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The Marsh Warblers
Marsh Warblers

The Marsh Warblers choir is based in Tenterden in the Weald of Kent, England, and performs West Gallery Music - country church music from the Georgian period (ca.1720-1850). We concentrate particularly on music known to have been performed in the Southeastern counties, principally from Kent and Sussex, and also perform secular music, such as glees and popular and patriotic songs of the period.

We are a mixed choir, singing mostly in four parts, accompanied by stringed and wind instruments. We dress in costume appropriate to the period and our performances include anecdotes and readings which set the music in its historical and social context.

Members of the choir research the music, which we perform in concerts, lecture recitals, services, etc. We have also run workshops. Our repertoire is drawn from printed and manuscript music books from the southeast of England, especially from Kent and Sussex. These books have survived in libraries and archives, occasionally in churches and chapels, or in the possession of private individuals, sometimes descendants of the early choir members.

There are notes on some of the Kent composers, whose music we perform, on the Composers page.

The Village Quire What is West Gallery Music?
Find out about the music we perform and how it got its name.
St.Peter's Methodist Church Who was Thomas Clark?
The Canterbury shoemaker who was the most prolific composer of West Gallery Music.
Georgian Churches
What were eighteenth century churches like inside? - before the Victorians "improved" them!