The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #143672   Message #3319834
Posted By: Tootler
08-Mar-12 - 11:40 AM
Thread Name: Folklore: 19C English Country Dance Bands
Subject: RE: Folklore: 19C English Country Dance Bands
Yes, the photo I had seen was of the Winder Band. The two photos on the page linked by Mick Pearce and Brian Peters are interesting for the mix of instruments.

The lower photo is particularly interesting as it has what looks like archaic instruments for the period. The "trombone" in the back row looks more like a sackbut with its shallow flair to the bell and in the front row the man between the two seated fiddlers is holding what looks like a recorder - of particular interest to me as a recorder player. Although the recorder went out of use in the professional orchestra in the early eighteenth century, they continued to be made almost to the end of that century. The V & A has an example dating from about 1790 which I remember seeing on a visit a few years ago. It's probably no longer on display as a new curator decided the musical instrument gallery did not "fit" with what the V & A was about. That aside the two photographs display an interesting mix of instruments and very much reinforces the view that village musicians would play whatever instruments they could get hold of. Also instruments would be handed on through the generations.

btw, LinC, it's Mr Tootler.