Shawforth
Introduction and History
Shawforth The Shawforth Dance Belfagan on Saturday 14th April 2018 , taught Malkin The Shawforth, a dance we love. We eventually tracked down the tune used "The Olive Branch," as being written around 1996 by John Kirkpatrick, and took the liberty of asking if it was OK for Belfagan and Malkin to use his tune. He sent back a lovely letter. We were really pleased with his lovely letter but that is not all.
The following week 19/10/18 Pete and Gin Crewe did a presentation for Padiham Rotary Club about Malkin team and in passing our local dances were mentioned and also in passing how we danced Shawforth although it was very slightly out of our area. One of the Rotarians nearly fell off his seat!
Mr David Cooke, ex-member of Colne Royal and Rochdale and Whitworth teams, had written it 40 or more years ago. His local Folk Club - something like the Brewers Folk Club-wanted to learn a morris dance and he, being a purist, and thinking people should only dance their own dance, drew on figures from the dances that he knew to make one up for them. He obviously knew the dance very well. You will be pleased to know that the gypsy figure comes from The Clitheroe Dance! We hope to get back to him for more information.
John Kirkpatrick <johnmkirkpatrick@icloud.com> Tue 09/10/2018, 16:07 You Hallo Virginia
Yes, I made up The Olive Branch. You can hear me playing it on a now deleted CD called Earthling. The music is in Jump At The Sun - the JK Tunebook.
Yes, you can use it. I’m delighted you want to. If you ever record it, or broadcast it, or use it as a soundtrack for a film, etc, please make sure you use this wording exactly on any forms you’d have to fill in:
THE OLIVE BRANCH - by JOHN KIRKPATRICK - Copyright © Looking Glass Music Ltd
Otherwise just carry on using it, and I hope to see you dancing to it one day.
All the best
John Kirkpatrick
