蜜芽传媒

Matthew Bannister is in Shropshire as he travels across England to find out about the music discovered in County Record Offices and reimagined for the 21st Century by the folk musician and Nancy Kerr.

In Bishop's Castle, Matthew is tracking down Thomas Owens, a thatcher, who also composed West Gallery music for local church bands and choirs in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Nancy Kerr and the Melrose Quartet lead a crowd of hundreds in singing one of Owens' psalm settings at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, as they rewild his music back into the county where it was composed. Matthew visits the Shropshire Archives in Shrewsbury to examine Thomas Owens' remarkable manuscript music book, The Shropshire Harmony. The music has been explored by researchers from the Music Heritage Place project and Professor Stephen Rose, of Royal Holloway, University of London who leads the team joins Matthew to guide him through it.

Music is performed by The Melrose Quartet: Jess Arrowsmith, Richard Arrowsmith, Jamas Fagan and Nancy Kerr

Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Natalie Steed
A Rhubarb Rhubarb Production for 蜜芽传媒 Radio 3