Big Little Arts Weekend – Sussex Harmony Workshop

Join Sussex Harmony for a West Gallery Workshop and Sing-through performance

2.30pm – 5.30pm Saturday 27th September 2025
Warbleton Church, Church Hill, Warbleton, TN21 9BD

This unique opportunity to play, sing or just listen to the music played by the village bands for your Sussex ancestors will be one of the most interactive sessions in the Little Arts Festival ‘Big Little Arts Weekend’ programme.

What sort of music

Robust and hearty music from before the age of the church organ. The more the merrier as this music needs to be sung and played with as much enthusiasm as accuracy. You’ll learn the hymns, psalms and songs heard from pub to pulpit in rural Sussex in the 18th and 19th centuries. Fun to sing and play, and relatively easy to learn.

Who can come?

Singers and Musicians of all ages and experience welcome – come to sing, or play violin, ‘cello, double bass, recorder, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon or serpent!! We’ll supply you with a music booklet.
Or just come along and listen.

The Village bands of Old Sussex

Sussex Harmony, a Lewes based group, was founded in 1992 to research, reconstruct and perform the little-known music of parish churches and chapels from 1700 to 1850. It’s called West Gallery music. Why West Gallery? Singers and musicians invariably sat in a gallery at the west end of the church.  Maybe it was not a co-incidence that this was the furthest place from the altar, the vicar and the local dignitaries. When the congregation joined in to sing, they had to turn to face the music being performed in the west gallery. That is where the expression comes from. The bands also played at the village dances and festivals and things could get a bit muddled in the gallery if the musicians had a hard night beforehand.

Workshop timings:

14.00  Doors open
Arrival of participating singers and and instrumentalists
– Distribution of music booklets
Arrival of audience members.
14.30 – 16.00 Workshop
16.00 – 16.30 Tea break
16.30 – 17.00 Sing-through
17.15  Doors close

How to join in

Sussex Harmony will supply the music for you to come and play your instrument, sing songs and psalms or just listen at a workshop for all ages and abilities.
If you’d like to take part, please book your workshop place – a music booklet will be prepared and supplied for you. Suggested donation to cover costs £10.
To book your workshop place and for further information about the event please contact :

Rachel Jordan:    01273 476837 & 07947 434488 ~ rabid27@btopenworld.com
Paula Nicholson: 01435 830934 ~ paula@onelbc.org.uk

New musicians and singers are always welcome at Sussex Harmony – contact Rachel Jordan