With vocal support from members of Quire (The Colchester World Music Community Choir), Bill Tamblyn celebrates the work of local music historian, Chris Turner, revealing the wealth of music sung in West Galleries in our area from the 18th century onwards.

Come and join in a rumbustious song or two on Wednesday 16th May at 7:30pm in St Mary’s Church, Peldon! Tickets £8

This is NOT about Anglican choirs as we know them today. But interestingly enough, the story does reflect the antagonism between choir and clergy that goes way, way back into our folk history. Nothing new here!

Professor Bill Tamblyn begins with the mystery: What ever happened to the West Gallery at Peldon? All the evidence was cleared away when it was pulled down in the mid 19th century.. or was it?

Was there a West Gallery Quire of rustics who sang loudly from the gallery and ‘led’ the singing? If so, what did they sing? Can we sing it too?

Building on scraps of information from Peldon, and records from other parishes round the country, Bill creates a musical picture of a lively, rumbustious and irascible bunch who created a whole new form of music-making that was to liven up services and, as is still true to day in the North of England, liven up pub singing at Christmas.

Bill brings with him members of Quire – The Colchester World Music Community Choir to help us enter in to the spirit of the times. You will go out with a lively spring in your step and a song in your heart such that you will ask “why cant we sing like that in church these days?