School Pageant, 1909

King Ecgbert Pageant, July 1909. Courtiers and Chorus.

King Ecgbert Pageant, July 1909. Courtiers and Chorus.

King Ecgbert Pageant, July 1909. Lady Elfrida and the Morris-dancers

King Ecgbert Pageant, July 1909. Courtiers and Chorus.

Friday 30th July 1909 Belper News and Derbyshire Telephone (page 2)
Picturesque School Pageant.
Lesson To Copy
Tradition has it that far back in the dim past, the green and tranquil valley of Dore was the scene of an historic meeting. It is chronicled in in certain musty records that i the year 827, after subduing the Kingdom of the Mercians, King Egbert led an army to Dore against the Northumbrians. The northerners, however, offered submission to Egbert, who signed the treaty which put and end to the Heptarchy and united England.

The interesting episode which links Dore in such a picturesque manner with olden times was re-enacted on Thursday, in one of the sylvan dales near Dore, and not far distant from the spot known as "King's field," where it is supposed that Egbert actually received the promise of allegiance from the sturdy sons of Northumbria. 

It was, in fact, a historic pageant in miniature, the actors in which were some 200 children from the Dore and Totley Schools. Remote as it is from the world, the little village of Dore has caught the pageantry fever. It is proud of its historical associations, but it was not only to remind people of these that the performance was held. A higher motive actuated the organisers and that was to make the young folks of Dore patriotic.

"True patriotism is not only love of the soil. It is love of the past, and reverence for the generations that have gone before."

These words were blazoned forth on a banner held aloft before the commencement of the performance, and they gave a deeper meaning to the spectacle that followed.

A more beautiful setting for the pageant could not be imagined. The scenes were enacted in a natural theatre, under the leafy shelter of flourishing trees, with the noble hills rising in the background. The silence of the restful little glade was on Wednesday broken by the bold notes of bugles and drums, alternating with the sweeter sounds of children's voices singing in unison, whilst its accustomed peaceful aspect was changed into a picture of colour and movement.

A large crowd of spectators had taken up their position on the grassy slope overlooking the small arena by the time the gay and many-hued procession marched into the field, headed by the band of the Boys' Brigade. The children were grouped on one side of the arena, and presently their silver voices were raised in the song, "Hail, smiling morn," which was followed by the singing of "What of the Bow."

The historic episode opened with a pastoral scene which was charming in its simplicity. As the last notes of the chorus died away, a wild, picturesque figure, dressed in an animal's skin, wandered on to the grassy stage. It was Cutha, a herd man, who concealed himself behind a thicket to listen to the song of Judith, a pretty little cowherd who appeared from the shelter of the trees. Animation was introduced into the scene by the arrival of a party of green-clad foresters, who passed through cheerily singing a gay carol of the woodlands, and there was an element of fun when the sturdy Cutha engaged in a brisk duel with staffs with an uncouth serf. The joyousness and freedom of the forest glade was prettily suggested by some Morris-dancers who tripped into view waving their wreaths of flowers in the breeze.

Cenlac, the Thane of Dore, in an interview with his daughter Lady Elfrida, a picture in white, spoke sadly of troublous times, and a moment later there came a harbinger of ill in "Wilfred," a pilgrim, who warned Cenlac of the approach of Egbert.

A splendid boy, armed with shield and spear, appeared. He was a soldier who summoned Cenlac to a council called by the King of Northumbria. The scene closed with a song by Elfrida, "Britons strike home," and the chorus sang the hymn "Let all our brethren."

Extremely pretty was the scene showing the entry of King Eanred, of Northumbria, and his gorgeously attired train. The council scene was quite impressive, and the juvenile actors realised the dignity of the occasion. The King very majestically assumed his seat on a throne of huge rough stones, and received the homage of his nobles, ealdermen, and thanes, who each made a low and graceful obeisance as they passed before the throne.

"Leofric, Archbishop of York," solemnly announced a handsome young herald, and there approached from the far end of the arena a small ecclesiastical procession, with cross held aloft before the Archbishop, who was in full canonicals, and was accompanied by a retinue of sombre-gowned monks.

The King descended from his throne and knelt down to receive the blessing of the Archbishop - a picturesque scene which was enacted with true artistic perception by the young folks. While the King sat in solemn conference with his counsellors, shrill voices were heard in the woods in the distant chanting "See the conquering hero comes." A moment later there emerged from the woods a glittering cavalcade. It was a brave band of soldiery, in front of whom, sitting astride a pony with purple and silver trappings, was the bold figure of King Egbert.

A dramatic incident followed. When the invading monarch dismounted the Northumbrian King knelt before him in an attitude of submission, and laid his crown at his feet. Egbert made a magnanimous speech, and lusty shouts of "Waes hael, Bretwalda" closed the scene.

An imposing spectacle was formed as the soldiers, foresters, monks, Morris-dancers, and all the picturesque-clad actors in the pageant formed into procession and marched round the arena, the delighted spectators loudly applauding the young processionists as they passed.

The children had been admirably trained and the teachers are to be congratulated upon the fact that the performance was not marred by a single hitch. Many of the children seemed to possess some histrionic intuition, and each of them pronounced their lines with a boldness of utterance which is unusual in juveniles. 

The principal characters were sustained by the following:- Harold Bishop (Egbert), Joseph William Flint (Eanred), Robert Cracknell (Leofric), Cyril Gardner (Cenlac), Noel Fletcher (Morcar), Bernard Turner (Wilfred), Fred Andrews (Cutha), Ernest Bennett (Alfred), Elsie Crookes (Lady Elfrida), Dora Hodkin (Judith), Tom Bradley (serf), Frank Flint (herald), Bernard Wolsterholme (soldier), Willis Farnsworth (Cenwolf), Frank Taylor (Siward), Clifford Whittle (Ina) and Joseph Gill (Cuthlac). The Morris-dancers were Florence Marshall, Annie Ramsell, Ethel Stratford, Dora Hodkins, Grace Johnson and Lucy Ward, and they were coached by Miss Porritt and Miss Cooper. 

Mr Bone (headmaster of Dore) and Mr Wood (headmaster of Totley) received valuable assistance in the training of the children from the Misses Hodkin, Scutterfitt, Marsden, Lee, Andrews, and Crooks, members of the teaching staffs. The authoress of the words of the pageant, which were gracefully written, is Miss Milner, the daughter of Mr and Mrs W.A. Milner, who were amongst the spectators, and took a keen interest in the proceedings.

The whole of the picturesque costumes, which were quite of the period, were made by the Ladies' Committee, consisting of the following: Mrs W.A. Milner, Miss Crobie, Miss Taylor, Mrs John Cooper, Mrs Anderson, Mrs and Miss Webster, Mrs Kerfoot, Mrs W.R. Gibson, Mrs Strange, Mrs Newton Combe, Mrs Armitage, Miss Hancock, Mrs Andrews, Miss Andrews, Miss Poritt (treasurer), Miss Mary Cooper, Miss Sparkes, Mrs Foulstone, Mrs Jackson, and Miss Moss. The secretarial duties were admirably carried out by Mrs Joseph Cooper. The proceeds are to be devoted to the Dore and Totley Schools. 

         King Ecgbert Pageant, July 1909: The foresters.

Script (Remnants of)

        King Ecgbert Pageant, July 1909. The Chorus

This fragment of the script illustrates an error pointed out by John Dunstan in his book Dore Old School in Records and Recollections (2006). The pageant was written in the mistaken belief that Dore in 827 A.D. was at the southernmost point of the Northumbrian kingdom whereas, in fact, it was on Mercian land newly conquered by King Egbert of Wessex.

We are very grateful to Karole Sargent, the headteacher at Totley All Saints School, for allowing us access to an archive of school material including this historical pageant.

Bernard Turner, who played Wilfred in the pageant, was the youngest of the ten soldiers from Totley who lost their lives during World War 1. Their stories are told in our publication Totley War Memorial WW1 1914-18.