We are delighted to be able to offer those who are unable to attend our annual Tea with William Barnes event in person the opportunity to tune in and watch live online from the comfort of your own home.
Join us online for our annual celebration of poet William Barnes, who was born in Bagber near Sturminster Newton on 22 February 1801. A scholar, linguist, artist, priest and inventor, Barnes wrote over 800 poems in the Dorset dialect. Barnes also relished the country dances, folksongs and carols of Dorset, and often wrote about community celebrations, where music was a key part of the proceedings.
Alongside a delicious cream tea, The Ridgeway Singers and Band, led by Phil Humphries and Tim Laycock, present a carefully curated programme that will include folksongs and dance tunes collected from across Dorset at the turn of the 20th century. This year’s programme includes I Live not Where I Love, collected in 1906 by the Hammond brothers from Robert Barratt of Puddletown, Hark, Hark! from Marnhull, and Major Malleys Reel and Tink a Tink from the Hardy family music books. The afternoon will also include several new pieces - a setting of William Barnes' poem 'Rustic Childhood', and two contrasting instrumental pieces by Nick Dunckley, Skekler's Waltz and the Fiddleford Polka. Recitals of some of Barnes' much-loved poems will keep alive the rich dialect of Dorset.
How to Watch
You'll be able to watch the event live on this page on your smart TV, laptop, tablet, mobile or other internet device, and we invite you to make and enjoy your own cream tea too, sending in photos and selfies so that we can share them on social media. We'll also be sharing some exclusive content with our online viewers before the show and during the interval!
How much does watching the event online cost?
This event will be steamed free online for viewers to enjoy. Please consider making a donation to our charity if you are able.