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From the Middle Ages through to the 18th Century, the Town of Colchester employed a band of musicians to entertain the populace and perform at civic occasions. These "Waits" would have walked the streets with shawms, sackbuts and other loud wind instruments, wearing blue liveries of the town. Now a group of a dozen or so local enthusiasts have got together to recreate the sounds and sights of those times.
The modern Colchester Waits play reproductions of the instruments of our forebears - shawms of various sizes, trumpet, sackbutts, cornetts, lysard, bagpipes, recorders and fiddles, and perform historical music with energy and a sense not just of history but also of fun. We wear the livery of a 16th C band but our musical tastes range from the early Middle Ages to the present day and we do our best to provide a fitting tune for any occasion. We also regularly perform alongside Colchester Historical Dance to demonstrate the dance music of the 15th - 17th Centuries.
This year, as well as our usual local engagements, the Colchester Waits are hosting the 5th International Festival of Town Pipers, organised together with the International Guild of Town Pipers and in partnership with the Colchester Medieval Festival (formerly the Oyster Fayre). We are inviting member bands of the IGTP to play in Colchester on the 2nd - 4th June and are expecting up to 100 visitors from the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, Sweden, Germany and Spain. For the latest festival information see here: www.townwaits.org.uk/fest2012.shtml If you are interested in trying Waits music (on modern or early instruments) or early dance for yourself, you may like to sign up for one of the free workshops that will be run as part of the event. To register an interest please email us.
We will be following the festival with a trip to Colchester's twin town in Germany of Wetzlar which is holding its Hessentag where members of the Waits will be performing as part of the celebrations.
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Background:
For Phil Manchester's original Colchester Town Waits revival, going strong since 1973, see the Colchester Waits on Myspace.
For more on Waits history and other existing bands see the Waits Website.
To hear modern Waits music at its best listen to the York Waits.