Watch ‘Tea with William Barnes’ at Home

Celebrate the works of William Barnes with the Ridgeway Singers and Band

Dialect poet William Barnes relished the country-dances, folksongs and carols of Dorset, and often wrote about community celebrations, where music was a key part of the proceedings. Now a popular annual fixture in the Artsreach calendar, The Ridgeway Singers and Band will celebrate the rich dialect of Dorset through music, song and poetry as they invite you to ‘Tea with William Barnes’.

Led by Tim Laycock and Phil Humphries, The Ridgeway Singers and Band will be joined by guests from The William Barnes Society to celebrate the sounds and stories of old Dorset, performing traditional songs collected across the county, playing dance tunes from the repertoire of Blackmore Vale fiddler Benjamin Rose, and reciting some of the poems that keep alive the rich dialect of Dorset. 

Taking place at 3pm on Sunday 6 March, tickets for the 2022 Barnes celebration at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton have already sold out. However, Artsreach is delighted to be working with local film making company, Pageant Productions, to live stream the event, enabling those who are unable to attend in person to tune in and watch from home. To find out more about this celebration and to register for an e-ticket, visit www.artsreach.co.uk 
Sun 6 March, 3pm. Streamed online – book via artsreach.co.uk