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Since the Middle Ages, 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 liveries of the town. The Colchester Town Waits were first revived by Phil Manchester in the 1970's and have been playing tabor pipes, drums and other folk instruments since then.
About three years ago, Lizzie Gutteridge of Wyldes Noyse started looking for people in the area who might be interested in playing the original waits instruments of the Middle Ages and Tudor times: shawms and sackbutts. Gradually a new band was formed which now has a membership of about a dozen players from a wide range of backgrounds whose aim is to create an upbeat take on the traditional instruments and tunes.
2010 will be our third year and we aim to continue improving on our current performances out and about and alongside the Colchester Historical Dance playing in our new liveries in our re-enactment mode. We're very excited to be inviting Gaita down from Edinburgh to run a workshop on Medieval music and dance in March, we're hoping to travel to York to perform alongside the Mystery Plays in July, and in September, with luck, we'll be heading to Holland for the 4th International Festival of Town Pipers.
We will also be starting on a voyage of discovery trying out some more modern interpretations of the Waits repertoire. This term we are running monthly "electric/fusion" practice nights between our usual authentic line-up rehearsals, where we will be mixing shawms, bagpipes and the like with electric and modern instruments. Get in touch if you'd like to give it a try, we'd particularly like to find an interested drummer...
The Colchester Waits Shawm Band
are members of
Background:
For more on the 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.