An Afternoon of Music, Song and Dance – Sunday 31 May 2026 Shirley Harry
We were delighted to bring our ‘Afternoon of Traditional Music, Song & Dance’ to a completely new venue this month – the Fromus Centre, in Saxmundham. The centre has is very well equipped with lots of parking, even though it perhaps wasn’t the easiest to find!
There were lots of new faces alongside more familiar participants and things got off to a jolly start with an intro tune from the ensemble led by Tracey Wisdom, Michael Cherbanoj, and who were joined by Paul, Bill, Mike, Alan and Ann.
Eammon Andrews performed a stirring song, Doreen introduced stepdancing – and was joined by a enthusiastic beginner. We enjoyed performances by Alan on his recorder, both Ann, and Bill Johnston led tunes on the melodeon, followed by a fiddle tune from Paul.
Songs were performed by Eammon, Dave Pring, Marianne, Mike Acott, Tracey Wisdom and John gave us a sea shanty.
After a welcome break (the cakes were obviously delicious as we had absolutely no leftovers!), Michael Cherbanoj of Mepal Molly explained a little about Broom Dancing and demonstrated, accompanied by the musicians. Jill Pring, Alvar Smith and Noel all gave wonderful renditions of songs.
Our jigdolls were introduced by Doreen and while several of our number had a go with our demonstration jig dolls, Doreen, Michael and Eammon performed some more step dancing.
It is always a treat to find a new venue for these afternoons and, given the warm and enthusiastic welcome we received, we hope to return soon.
A Good Ole Norfolk Tune-Up at Erpingham Spread Eagle
Sunday 17th May
It has to be said that we were rather a select bunch on this late Sunday afternoon, as illness and clashing events had thinned our ranks somewhat. Despite this, we were collectively more than able to field a team and what ensued were several enjoyable hours of traditional music making into the early evening.
As ever, the band rolled out sets of jigs and hornpipes, polkas and schottisches, with the occasional waltz changing the tempo. Dancers danced – Barry Mobbs and Monica Rackham waltzed and glided through the polka; there was much step dancing too, the room’s wooden floor proving an ideal platform, and Monika Wiedemann showing that schottisches certainly are ideal step dancing tunes, as well as Josh Dart showing his prowess throughout. Not to be outdone, Sheila Park’s dancing doll, made for her by Harry Cox, also put in an appearance several times in the course of the event.
The two dulcimers of Richard Blake and Tom Knights were, as always, an instrumental highlight, with Tom reeling off tunes learned from grandfather Reg Reader and both players sparring off each other – duelling dulcimers perhaps – with such as the On the Green / Pony Trot Polka set.
Interspersed with this were a variety of songs from various of us in the company, a key – but unintended – theme of which seemed to be poaching, transportation and the press gang, not infrequent subjects in the songs of our forebears though. Mention must be made too of Rosa Dart’s lovely duet rendition of Little Cock Sparrow with her father, got from the recording of Suffolk singer Roy Last, and seemingly something of a family tradition.
In all, a satisfying time, despite the absence of several stalwarts, and therefore a more subdued atmosphere in some ways, although a rollicking good tune-up in the main. We next turn our attention to south Norfolk – Shotesham Globe on Sunday 14th June, from 4.00 to 7.00.
In 1973, Topic Records put out an LP of instrumental music from this region – English Country Music from East Anglia (1) – which proved to be highly influential for the burgeoning scene of musicians and enthusiasts dedicated to promoting the idea that England had a vibrant tradition of music-making, which could be celebrated in just the same way as it was in Scotland and Ireland. The LP comprised music from four performers, one of whom was Billy Bennington, dulcimer player from Barford. I have reviewed this album previously (2) and don’t propose to revisit that ground here. Suffice to say that the LP certainly showed that East Anglia was a place where, in the 1970s, a few traditional performers could still be found. In 1987, a full LP of Billy Bennington’s music – The Barford Angel – was released on the tiny East Anglian Life label (3), further demonstrating Billy’s virtuosity on the instrument. In 2005 Veteran reissued the LP on compact disc, adding the tracks from the Topic LP too, to create a vibrant musical portrait of this dulcimer virtuoso.
Billy Bennington was born in Barford in 1900, an area of several ‘dulcimore’ players, a tradition which seems to have emanated out of Norwich, which was also noteworthy for makers of the instrument. He took lessons from local musician and band leader Billy Cooper after 1912 – whose son, also Billy Cooper, was also a prominent player, (4) and in the years after the First World War Billy teamed up with Billy Cooper junior and fiddler Walter Baldwin (5) to play in pubs all over Norfolk. From then on Billy fulfilled the role of local musician, whilst working as a gardener, developing an ornate but precise style of playing. These recordings were made towards the end of his life – he died in October 1986, a year after the bulk of the recordings were made – but his talents seem to have been in no way diminished by his age.
What we have here is over an hour of Billy’s repertoire: the social dances – hornpipes, polkas, schottisches and waltzes – marches and a couple of popular song tunes from his younger years. Hornpipes are well represented: a slightly unusual, rolling version of the ubiquitous Flowers of Edinburgh, (mistitled Yarmouth Hornpipe on the Topic LP), a sprightly medley of the local perennial favourites Yarmouth Hornpipe and Sheringham Breakdown, as well as the equally well-known Sailor’s Hornpipe (containing a snippet of Flowers of Edinburgh along the way), all at a moderate, assured pace. Schottisches are also well represented, illustrating how commonplace this couple dance was in these rural communities: Herbert Sadd’s Schottische, a rather florid and complex version of the tune more commonly known as Mountain Belle Schottische, and which came from the highly-regarded local player of that name, followed by an untitled Schottische and yet another unnamed, which track then nicely changes tempo into a Step Dance.
Polkas are equally well represented, with the wonderful Gay Ladies Polka and also two others which have been taken up by musicians locally, and played as a set – Pony Trot Polka and On the Green, the latter with its improvised section. Here are the originals in all their glory. Likewise a slow and stately version of the somewhat hackneyed Redwing, starting on the second strain of the tune, and none the worse for that. Also the song Going to the Derby, making an effective polka, and which Katie’s Quartet reworked as ‘BB’s’ (6) It’s easy to see the extent to which Billy Bennington was such an influence on younger performers, and the worth of these recordings in that respect.
The solitary jig, Rose Cottage, was named by Billy for his cottage and he comments that it was used for the Norfolk Long Dance (one of many, often untitled, tunes that local musicians had for the purpose). Billy once again gives an unhurried, assured performance. Waltzes are evident in the form of two distinct tunes called Dulcie Bell. The first is the ‘usual’ tune of this name, also played by Billy Cooper (junior) and probably written by his father, ‘Old Cooper’. (7) It certainly lives up to its name, with its Edwardian elegance and charm. Much the same could be said of the other, Dulcie Bell 2, which appeared on the Topic LP as ‘Dulcie Belle’ and for which Billy didn’t have a name. There are also two marches – a favourite type of tune – the Sousa-composed On Parade and The Gunner’s March, used, as Billy describes, for the Military Two-Step.
An unusual item is the tour de force performance of the American string band favourite The Chicken Reel. Where Billy got it from is unknown, but here is proof that the cross-Atlantic exchange of tunes was not a one-way flow in the early Twentieth Century (as exemplified also by the popularity of such tunes as Redwing and Whistling Rufus). There is also the dulcimer party-piece The Bells of St Mary’s, and the rest of the running time comprises popular songs of the earlier Twentieth Century, When Johnny Comes to Town, Lovely Lucerne, Obidiah, I Like to Say Good Morning and the sublime My Beloved Cornelia, with its effective mandolin mimicry.
In all, here we have a wonderful musical portrait of an extraordinary rural musician, a man who operated within the loose borders of tradition, but whose virtuosity took this music to a high level indeed. The CD is subtitled ‘Norfolk dulcimer and dialect’, and what we also get are several spoken passages as introductions to tunes, with wonderful – and sometimes hilarious – anecdotes about Billy’s life and experiences as a musician, all adding to the richness of the listening experience. This is, possibly unsurprisingly, the only full album dedicated to an East Anglian dulcimer player. (8) For that reason alone it is essential for anyone’s music collection, but it is much more than just a historical document: it is a vibrant aural portrait of a wonderful musician.
The sound quality is excellent and the CD booklet contains much information and several photographs, as is usual with Veteran releases. There really isn’t anything lacking; it’s a highly recommended album, available at the time of writing as both CD and download from Veteran.
Chris Holderness May 2026
Notes:
1. English Country Music from East Anglia Topic 12TS229, 1973
2. Reviewed in the January 2026 newsletter
3. Billy Bennington The Barford Angel East Anglian Life EAL-1, 1987
4. Billy Cooper (junior) can be heard on English Country Music Topic TSCD607, 2000, Heel and Toe: Veteran VT150CD, 2005, and ‘I Thought I Was the Only One!’ Dulcimer Playing in East Anglia Veteran VTDC12CD, 2015. The LP version of the first was reviewed in the newsletter for December 2025, the second was reviewed recently in another newsletter; a review from 2015 of the latter can be found at mustrad.mainlynorfolk.info
5. Not to be confused with Shipdham fiddler Walter Bulwer, as sometimes happens due to the similarity of the name. Walter Baldwin was a blacksmith in Hingham who was regarded as a fine fiddler. He was never recorded. His image can be seen in the photo of the ‘Hingham Minstrels’: see Chris Holderness: The Devil’s Box in the East: Traditional Fiddle Playing in Norfolk and Suffolk, 2024, at eatmt.org.uk
6. Recorded on Katie’s Quartet Old Hat Music OH3CD, 1996
7. Billy Cooper’s version of Dulcie Bell can be heard on TSCD607 and VT150CD, as above 8. More players, and more material by Billy Bennington, can be heard on VTDC12CD, as above.
Walter Bulwer was a fiddle player, born in Shipdham (Norfolk) in 1888; where he lived all his life. You can read Reg Hall’s profile of Walter and Daisy Bulwer on the EATMT website here.
There is more information on the Bulwers in Chris Holderness’ article here. Something to be aware of if you are relying on old website bookmarks is that the Mustrad website no longer exists. Its content is now available on the Mainly Norfolk website.
Probably the two most popular of Walter’s tunes today are simply know as “Walter Bulwer’s Polka No 2” and “Walter Bulwer’s Polka No 1” – but there are at least four other polka tunes we have from Walter which don’t have names, to say nothing of tunes for other dances.
Walter was adept at picking up tunes by ear and adapting then as he played – but also owned a good collection of sheet music; sadly now lost. It is very plausible that these un-named polka tunes have origins in that collection of sheet music. Following a conversation between Adrian and Sue Carlton and Geoff Crabb the concertina maker, we are now able to put a name to the tune previously known as “Walter Bulwer’s Polka #5” – “The Cromartie Polka March”.
You can hear Walter, along with Daisy, dulcimer player Billy Cooper and banjo player Edna Wortley playing the tune in around 1960 as track 18 on the CD “Heel and Toe” – published by Veteran ( it’s VT150CD – which is available to buy through Veteran’s bandcamp page ).
EATMT’s “brown book” Before the night was out – by Katie Howson has a transcription of the 1960 recording.
The full score for the Cromartie Polka March composed by “R. Heath” can be found in “Turner’s March Album of Solos for the Banjo #1” – but in case you don’t have a copy of that to hand, then here’s the basic form of the melody – an interesting exercise to compare it with the 1960 recording and it’s transcription. Same tune do you think? I wonder how many of Walter’s other un-named tunes have an origin in a long forgotten piece of sheet music.
With the summer now truly acumin in, our thoughts are turning to our Summer Sessions event at Stowmarket’s John Peel Centre on June 5th. Headlining this year is Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, whose mastery of the Anglo concertina and melodeon – not to mention his commanding voice – put him at the forefront of the next generation keeping the traditional music of England very much alive. Wemanaged to find time in his touring schedule for a quick virtual coffee to find out a little more about how and why his love of traditional music began…
Let’s start at the beginning, Cohen. What’s your first memory or experience of traditional music?
That’s a really good question. Probably the first encounter I remember was when I was about six at primary school, and a pair of musicians – a fiddle player and a guitarist – came in to play some folk tunes. I’d never heard folk tunes before. I didn’t really know what they were but I do remember them talking about their music and their instruments.
Do you remember any of the music?
Well, I don’t remember who the musicians were, which is of course a shame because I’d love to write them a note and say thank you so much. But the one song I remember them definitely singing was Cockles and Mussels – and I remember that because that’s got a ghost verse at the end. And that really captured me, because it’s a bit scary and I was really into Scooby Doo at the time…
Actually, a couple of weeks ago I was invited to a primary school – not my own, unfortunately! – to share my folk tunes and my instruments and tell them a bit about what I do. That was a nice full circle moment.
What do you think made folk music stick for you?
Yeah, I mean, I didn’t go from that first exposure to folk music at six straight to folk clubs – there were lots of chance encounters along the way, all of which started getting me interested in folk music.
Take Brian Peters, for example. So in addition to being a great squeeze box player, one of his other claims to fame is that he’s done quite a bit of music library work – and some of his soundtrack library recordings had got picked up on various TV shows, including SpongeBob SquarePants, which was another thing I was obsessed with when I was about seven. And, as strange as that might sound, hearing those little folk tunes crop up in the background of shows like that helped introduce the melodies to the ear without me even making the immediate connection that I was hearing a folk tune, or a jig, or a hornpipe. Likewise, John Kirkpatrick played the concertina on a Phone4U advert so when I did become more into traditional music, I was already familiar with the sounds of these instruments and some of these tunes – as I suppose we all are, really.
How would you define traditional music? Or, to put another way: what is it – and why does it matter?
I think the definition that I like the best is the one Steve Roud offers in Folk Song in England. He says a folk song is a song that is sung by a folk singer, and a folk singer is someone that sings folk songs. And I just think that’s so beautifully put. It’s the fact that the song or the tune or whatever it is, has been absorbed by a community and has lost its sense of ownership and its sense of origin, and in doing so the community has shaped it and evolved it and changed it and filtered it. It might have originally been a composed piece. It might have had a known composer, but that origin becomes less relevant. It’s all about that journey.
Are there any particular songs where you find this to be particularly true?
One example that maybe springs to mind is on my first solo album [Outway Songster]. There’s a song on there called the Country Carrier, which has a known writer. It was written by a man called Harry Clifton, who was a really, really prolific songwriter of the 19th century. What’s interesting is that although it was hugely popular with folk singers of the 19th and 20th centuries, they would all probably have been unconscious of the fact that they were singing a Music Hall song. The ways in which it was performed – particularly into the 20th century – were quite divorced from how it must have started off its life. Melodically of course, you can still see a thread that links it back to Harry Clifton’s original tune, but it’s quite distinct – and some of the verses have changed as well. There’s a nice natural track of evolution.
So the musical evolution is one thing – how about the influence of place? Does this change the song or tradition in any way?
Sure. I mean, that can be one of the really exciting things about working with traditional repertories: exploring repertoires that have a local connection.
When I started getting interested in folk music, that was one of the things that really drew me in: on the one hand you had all the music being produced in America, singing about places that I’d never heard of – and then with folk music you had tunes that were named after places in Birmingham that I’d been to, roads I’d walked down, areas that I knew.
And there was that real sense of immediacy and familiarity – and that was one of the things that really hooked me when I started really getting into traditional song was that sense of place and that sense of regionality.
That’s a very special thing – and being a region where such a huge amount of material was collected, we see this too…
Absolutely. One of the things that I found interesting about the East Anglian repertoire is that – and this might be slightly romanticised – when Vaughan Williams was doing his collecting in East Anglia, he had this theory that, because it’s closer to the Eastern Sea and to Scandinavia, that there’s a link between the Nordic repertoire and some of the melodies that he was finding in the East, particularly around King’s Lynn. He reckoned that there was this sort of Scandinavian quality to a lot of the melodies that they were singing there – The Captain’s Apprentice is one example that he particularly drew out. That tune has such an incredible, otherworldly melody, which he likened to Scandinavian folk tunes.
Final question Cohen: as we’re speaking close to May Day I wondered if you could share a seasonal song that you like?
One of my favourite May song recordings is one that the band Magpie Lane did on their first album, which was called the Oxford Ramble. Their last track is just called May Day Carol, and it’s got the most charming tune to it. Of course there are so many May tunes out there, but that’s probably my favourite.
Cohen will be headlining our Summer Sessions concert at the John Peel Centre, Stowmarket on Friday 5 June and tickets are available now. For more information about Cohen’s music and other upcoming concerts and tours, visit his website.
