Traditional folk music, dance and customs - Harrogate, North Yorkshire - Chas Marshall's Website

Hop Back Jig


An experienced four piece ceilidh band playing mainly English Country Dance music for birthdays, celebrations, weddings, barn dances, fund raising events etc. Listen to the band playing the Tip Top Polka and the Tip Top Hornpipe.

Reasonable rates! Contact Harry Scurfield on 01943-465436.

Hop Back Jig at Galphay Village Hall - 15 March 2003

Harry ("Gumbo") Scurfield - Caller, Tuba and Anglo Concertina

Gabi Scurfield - Fiddle
Harry and Gabi also play in the Otley based Cajun influenced band "Bayou Gumbo".

Heather Hazell - Melodeon.
Heather has previously played in two other Harrogate ceilidh bands - Fred Pigeon's Polka Band and Laycock's Overdrive.

Chas Marshall - Anglo Concertina, Tenor Banjo
and Bass Drum.
(photo courtesy Nick Barber)

And again - Harry ("Gumbo") Scurfield - Caller, Tuba and Anglo Concertina

The band's name is a play on words inspired by both morris dancing and brewing! A hop back step can be found in morris dancing and the name jig refers to a show dance for one, or sometimes two, morris dancers. In brewing a hop back is a device in which hot wort is run through a bed of whole hops. This imparts hop aroma to the beer and also acts as a filter clarifying the wort.

Put the hop back in your step with Rooster's Beers!
Put the hop back on your palate with Rooster's Beers!

The Village Hop Band

Chas and Heather also play a similar repertoire of English Country Dance music in the Village Hop Band. This band has a flexible line-up which includes musicians who regulary play together in bands and music sessions. This line-up can include (in addition to melodeon, concertina and banjo) percussion, piano, guitar, baritone horn, fiddle and recorder. This band can be engaged either with, or without, the services of a caller for birthdays, celebrations, weddings, barn dances, fund raising events etc.

Contact Heather Hazell on 01423-527892.

Hear the Village Hop Band with Dave Blight (bodhran), Nigel Swan (piano) and Jan Porter (recorder) at Heatherdene Folk Dance Club, April 2007.

Hear the Village Hop Band with Heather, Chas and Nick Barber (baritone horn) at Heatherdene Folk Dance Club April 2008.

Hear the "One Night Band" - another line-up with Heather, Chas, Paul Hudson (piano) and caller Barbara Bentley. This band was originally formed to play for one night only at a fund raising ceilidh for Clogfest in 2008, but the arrangement worked so well that we have continued to perform in spite the, now, inappropriate name!

The Village Hop Band at the Wheel Easy Ceilidh, 31 January 2009. Nick, Mary, Chas and Heather.

"Many thanks again for doing a great job to make the Ceilidh such a success" - Malcolm and Gia.

Diary

The year of 2008 was a busy one for band activities and with our various line-ups we provided music for 33 folk dance events. We especially enjoyed playing at our 3 local folk dance clubs - Heatherdene Folk Dance Club in Harrogate, Highside Folk Dance Club in Galphay and Knaresborough Country Dance Club. But there were a couple of highlights which were very special - playing for the Clogfest ceilidh at Cracoe Village Hall with caller Martin Harvey and for the Early Dance Circle at Ashville College, with Diana Campbell calling.

Date Band Event
Fri 30 January 2009 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club with Tessa Goldsmith
Sat 31 January 2009 Village Hop Band Wheeleasy Group Ceilidh, St. Wilfrid's Church Hall, Harrogate. With Tony Whitehead, Nick and Mary Barber.
Fri 27 February 2009 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club with Tessa Goldsmith
Fri 6 March 2009 Yorkshire Gold YAMSEN Music Hall Event, West Park Centre, Leeds
Sat 14 March 2009 Hop Back Jig Caving Club, Green Dragon, Hardraw.
Thu 19 March 2009 Village Hop Band Knaresborough Country Dance Club
Sat 28 March 2009 One Night Band Clogfest Fundraising Event, Haydon Bridge.
Mon 6 April 2009 Village Hop Band Heatherdene Folk Dance Club, Harrogate.
Fri 10 April 2009 Hop Back Jig Private Function, Birthday Party, Addingham
13 -18 April 2009 Members of the band will be accompanying dancers from the Northern Dance Centre to participate in the World Folk Dance Festival in Palma.
Sat 25 April 2009 Yorkshire Gold "A Dance for St. George" at Stainbeck Community Centre, Leeds.
Fri 5 June 2009 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club
Sat 6 June 2009 Village Hop Band Bishop Monkton Barn Dance and BBQ.
Fri 3 July 2009 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club with Nick and Mary Barber
Thu 9 July 2009 Village Hop Band Accompanying the Northern Lights dancers at the Llangollen Eisteddfod for International Youth Day.
Sat 11 July 2009 Village Hop Band Private Function, wedding celebration, Henshaws, Knaresborough.
Sat 18 July 2009 Hop Back Jig Private Function, wedding celebration, Thirn.
Fri 14 August 2009 Hop Back Jig Private Function, wedding celebration, Byland Abbey
Sat 29 August 2009 Village Hop Band Private Function, wedding celebration, Otley with Nick and Mary Barber.
Sat 12 September 2009 Village Hop Band Seaton Delaval Hall with TwoStep - music and step dance for the National Trust and HRH the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
Sat 19 September 2009 Village Hop Band Ryburn Three Step - Waring Green Ceilidh with caller Gordon Wood and Nick and Mary Barber.
Sat 10 October 2009 One Night Band Bethel Baptist Church Ceilidh, Sandy Lane, Allerton, BD15 9LL.
Sat 17 October 2009 Yorkshire Gold Family Ceilidh, Victoria Hall, Saltaire - Day of Dance
Fri 23 October 2009 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club.
Mon 2 November 2009 Village Hop Band Heatherdene Folk Dance Club, Harrogate.
Thu 19 November 2009 Village Hop Band Knaresborough Country Dance Club
Sat 21 November 2009 Yorkshire Gold Oatlands Infant School, Harrogate.
Sat 28 November 2009 Village Hop Band Clogfest Ceilidh at Pannal Village Hall with Nick and Mary Barber
Fri 4 December 2009 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club
Sat 12 December 2009 Village Hop Band Private Function, Birthday Party, Tadcaster.
Sat 23 January 2010 One Night Band Church in the Dale Ceilidh, Pateley Bridge Memorial Hall
Sat 30 January 2010 Hop Back Jig Bingley T.B.C.
Sat 6 March 2010 Hop Back Jig Private Function, wedding celebration, Oxenhope.
Mon 26 April 2010 Village Hop Band Heatherdene Folk Dance Club, Harrogate.