The Sussex Waits was founded in 2013 to explore the repertoire of the town bands known as waits that played for all kinds of civic and ceremonial occasions during the 16th and 17th centuries. We play a variety of instruments that were popular in Renaissance times including shawms, curtals (dulcians), recorders, crumhorns, gemshorns, bagpipes and sackbut.
Sadly we lost one of our founder members, Martin Eastwood, in 2020 but we have been very lucky to be joined by Kate Jackson who brings a wealth of experience (and some additional instruments!)
The Sussex Waits is Michael Withers, Kate Jackson Hilary Ougham and Mike Clemens.
As well as giving concert performances we are happy to play for a diverse range of events, both formal and informal, including fetes and fayres, weddings, parties, Tudor banquets and Elizabethan revels. We enjoy working with other musicians and have performed previously with the BREMF Consort of Voices, Rob Gildon, the Dieppe Conservatoire Consort and Faronel.
We have a wide variety of repertoire (including Christmas music) for various combinations of instruments, suitable for both indoor and outdoor settings. We also offer two ready-made lecture recitals, each lasting approximately an hour, which are both informative and entertaining:
- An Ingenious Living History of Musical Instruments from Medieval to Renaissance Times
- Music for Dancing in Court and Country
We can also (given enough notice!) devise new lecture recitals or programmes to suit your event.
For more information contact us on 01273 833746 or email us.
The Sussex Waits 