English Dance and Song Spring 2023
This obituary by Dick Hobbs appears in English Dance and Song, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance, EDS was first published in 1936 and is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts.
Mike Wilson-Jones – dancer, teacher, choreographer and communicator – died on 4 March 2023 at the age of 78. He had been suffering from cancer, and had moved in the last year to a care home in Hindhead.
Mike’s first contact with folk was in 1956 at Weston-super-Mare Grammar School for Boys, where one of the teachers, Peter Boyce, invited him to be a founder member of the Mendip Morris Men. From morris he also added English and Scottish country dancing. He went up to Southampton University, where one of his first acts was to convert the old time dance society to English and Scottish. He also joined the Winchester Morris Men, where he enjoyed the teaching and experience of Lionel Bacon.
On graduation he moved to London and a whole new dance scene: Westminster Morris Men, and Marjorie Fennesy’s Whirligigs where he met Mary, his wife and dance partner for more than 50 years. He became a mainstay of the London Branch Demonstration Class of the RSCDS, and of Sunday Club, the EFDSS show team founded by Douglas Kennedy.
Sunday Club became London Folk and in 1978 Mike became its director and producer of the Society’s annual festival at the Royal Albert Hall. That allowed him free rein with his imagination, combining traditional music and dance with dramatic concepts, not least the celebration of Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in which he even used the Albert Hall’s 1812 cannons!
Everyone who took part in London Folk and Albert Hall festivals will remember Mike’s characteristic style. He was always friendly and cajoling, but still insistent upon the highest standards of dancing, music and presentation. The goal was to show folk in the best possible light.
It is not possible to list all his other achievements here. An old friend of Pat Shaw, after his death Mike revived the Cecil Sharp House carol concert, which Pat had taken over from Ralph Vaughan Williams. He first joined the NEC in 1970; he served as treasurer for many years; he implemented Gift Aid and set up the first version of the online shop; and in retirement devoted many hours to sorting the EFDSS archives. In 2017 both he and Mary were presented with EFDSS Gold Badges.
He continued to dance with Westminster, and later with Martlets, close to his home in Hampshire. Well into his seventies he was performing Scottish with Corryvrechan before ill health overtook both Mike and Mary. His many friends will remember him as both an inspirational leader and convivial good company who could usually be called upon to sing, which might be The Barley Mow or possibly some Flanders & Swann. He will be much missed.
