorris. To find out more about the Crookes Community Forum, please visit their website at www.crookesforum.org