Welcome or Welcome Not

Welcome or welcome not

A festive evening of words and music from and about Dorset.

Tim Laycock and Alastair Simpson join forces once again for an evening of words and music from and about Dorset, the countryside, Christmas and Winter! Readings from Hardy and Barnes stand up alongside traditional folk songs and tunes, brought to an intimate audience by these knowledgeable and engaging performers.

Local actor and folk singer Alastair Simpson is joined by his mentor, esteemed and respected singer and folk musician Tim Laycock, for an evening full of festive cheer, including humorous stories read and acted, traditional songs and carols to be sung along to, poems recited, and folk tunes to tap your foot along to.

Grown from Tim's 'Tuneful Tales' at Max Gate, the home Hardy designed for himself, this duo of informative and entertaining performers will spend an evening in Athelhampton House's Great Hall, an ancient room with its famous hammerbeam ceiling, with their instruments and books. The House was used by Hardy as the original basis for Bathsheba's farm in 'Far from the Madding Crowd', so it's fitting that readings from Hardy, as well as his friend and mentor William Barnes, will feature heavily. Traditional folk tunes collected in the Hardy Family tunebook, and the recently-discovered Ben Rose book, will intersperse the spoken word, as will songs and carols appropriate to the season.