Tuesday 24 July 2018
Tune of the Day: Vandalls of Hammerwich
Traditional English dance tune
This melody is used for a stick dance collected from Lichfield, a cathedral city in the county of Staffordshire, England. Hammerwich is a small village not far from Lichfield , and the dance forms part of the Lichfield Morris tradition. Local lore gives that the dance refers to an incident in the High Middle Ages when some of the Hammerwich inhabitants set fire to woods in Cannock Forest. The history is contained in parish records: “on the 14th January 1262 Villeins from Hammerwich went out and burnt a wood, to the injury of the King's game”. The aptly-named town of Burntwood stands on the spot now.
Thanks to Phil for suggesting this tune!