Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Town Crier Competition on Cracker Night
Tuesday, November 25th, 2014This Christmas Cracker night in Dorchester will see battle commence between the best town criers in the county. Last year saw Dorchester’s very own Alistair Chisholm triumph at the competition held in Beaminster and as such has the privilege of hosting this year’s event, but will home advantage be a deciding factor in the 2014 result?
Today there are 17 town criers in the county, both men and women. Nearly all of them have confirmed their entry into the competition being held on Cracker Night, next Thursday 4th December between 7 and 8pm. Those competing will cry from up on the Bow outside St Peter’s church and the judges will be on the other side of the High Street.
The criers in this year’s competition will be judged in three categories; best crier, best cry and best dressed crier. Their cries, on the subject of “Winter Traditions”, are limited to 100 words and the judges will be awarding marks on the basis of the cry’s clarity, sustained volume, audience engagement and the crier’s confidence and general bearing.
If you’ve ever fancied having a go at this “extreme sport” then you might like to practise the following short cry and have a go yourself on the night.
Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!
Cracker Night’s a special night with fun for one and all
The season of good will’s begun come on let’s have a ball!
God Save The Queen
