CHRISTMAS SPECIAL                                     History through Song

Saturday, 7 December at 7pm

Jurys Inn, Western Way, Exeter

History through the contemporaneous thoughts (and voices) of ordinary people. We explored our history via folk songs from Jim Causley, an English folk singer, songwriter and musician from Devon who specializes in the traditional songs and music of the West Country. Born in Exeter, he is a relative of the Cornish poet Charles Causley.

Described by Mojo Magazine as "the finest singer of his generation", Causley grew up in the heart of Cider Country, an area rich in traditional music with its thriving wassailing tradition and its close proximity to Sidmouth and Dartmoor folk festivals.

Jim maintains that:  “Traditional folk songs are choc full of history, sociology, politics, culture, ethnomusicology, war, social comment - several lifetimes worth of study!   They are not fiction; they are truer than any historian’s account and should never be dismissed as of little interest to historians.

These precious nuggets of history speak of long lost t rades and occupations, tell us the emotions of people who lived through troubled times and how they felt about it and give us a flavour of unique local culture.  Exeter in particular has a most fascinating history, dating back to having once been the capital of a Celtic kingdom”.