Following my first encounter with the Oxford Waits last year, I ruined Christmas for the more musically sensitive members of my family by repeatedly breaking into song - specifically into the most excellently ear-wormish carol 'Drive the Cold Winter Away!'. I was delighted to hear it again this year.
The Oxford Waits are a jolly group of five wearing 17th century costume and playing music on 17th century instruments - the very music that might have been played by the real Oxford Waits, who, back in the 17th century, were the only licensed musicians in town. Singing the carol 'Past three a clock' earlier that day at the Broad Street Christmas Market, I hadn't realised that this was one of the original functions of the Waits in every town - to sing out and play loud wind instruments on the hour, every hour. They were banned in 1835, perhaps replaced with the factory bell for those who had to get up on time on a dark winter morning.
In a somewhat Cavalier manner (joke!), Tim Healey provides historical context for each of their pieces, quoting from the diaries of Samuel Pepys and Oxford's own diarist Anthony à Wood (a name with a touch of the Hyacinth Buckets perhaps?). Amongst the bawdy tales and tragi-comic ballads was a real sense of Christmas past. The outrageous feasts in Oxford colleges, the courtly and not so courtly dances, the poor man's chance for a blow-out except during those 15 years when a puritanical Parliament banned Christmas in England and sent soldiers into the streets to sniff out illegal mince pies.
Adding to the feeling of living history was the Waits' encouragement of audience participation in many a song including the local round 'Banbury Ale' and the ancient and venerable folk tune 'John Barleycorn'. As for the strange instruments, this was our chance to see and hear the lute, the enormous theorbo, the curious hurdy-gurdy and nyckelharp, the magical dulcimer and the hoeboy or shawm, not to mention the bells on Edwin's ankles.
Highly recommended for next Christmas and we will certainly be on the lookout for opportunities to sing along with the Oxford Waits in other seasons.
"Strange instruments. Nice singing." - Pascal, aged 8.
