Banter are hosting a weekend of music, dance and song at Halsway Manor.
There’ll be workshops for all, as well as a Friday night welcome session, Saturday night concert and ceilidh, and maybe a bit of Banter fun throughout the weekend… Almost anything could happen!
The band will be equipping you with some new repertoire, while helping you to build on your existing skills, and you’ll spend the majority of the weekend working as a whole group, with some time both guided and self-led in smaller groups too.
Who is it for?
This weekend is perfect for musicians, singers and dancers of all abilities – it’s more about having fun and sharing than anything else, so no hardcore note learning is required. To get the most out of the weekend, we suggest anywhere between foundation and upper intermediate level is ideal for instrumentalists (but we can’t cater for beginners), and all levels of dancer are welcome, including complete beginners. You’ll just want to bring a comfortable pair of footwear to get the most out of the dances!
You won’t need to be able to read music or play by ear, and diatonic instruments are welcome.
The Team
Banter are Nina Zella, Simon Care, Tim Walker and Mark Jolley. They are four fine musicians whose roots are firmly in the traditional English genre, but who enjoy stretching the limits – in what a lot of people refer to as ‘the quirky Banter twist”.
Formed in 2015, due to a happy accident, they immediately realised their common love for traditional English song and dance and began to mess around with it. They gained popularity (or should it be notoriety?) very quickly and were soon performing at many of the country’s largest festivals, including Glastonbury, Cambridge, Sidmouth and Towersey.
With the release of three albums, YES, DARE and THREE, between 2017 and 2021, they received plaudits in the music press including a Valentine’s Day session on Mark Radcliffe’s Radio 2 Folk Show. Now firmly established as one of the UK’s finest bands, they have recorded their fourth studio album “Heroes”, their second album of traditional material with that “twist”.
Described as “the world’s smallest big band”, Banter go from strength to strength.
“Banter were amazing. Fantastic harmonies and great playing” Ralph McTell 2023