Friday 25th October
We will be at St-Giles-in-the-Fields, for the Bloomsbury Festival on Friday October 25th.
Sing Ballads of Bloomsbury:
Next week (23rd October) there will be an online singing workshop for everyone - learn five songs and ballads taking you on a time-travel tour through the rich history of Bloomsbury.
Then join a live-streamed concert on Friday 25th October at 6:30pm and sing along with us when we perform these songs in 'Sing Ballads of Bloomsbury' at the church of St Giles-in-the-fields as part of the Bloomsbury Festival. Or join us there in person!
Online Zoom Workshops:
October 23rd 2024
Sing Ballads Online Workshop 1:
2:00 PM
Sing Ballads Online Workshop 2:
6:30 PM
More info:
From the 1500s up to the 1800s, broadside ballads were how people found out what was going on. They were printed on one side of paper, with lyrics and often a woodcut image. Millions were sold cheaply on the streets. Seven Dials was the major centre for ballad production In Britain, just 4 minutes walk from St Giles-in-the-fields.
In this workshop we'll learn five songs celebrating the history of Bloomsbury, including two broadside ballads printed in Seven Dials: 'The Workhouse Cruelty' a ballad from 1731, tells the story of Mary Whistle, an unfortunate woman subject to mistreatment in the workhouse of St Giles. This and other scandals told in ballads and pamphlets, helped to lift the lid on terrible conditions in workhouses. 'St Giles's Bowl’ a ballad from the 1800s tells the story of criminals condemned to die on the gallows at Tyburn, making their way from Newgate Prison to stop for a bowl of strong ale at St Giles - particularly Jack Sheppard, a notorious young thief, prison escapee and hero of the poor, who inspired the character of Macheath in John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera' (1728).
We'll also sing two songs celebrating Black British music history: 'London Is the Place For Me', a calypso written by Aldwyn Roberts, AKA Lord Kitchener, and 'The Honeysuckle and the Bee' a song made famous by Belle Davis, an African-American star who toured British music halls, and was reputedly the first black woman to make a recording. We'll sing 'Consider Yourself' from Lionel Bart's hit musical Oliver!, to celebrate Charles Dickens who lived in Bloomsbury and drew inspiration from the slums around St Giles, and Bart, who started his career in Denmark Street, the famous music street running from Charing Cross Road to St Giles High Street, and was known as 'The King of Denmark Street'.
On Friday 25th October from 6:30-8pm at the church of St Giles-in-the-fields Vivien and the Dragon Cafe Singers will be joined by local choirs, including the choir of St Giles-in-the-fields, with the Dickens Museum, to perform 'Sing Ballads of Bloomsbury' as part of the Bloomsbury Festival. With readings from Dickens, Peyps, and other local favourites, Sing Ballads of Bloomsbury will take audiences on a time-travel tour through the area's rich history, uncovering stories about extraordinary local people.
A bit about Vivien…
Vivien Ellis is a singer, community choir-leader, early music specialist and arts & health researcher. She is undertaking an MA by research in Music at the University of York. Vivien leads the Dragon Cafe Singers, a group which is free, open to all, and meets every Monday at the Dragon Cafe in the Borough of Southwark in South London - under the auspices of Mental Fight Club, a charity supporting wellbeing through creative events and projects.
All are welcome and we look forward to welcoming you to Bloomsbury Festival on Friday 25th!
How to Find Us:
The Events listed above will be held at St Giles in the Fields, Bloomsbury Festival, all are welcome!
Full Address: 60 St Giles High St, London WC2H 8LG