Morris dancers gear up for Sicily after 75th anniversary year

A local Morris dancing group will perform at an international folk festival in Sicily for the first time next May, after celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

White Horse Morris, which takes its name from the iconic Westbury White Horse, was founded in 1951 by a group of young men keen to preserve the centuries-old English tradition.

The group’s dancing season ran from the winter solstice at Stonehenge in December through to the Springhead Trust open day in late September, with members performing in pubs and at festivals.

The group’s Squire, Mike Perry, said a highlight of the season was celebrating the group’s 75th anniversary with a day of dance in Warminster. The event brought eight other groups from Dorset, Somerset, Bath and Wiltshire together around the town.

Mike said, “We performed in various places in Warminster, including outside the Athenaeum and at the bandstand. It was a fantastic day.”

Another highlight, Mike said, was a visit to Imberbus Day, which offered them a chance to meet Morris groups from Gloucestershire, Essex and London.

As the group ends the season, they are now preparing to travel to Sicily next May, where they will perform at an international folk festival in Taormina.

“This is a first for the group,” said Mike. “There are 14 musicians and dancers going. We have been abroad before but never to Sicily or that far south, so it is a pretty major thing.”

The group meets every Wednesday at Wylye Village Hall from 7.30pm. They are currently welcoming new members and are encouraging people to turn up.