The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady in Song with Broomdasher

Meavy Glen, Dousland, Burrator and other local landmarks are centre stage in a new folk musical coming to St Peter's on Saturday 18th September, and Church of our Lady Upton Pyne, near Exeter on Sunday 19 September to celebrate the 150th birthday of The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady author Edith Holden. Edith spent all of April at Dousland and in the diary describes and paints what she saw – including an unexpected snowstorm!

The Country Diary in Song brings her diary to life through well-loved folk songs like Wild Mountain Thyme; Bushes and Briars; If I was a Blackbird; Seeds of Love and Country Life.

You're encouraged to join in choruses as London-based acapella folk group Broomdasher intertwine Edith's beautiful descriptions with songs collected by Cecil Sharp and Ralph Vaughan Williams at the same time she was writing her diary,.to recreate a much-loved bygone era. Proceeds will go towards the upkeep of the churches.

Audiences will remember the book and many will still have something in their house featuring paintings from the Diary - soft furnishings, bedclothes, porcelain, visitors books, diaries, notelets and so on

.A family-friendly show, where possible audiences are invited to bring their own picnic/ snacks to get into the spirit of Edith's exploratory bike-rides.

Broomdasher have an outstanding reputation for their harmonies, arrangements and engaging live performances. All their recordings are part of the National Sound Archive at the British Library as "an outstanding example of grass roots folk music in Britain today


Ticket details: St Peter's Meavy at 7pm : Annie Inman 01822 852672; Sarah Gordon 01822 854298; Jonathan Frappell 01822 855541 or in person from The Royal Oak, Meavy

Church of Our Lady, Upton Pyne, near Exeter, EX5 5JA at 2.30pm: Linda Findlay 01392 841402 lindafindlay99@yahoo.co.uk