Stalbridge Hall and ArtsReach present West Gallery Carol Concert by the Ridgeway Singers and Band, led by Phil Humphries and Tim Laycock on Saturday 11th December 2021 in Stalbridge Hall at 4.00pm. "A joyous celebration of all things Dorset featuring traditional West Gallery carols, local wassails, midwinter stories and sparkling instrumentals". Tickets: £8, U18s £5, Family £20, available in advance from Williams Nursery in Station Road, Stalbridge or online at artsreach.co.uk by clicking on the logo below. Mulled wine and mince pies will be available.
The Ridgeway Singers and Band were created as part of a 2013 Artsreach project - ‘Rooting Round the Ridgeway’. Every Christmas since, the group have performed West Gallery Carol concerts in churches and village halls across Dorset. With their roots in the South Dorset Ridgeway and inspired by the rich sources of locally collected folk songs and West Gallery carols, The Ridgeway Singers & Band led by Tim Laycock and Phil Humphries have once again tuned their fiddles and voices to present a joyous celebration of Christmas past and present for Artsreach this winter.
Traditionally sung by village choirs in English country churches from the 18th century onwards, West Gallery music’s demise was brought about by changes in musical fashion and the innovations of the organ and harmonium. The accompanying musicians, usually performing from a gallery at the west end of the church, who played the fiddle, the cello and the serpent might have become no more than a footnote in history: but thanks to Thomas Hardy and his first novel, Under the Greenwood Tree, the carols that his grandfather and father played ‘Going the Rounds’, and the local traditional songs and dance tunes that they played so vigorously, have not only survived, but have been kept alive in grand style! The result is a joyful and toe-tapping musical celebration of the midwinter season.
Traditionally sung by village choirs in English country churches from the 18th century onwards, West Gallery music’s demise was brought about by changes in musical fashion and the innovations of the organ and harmonium. The accompanying musicians, usually performing from a gallery at the west end of the church, who played the fiddle, the cello and the serpent might have become no more than a footnote in history: but thanks to Thomas Hardy and his first novel, Under the Greenwood Tree, the carols that his grandfather and father played ‘Going the Rounds’, and the local traditional songs and dance tunes that they played so vigorously, have not only survived, but have been kept alive in grand style! The result is a joyful and toe-tapping musical celebration of the midwinter season.
