The morris dancing community in Wiltshire is mourning the death of Hilary Rawles. after a long illness She was a founding member of the Malmesbury Morris Dancing Group and in a tribute they said: “It's with very great sadness that we report the passing of our lead musician Hilary Rawles.
“Her excellent fiddle playing, knowledge of Morris, and dedication were the bedrock upon which our side was built.
“Her humour, kindness, generosity and patience will be sorely missed.
“Gone, but never forgotten.”
Her husband John also plays the fiddle for Chippenham Morris and her daughter Harriet dances with the Chippenham Appalachian group Footnotes.
A member of Malmesbury Morris said the group would not have begun without her.
She said: “She was very passionate about folk music.
“She helped to start the group from scratch.
“We certainly couldn’t have done it without her.”
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