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.

In 2009 we continued to play for our both folk local dance clubs and at many other events which totalled 30 performances for the year. Highlights included playing at Ryburn Three Step Celidh at Waring Green Ceilidh with caller Gordon Wood and Nick and Mary Barber. We also accompanying the Northern Lights dancers at the Llangollen Eisteddfod for International Youth Day where the team won first prize.

Date Band Event
Sat 23 January 2010 One Night Band Church in the Dale Ceilidh, Pateley Bridge Memorial Hall
Sat 30 January 2010 Hop Back Jig Private Function, Bingley
Thu 11 March 2010 Village Hop Band Knaresborough Country Dance Club
Fri 12 March 2010 One Night Band St. Cuthbert's School, Pateley Bridge
Fri 19 March 2010 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club.
Sat 27 March 2010 Village Hop Band Northern Lights "Easter Bunny Hop", St Andrew's Church Hall, Skipton.
Mon 26 April 2010 Village Hop Band Heatherdene Folk Dance Club, Harrogate.
Sun 9 May 2010 Village Hop Band Northen Lights - congress of dance teachers and examiners in London
Fri 21 May 2010 Village Hop Band Highside Folk Dance Club.
Sat 3 July 2010 Village Hop Band Private Function, Sharow