Halsway Manor, Taunton Videos

Is this the quickstep...?
Do you want to see a whole dance in just 9 seconds? Blowzabella are in the foreground, providing the soundtrack for this couples' dance at the weekend's final gathering on Sunday afternoon. We had such a good time together! #blowzabellafestival #Blowzabella #halswaymanor #nationalcentreforfolkarts #timelapse #folkdance #dance

It’s here! We’re so happy to have legendary Blowzabella with Garenne here for the whole weekend. Loads of workshops and dances planned for the next two days. #blowzabella #blowzabellafestival #halswaymanor #nationalcentreforfolkarts #folk #folkmusic #instruments #music #folktunes #folkdance

The Halsway Stage programme
It's Chippenham Folk Festival weekend! We're delighted to be sponsoring 'The Halsway Stage @ St Andrew's Church' this year, where many Halsway favourites will be sharing their talents over the next four days. If you're going, what are you looking forward to most? Our Programme Manager, Rachel, will be there on Sunday, so do say hello if you spot her around town 👋

Our young folk courses explore many aspects of the folk arts and today, the intro group have been learning how to step dance with @mandolinmattnorman. Did you know that Matt is a Dartmoor Step Dancing Champion?! 👏🏻 #folk #folkdance #stepdancing #halswaymanor #folkmusic

It’s extra grey here today, but here’s a little flashback to last week when it seemed like spring had finally sprung! 🌷 #halswaymanor #nationalcentreforfolkarts #garden #spring #maddyprior #singing #birdsong #sunshine #manorhouse

Fantastically energetic morning for the French and Breton Dancers 🇫🇷 #frenchdance #folkdance #music #breton #folk #halswaymanor

Our @grannysatticfolk gig last week was *quite something*. If you missed it, here’s a taste… Thanks to everyone who came to support and to all the participants who performed as the band’s warm-acts in the first half! Amazing music was created 🎵 #grannysattic #folkmusic #gig #halswaymanor #fun #tradfolk

🎄Day 24 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 24 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 Talking of no room at the Inn, what else could we choose for the final day but The Garden Cabins? We're just so happy that our new cabins were installed in 2023. The best present for us is being able to welcome even more of you to join us in 2024 🎄

🎄Day 23 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 23 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 The Halsway Snowman was built in March 2023 by dancers on the Contra and Squares week!

🎄Day 22 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 22 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 Suthering Singing course Friday 9 Aug — Sunday 11 Aug, 2024 This course will teach folk songs in choral, a cappella harmony. The songs have been carefully picked and uniquely arranged by Julu and Heg (Suthering) and are a combination of traditional folk and contemporary songs by influential modern folk songwriters. https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/suthering-singing-weekend/

🎄Day 21 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 21 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 This chamber organ was installed by Tryphena Gunn Mitchell in the Hall at Halsway Manor sometime in the 1920s. In 1936 Tryphena’s husband William died and the manor was sold. The chamber organ was given to the Fairbridge Farm School in Duncan, Vancouver. Weighing four and a half tons and packed in ten cases the organ had an eventful journey to the docks and had to be repacked twice! When the organ finally arrived at the school, it was dedicated in memory of William Mitchell and continued to be used for many years. The Farm School at Duncan closed in 1975 and the organ was donated to the University of Victoria in British Columbia. On May 16th, 1976 it was installed in Christchurch Cathedral, Victoria, where it remains today. Have you ever visited the organ?

🎄Day 20 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 20 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 It's the queen of Folky Christmas herself, Maddy Prior! Maddy is well known for her Christmas recordings with The Carnival Band and her work with Steeleye Span. Their unlikely hit 'Gaudete', which hit the charts in 1973, is one of only two British Top 20 hits to be sung entirely in Latin. Bet you didn't know that! Maddy Prior and her daughter Rose-Ellen Kemp return to Halsway in 2024 for another song week dedicated to the voice. Maddy and Rose-Ellen have been teaching people and their voices at their own teaching centre, Stones Barn in Cumbria for many years, and we’re delighted to host them in the South West. At the moment, the course here is sold out, but you're welcome to join the waiting list in case we get a cancellation.

🎄Day 19 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 19 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 It’s our Spring into Scandinavia course Monday 29 Apr — Friday 3 May, 2024 Join Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer for a Spring course of Scandi playing for bowed string players and accordionists! https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/spring-into-scandinavia/

🎄Day 13 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 18 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 It’s our beautiful Maypole! Did you know the Maypole at Halsway Manor was made from one solid tree trunk? We use it all the time year round, but when the weather’s bad, we do also have a handy indoor maypole too! Do you know anywhere else with not one, but two maypoles?! #halswaymanor #adventcalendar #maypole #maypoledance #traditionaldance

🎄Day 17 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 17 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 Knotted swords on our Easter House party Easy to pick up, tricky to master… Our house parties provide lots of opportunities to try different skills, crafts and art forms. Our Easter House Party with Ted Morse usually squeezes in many dance styles, including sword dancing. https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/easter-house-party/

🎄Day 16 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 16 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 Learning by Ear course Friday 14 Jun — Sunday 16 Jun, 2024 Do you struggle to pick up tunes by ear? Would you like to be freed from behind your music stand? https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/learning-by-ear/

🎄Day 15 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 15 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 Summer School fiddles! Monday 26 Aug — Friday 30 Aug, 2024 Our beloved Folk Summer School is back for 2024. There’ll be music, dance and song – for adults of all abilities – led by a crack team of tutors who have detailed knowledge and extensive experience of a wide spectrum of folk music. https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/folk-summer-school/

🎄Day 14 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄
🎄Day 14 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 Queer Folk course Friday 19 Apr — Sunday 21 Apr, 2024 This is a course to explore all things queer and folk, in collaboration with Queer Folk! Through workshops and discussions you’ll be making new music, learning old songs and having the opportunity to share music and stories that are important to you. https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/queer-folk-weekend-2024/

🎄Day 13 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 It’s the Margaret Grant Memorial Library. We’re so lucky to have this incredible resource in the manor, and if you come on a course or become a member of the Halsway Manor Society, you can access the multitude of treasures within! Song and Dance to Myths and Legends, biographies to local folk history, our library always produces something to amuse, amaze and astonish 📚 #halswaymanor #adventcalendar #halswaylibrary #folk #folkliterature

🎄Day 12 of the Halsway Advent Calendar🎄 It's our Halsway Young Folk courses! The Halsway Young Folk music programme helps young people aged 7-21 explore folk arts, experiment, find their own sound and fuse different genres of music alongside other young people and led by our fantastic team of professional musicians and tutors. For over ten years, the programme has inspired young musicians to study at a higher level, to pursue careers within related fields, and to find joy through shared music making. https://halswaymanor.org.uk/projects/younghalsway/ Image credit: Kate Griffin #halswaymanor #adventcalendar #youngmusicians #folkmusic