Merrymaking by The Rice Family

Fifty years ago the pubs of the small remote Dartmoor town of Chagford would regularly ring to the sound of mouthorgan, concertina and accordion music or the rattle of a stepdance board. On carnival day the streets would be filled by revellers following the music and drums of the Merrymakers band.

At the centre of this music making were two cousins, Jack and les Rice. One a tall, thin, reserved man who could play the mouthorgan like no one else and the other a flamboyant gent who won all the stepdancing competitions.

Their tradition live on in the hands of Jack's grandson, Jason who has now teamed up with Mark Bazeley, grandson of the other Dartmoor musical legend Bob Cann. A living tradition and long may their dynasties survive!

Tracklist

1.	Jack Rice - The Harvest Schottische (mouthorgan)	1:15

2.	Les Rice - The Washerwoman (anglo concertina)	1:17

3.	Jack Rice - George Cann's/Dorsetshire Hornpipes (mouthorgan)	2:37

4.	Jack Rice - Waltzes (mouthorgan)	2:13

5.	Jack Rice, Gordon Rice, Fran Rice - George Cann's Jig (mouthorgan, melodeon, recorder)	1:58

6.	Les Rice - The Magzina (anglo concertina)	1:25

7.	Jack Rice, Bob Cann - Stepdance to the Cliffe Hornpipe (stepdancing, melodeon)	1:10

8.	Jack Rice - Polka, The Boat is Tipping Over (mouthorgan)	1:28

9.	Les Rice - Will Holman's Jig (anglo concertina)	0:30

10.	Jack Rice - George Cann's Waltz (mouthorgan)	1:41

11.	Jack Rice - The Cokey/Stepdance Hornpipes (mouthorgan)	2:10

12.	Les Rice - The Veleta (mouthorgan)	0:55

13.	The New Merrymakers - Ri Too Ral (carnival band)	1:05

14.	Jack Rice - The New Rigged Ship/Jim Cann's Barn Dance/Woodland Flowers (mouthorgan)	2:54

15.	Jack Rice - Dorset Four Hand Reel (mouthorgan)	1:17

16.	Les Rice - The Scottish/George Cann's/The Cliffe Hornpipes (mouthorgan)	1:07

17.	Les Rice - Quadrilles (anglo concertina)	1:16

18.	Jack Rice - The Londonderry/The Trumpet Hornpipes (mouthorgan)	2:45

19.	Jack Rice - Bob Cann's Uncle's Jig (mouthorgan)	1:41

20.	Les Rice - Stepdance Tunes (anglo concertina)	2:14

21.	Jack Rice - Sweet Rosy O'Grady (mouthorgan)	1:45

22.	Les Rice, Jack Rice - Stepdance to the Schottische Hornpipe (stepdancing, mouthorgan)	1:16

23.	Les Rice - The Monkey Hornpipe/Waltz (mouthorgan)	0:49

24.	Jack Rice - Will Small's Hornpipe/The Cliffe Hornpipe (mouthorgan)	1:08

25.	Jack Rice, Paul Wilson - Nothing Over 6d in the Store (mouthorgan, fiddle)	2:25

26.	George Allen, Les Rice - When I Grow too Old to Dream (melodeon, anglo concertina)	0:56

27.	Jason Rice - Heel & Toe Polka (piano accordion)	2:52

28.	Jason Rice, Mark Bazeley - Lincolnshire Poacher/The Feathers (piano accordion, melodeon)	2:45

29.	Jason Rice, Mark Bazeley - The Primrose Polka (piano accordion, melodeon)	3:13

30.	Jack Rice, Les Rice, Paul Wilson - Cock of the North/Scotland the Brave/I Love a Lassie (mouthorgan, anglo concertina, piano accordion)	3:28

Credits

released January 1, 2001

Recorded by Sam Richards, Paul Wilson, John Howson and Keith Gould.
Production and design: John Howson

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