The No Lazy Dancing Dance Band

The No Lazy Dancing Dance Band was formed after meeting the melodeon player and historian, Bob Ellis at a Dales dance in Kettlewell, Wharfedale. Bob had spent nearly a decade researching musicians, callers, tunes,and dances throughout the Yorkshire Dales. From this research he published a book, “There Was None of this Lazy Dancing!” as well as establishing an archive at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes. His vision was to revive the traditions of music and dance in the Dales which faded away in the 50’s and 60’s. Our band was formed to participate in this project. Our repertoire consists of tunes from Bob’s book and from other manuscript sources from Yorkshire and the North including those of Joshua Jackson, Laurence Ledley, John Clare and William Calvert. The bands musicians are Tom Richardson on guitar; Alan Nuttall on English concertina; Georgina Lawes on flute; Mark Wallace; Amy Chestnut on fiddle; Peter Barnard on Anglo concertina and Kate Bilmore on bass clarinet.