Midsummer Music
Brighton
About Brighton where our live musicians perform
Covering Party Bands, String Quartets, Barn Dance / Ceilidh and Jazz
 |
|
Towns, cities and regions, such as Brighton have an influence on the style of music, whether it is the 'English Countryside' feel of Vaughan Williams, the strength of Elgar's Victorian Malvern, or the skirl of Northumbrian Pipe tune.
About Brighton
Brighton began as a Saxon village. The Saxons conquered Sussex in the 5th century AD. One of them was called Beorthelm. He owned a farm (in Saxon a tun) called Beorthelm's tun which, in time grew into the town of Brighton. As well as farmers there were fishermen in the village. Brighton overlooked a cliff and the fishermen's huts were under this cliff on the foreshore. The church of St Bartholomew was first mentioned in 1185. (Though it probably existed long before then). In 1313 Brighton gained a charter. This was a document granting the merchants the right to form their own local government and certain other privileges. A fish market was held daily on the beach. There was also a weekly pig market and a weekly corn market as well as a general market where all kinds of goods were sold. Once a year there was a fair. (A fair was like a market but was held annually and attracted buyers and sellers from all over South East England). The earliest map of Brighton shows a little town about one quarter of a mile square. There were 4 streets, North Street, West Street, East Street and South Street. In the middle of the 4 streets were allotments. The Lanes started as pathways between them. By 1500 Middle Street existed. There were also fishermen's huts along the shore. The 4 streets formed the boundaries of the town. The space between Middle Street and East Street was called the Hempshares and hemp was grown there for fishermen's nets. (The Lanes started as little paths between gardens or allotments).
string quartets in brighton jazz bands in brighton ceilidh bands in brighton barn dance bands in brighton wedding quartets in brighton