PERIOD MUSIC IN A BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC SETTING

Early Music Afternoon

Sunday 12July 2009 from 2pm
Weald & Downland Open Air Museum

The beautiful downland setting of England’s leading museum of historic buildings will provide a fitting backdrop to the peaceful strains of period music on Sunday 12 July. The ever-popular Early Music Afternoon returns to the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester, West Sussex, and features many groups of musicians performing in and around the Museum’s historic buildings.

The Early Music Afternoon is a wonderful celebration of music, dancing and merrymaking. The musicians, some in period costume, will perform Medieval, Tudor and Stuart pieces – including historic ‘pop’ music from the streets, lively music from the theatre, and courtly pieces – with instruments ranging from the familiar, such as recorders and cellos, to the more unusual including lutes and a hurdy gurdy. Costumed dancers in the Market Square will be performing throughout the afternoon, and visitors will be welcome to have a go and join in! All the performers will be happy to answer any visitors’ questions concerning their music and its history.

The Museum’s historic buildings have all been rescued from destruction and reconstructed in a beautiful 45 acre site in the South Downs, providing a wonderful, peaceful setting for the gentle strains of period music and a fitting backdrop for the dancers and musicians. Joining the event once again will be Lewes-based King Henry’s Consort, musical supporters of the Museum for many years. Historically, consorts such as this usually consisted of a ‘family’ of the same type of instrument, in different sizes. The Consort specialises in playing recorder music from 1450 - 1650, using modern Maplewood copies of original instruments, and including descant, treble, tenor and bass recorders. These instruments differ from 20th century ones, in that they have a wide bore, not a narrow one, and a limited range of notes – one and a half octaves.

Visitors to the Museum will also have the chance to visit an exhibition of the Museum’s Historic Clothing Project, run by the Interpretation Department with the help of staff and volunteers from the Museum Needlework Group. This ongoing Project is unique in English museums, with carefully researched period clothing of ‘working status’ from the Tudor, Stuart and Victorian periods being made and worn on site. The historic clothing will be on display, and worn by volunteers and staff who will be on hand to talk to visitors about the Project.

“The Early Music Afternoon is a vivid and entertaining example of how we aim to bring aspects of our past to life” states Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer at the Museum. “We hope our visitors will enjoy the opportunity to listen to, learn about and simply enjoy the period music and dance as they explore the Museum’s exhibits.”

The Museum is open for the Early Music Afternoon on July 12, and daily until 23 December. It is open from 10.30am to 6pm during British Summer Time, and until 4pm for the rest of the year. Admission is adults £8.95, over 60s £7.95, children £4.70, family £24.25, under 5’s free.
 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts.  There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes.  The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. For further information call the Museum information line on 01243 811348 or contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer

Tel: 01243 811014.
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: marketing@wealddown.co.uk.

Full details about the Museum and its activities can be found at www.wealddown.co.uk 

[Back to News]