Lammas are harpist Sarah Deere-Jones and piper Phil Williams, who come together with a variety of medieval instruments to bring alive the music and atmosphere of medieval England. Playing authentic music on harps, English bagpipes, whistles, cupbels, psaltery, gemshorn and mandola, and reading extracts from Chaucer, and other anecdotes, they present an amusing and entertaining glimpse into medieval life. They include fascinating stories of the lives of the minstrels, the development of the unusual instruments they play, and haunting songs of this wonderful period of history. Their programme can be adapted for schools, seasonal events or for anyone who loves music or is interested in history, their concert is not to be missed.
Lammas are particularly interested in English music, and their research has uncovered the forgotten history of the harp and bagpipes in England. Far from being exclusively Celtic instruments, the harp and bagpipes were popular in medieval England and commonly seen. Phil is currently planning to commission a set of ‘Dorset bagpipes’used on the many depictions in churches across the country, while Sarah is working on a recording to revive interest in the English harp.
Lammas perform a range of different concerts for various events ranging from outdoor performances at historic sites, lecture recitals, to concerts and music for ‘themed’ events.These have been in demand from the major U.K. historical societies, music festivals and arts organisations and were successfully received during their 1998 tour of New England.
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