William Kimber

This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message )

William "Merry" Kimber (8 September 1872 – 26 December 1961), was an English Anglo concertina player and Morris dancer who played a key role in the twentieth century revival of Morris Dancing, a form of traditional English folk dancing. He was famous both for his concertina playing and for his fine, upright dancing, such that in his day he was presented in the highest circles of society.

Kimber was born at

Kimber's Anglo concertina playing — making use of the left-hand to add simple but effective chordal and rhythmic accompaniments — showed great vitality and lightness of touch. The recordings made of Kimber, many of which are now available on CD, are among the very few recordings that exist of English traditional concertina players, and have been very influential on later twentieth century exponents of the instrument.

In 1894, Kimber married Florence Cripps, and they had eight children. "Merry" Kimber built a house for himself in St Anne's Road, Headington Quarry in 1911, which he named "Merryville". His wife died in 1917, and in 1920 he married Bessie Clark, and that year he revived the Headington Quarry 'side' that he had formed in 1910.

In 1922, Kimber was presented with the gold medal of the

Kimber died in 1961 at "Merryville", and at his funeral at Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry, his coffin was carried by the Headington Quarry Morris Men in their Morris regalia.

Discography

• Absolutely Classic: The Music of William Kimber (1999).
  The English Folk Dance and Song Society
• The Art of William Kimber (1974) Topic Records

Country Gardens from The Art of William Kimber is included as track seven on the first CD of the Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten

References

• The Anglo-Concertina Music of William Kimber — Worrall, Dan M. (2005) London, English Folk Dance and Song Society
  ISBN 0-85418-194-6

• Biography at local Headington website
• Scanned images of a newspaper cutting of William Kimber's obituary, and an image of him in Morris costume from The Morris Book (Cecil Sharp)