York Waits back for annual Wentworth Church Christmas special

A GROUP that specialising in performing ancient music on ancient instruments is due to mark ten years of annual Christmas concerts at one of South Yorkshire's most splendid churches.

The York Waits - a five-strong group that has been in existence since the 1970s - made their first Christmas appearance at Wentworth Church, near Rotherham, in 2001 - and the formula was so successful that the band has been back every year since.

“A lot of the regular audience members tell us that our concerts at Wentworth mark the start of Christmas," said band member William Marshall.

“But this year it is a slightly later start than usual, because the York Waits concert at Wentworth is on Friday December 23 (7.30pm).

The Waits will play a huge array of instruments, including shawm, sackbut, lute, rebec, recorder, gittern, hurdy gurdy and bagpipes. Their programme consists of English Christmas and winter season music from the 15th to 17th centuries.

The band will be joined by soprano singer Deborah Catterall.

Wentworth Church is renowned for its excellent acoustics and has been used as recording venue by various groups, including The York Waits, who made their CD Yule Riding there.

The band aims to recreate the sound and sight of the city band of York as it was in Tudor times and it has performed all over the UK and overseas.

Tickets for the concert are £10 (£8 concessions) and can be obtained on the door or in advance by contacting 01709 527713.