Suddenly the night was shattered by the sound of wild drumming and into the arena with a fiery flourish came Mister Fox.
Mister Fox was a stirring sight to watch with their ritualistic pyrotechnics guided only by the tribal sound of their fife and drums.
Time for a change of pace and focus as the haunting strains of the Traveller’s Prayer reached our ears. It was sung this year by our special guest singer, Angeline Morrison.
I have the greatest respect for Angeline as she performed so well despite less than ideal conditions. The fire cauldrons of Mister Fox had only just been doused and the whole stage area was enveloped in acrid smoke which set me off into paroxysms of coughing. Yet in spite of this, and the fact that the Traveller’s Prayer involves five key changes, she sang it beautifully – a true professional.
It was ancestor time and for the second year running we were so pleased to present Takam with their Dia de los Muertos traditions, this time from a different area of Mexico – Santacruz.
They started with a stunning visual display of dancing in gorgeous costumes which resembled the renowned Monarch butterflies which migrate to parts of Mexico just around the time of their ancestral celebrations. Monarch butterflies have a deep cultural significance to the Mexican people as they symbolise the souls of deceased loved ones returning to visit their families.
Following this performance a projector was set up and a reel of photos was shown of loved ones memorial photos that had been sent in by attendees. It reminded me of the Hall of Remembrance that is played during the Oscar ceremony each year. On paper this idea sounded a little contrived and modern, but I have to admit that on the night it worked so well. It was a very effective way of invoking our ancestors and everyone was reacting emotionally to the performance and footage.
Then we were treated to the dance called La Bruja which in translation means The Witch. This dance is traditionally performed with a candle which is balanced on the head for the duration of the song.
The tradition of dancing with candles on their heads in Mexican culture is rooted in the folklore and history of the country. It is a way to honour the spirits and celebrate the Day of the Dead, a time when the living and the dead come together in remembrance. The flickering flames of the candles symbolize the journey of the soul and the connection between the living and the deceased. This practice is deeply intertwined with the cultural and spiritual beliefs of Mexico, where light is seen as a symbol of hope and guidance
During Takam’s performance you may have, if you looked closely, spotted someone lurking in the wings who was dressed in a white dress…
Yes, Laetitia had been secretly practising the Mexican dance moves to La Bruja over the months, and escorted by two hunky young Mexican men she joined in the dance at the end of Takam’s performance.
The ancestral part of the programme ended with our now traditional Ancestor Chant started by Angeline Morrison with everyone being encouraged to join in.
Grimspound Border Morris added additional fire to the evening with two torch dances.
It was around this time that it became apparent that one of the acts had seriously overrun and we were running 30 mins behind, besides which it had now started to rain. As the Creative Director in charge of performances I had to now make a quick decision. For all sorts of reasons that I won’t go into now, I decided to go straight into the necessary list of thanks to all who gave their time and energy willingly and freely and to announce next year’s guest sides.
For years now I have been endeavouring to entice a Molly side to the Dark Gathering. They are on the whole very connected to the territory they live in, usually the fenlands of East Anglia. However, I found a relatively new side that were interested in travelling to the wilds of North Cornwall.
Molly No Mates come from Bristol and describe themselves as: Bristol’s premier queer drag king Molly dancing team, est. 2023.
Hal an Tow – Molly No-Mates Abergavenny Pride 2024
We also welcome back the Dark Gathering our old friends, Beltane Border Morris to the delight of, no doubt, many people.
Beltane Border Morris dancing Haytor at Haytor at dawn on 1st May 2025
To complete our fabulous Halloween line up, who better than to invite the 13th faery so to speak – the mesmerising Boggarts Breakfast.
Boggarts Breakfast dance the “Impossible Dance” at Upton upon Severn Folk Festival 2024
This year’s Dark Gathering was meant to end with a Finale of Tinner’s Rabbit led by Grimspound Border Morris, but much to mine and a lot of other people’s disappointment we were unable to include this as it was so late. It was a great shame as they had special LED sticks to perform with.
Before I round up things in this year’s review, I’ll include some random shots of the Dark Gathering 2025.
Remember I mentioned that next year we were inviting another Cornish Oss to join our bone sisters? Well, let me introduce you to, Alargh Dhu.
Let’s not forget all the good people working behind the scenes. A special thanks to our beleaguered sound man, Neal Jolly who performed small miracles all day long without a break. Also our wonderful team of stewards who work so hard to make your visit to the Dark Gathering a positive experience. Finally spare a thought for the small group of folks who make up our Committee who volunteer their time and energy all year round to produce the Dark Gathering each Halloween.
Most of all thank you to all our loyal followers and attendees to the Dark Gathering who have made this event their own by their dedicated support over the years.
Our next Dark Gathering falls on Saturday 31st October 2026 – Halloween. See you there!
