Cecil Sharp collected hundreds of folksongs from working people in Somerset at the beginning of the twentieth century, and inspired many other musicians and collectors to do the same in other parts of the country, including Ralph Vaughan Williams and Percy Grainger.
Brothers Henry and Robert Hammond were inspired to do so in Dorset, arriving with their bicycles in 1905. Over a period of two years they collected around 600 folksongs, many from the South Dorset Ridgeway area from singers such as Marina Russell in Upwey and Robert Barratt in Puddletown. These songs are now available online and in manuscript form, representing a fantastic resource of local music, story and folklore.
In this special solo concert, Dorset’s Tim Laycock tells the story of the Hammonds’ activities in the County, and sings a personal selection of favourites from their collection. “I’ve sung these wonderful songs for more than thirty years” says Tim, “and for me the great attraction, apart from the extraordinary tunes and stories, is the fact that they are local and as much a part of our county heritage as the monuments and long barrows”.
Following the success of the ‘Rooting Round the Ridgeway’ West Gallery carol workshops and concerts last autumn, this evening is also an introduction to a new series of workshops where those taking part will explore the local folk song repertoire and practise the art of solo folksong performance. “The songs are accessible and fun” says Tim, “you don’t need to be a trained singer, or even able to read music, to be able to perform and enjoy this evocative music. Come along and hear about the Hammonds and the songs they found, then sign up for a workshop to learn a song from your village or area – no previous experience necessary!”
This is a public concert, but we recommend anyone interested in taking part in the following sequence of workshops to contact Artsreach in advance to register for a place.
Wednesday 14 May, 7:30pm. Portesham Village Hall. Tickets £5 01305 269512
Workshops: £20 in total, to include this performance
More info:
Artsreach is Dorset’s rural touring arts organisation, giving rural communities all over the county the opportunity to see and participate in high quality arts events in their own villages. As a charitable organisation, Artsreach aims to make ticket prices accessible to everyone and to enable this to happen, it receives regular funding from Arts Council England, Dorset County Council, North, East and West Dorset and Purbeck District Councils.
HLF’s Landscape Partnership Programme:
HLF’s Landscape Partnerships are helping bring together members of the community as well as local, regional, and national organisations to deliver schemes which benefit some of the UK’s most outstanding landscapes and rural communities. Grants currently range from £250,000 up to £2m. From 2013 this range changes to £100,000 up to £3m. The next closing date for LP applications is May 2013.
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported almost 35,000 projects with more than £5.5bn across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk.
*Members of HLF’s Committee for the South West are chosen for their wide range of experience and local knowledge. Responsible for making decisions on regional applications to the fund from £50,000 to £2million, the committee are supported by the regional HLF team for the South West, who operate from Exeter based office.
Over the last 30 years, Phil Collins has worked for environmental and heritage organisations, including Government agencies, local authorities, museums, environmental and architectural consultancies and the charitable sector. He is a qualified landscape architect, historic buildings conservation specialist, museum professional and ecologist.
Phil has a strong interest in increasing public understanding of the management and value of the historic and natural environments and their cultural importance. He was a member of the SW Historic Environment Forum and is a trustee for the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural Environment at Haldon, Exeter.
Dorset AONB and family of protected landscapes
The Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is one of a national family of protected landscapes.
The Dorset AONB Partnership brings together 20 organisations to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of this nationally important landscape. The Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers over 40% of the county, and is one of a family of 49 AONBs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. To find out more about the Partnership, visit our web site at www.dorsetaonb.org.uk.
The AONB stretches from Lyme Regis in the west, along the coast to Poole Harbour in the east, and north to Hambledon Hill near Blandford Forum. It covers over half of Poole Harbour, including Brownsea and the smaller islands. Outside of the harbour, the designated area ends at mean low water. The AONB includes small areas in Somerset and Devon.
The Dorset AONB is one of the most heavily populated AONBs, with c.70,000 people living within the boundary and approximately 1.35 million people living within 20 miles of the boundary. A number of market and coastal towns lie within the AONB, including Lyme Regis, Bridport, Beaminster and Swanage.
