How we began

The folk music workshop was founded back in 1977 by Milly Chadband.  She played the violin and  having become interested in folk music, she was playing at home and learning tunes on her own.  She realised that without working with folk musicians, you can’t learn folk music, so she asked all the musicians she met at the dances if they would support her in a pilot workshop for people who had little experience of folk playing.

The Manchester Workshop, as it was then, started with about thirty musicians who had been invited along by friends, and who ranged from experienced players to people learning a new instrument that would fit into the folk scene.

The first Friday of each month was decided on as an easy day to remember and Milly was able to use her large office in Hotspur House as a meeting place.  An excellent leader in the person of Val Ashton was found with the help of the English Folk Dance & Song Society, and for several happy years, Val taught, coached and cajoled the members who worked hard to learn new tunes and to improve their playing of familiar ones.

Bookings start coming in

In 1978, Milly had a request from the Manchester Caledonian Society for someone to do a half-hour slot at one of their dances, so she suggested the workshop members.  They offer was accepted though they were offered refreshments but no fee.  They might have been somewhat taken aback when all thirty members appeared.  The Workshop members had worked hard on the programme they had worked out – they played; some members sang; there were some solos; and some members danced.  They can’t have done too badly because, when they had finished, they were asked to play one of their sets again for people to dance to.  They had never played for dancing before, but they kept a steady tempo, and soon after this event, they began to get other bookings.  They charged the princely sum of £5 though with refreshments thrown in, that was not as cheap as it sounded, since as many as twenty members would turn up to play on the basis that, at any given time, somebody would be playing the right notes.

Other bands are formed

In time, the bands for bookings became more organised and balanced; leaders emerged; and players gained wonderful experience.  So much so, that several ‘family’ bands were spawned by the Workshop – Fiddlesticks; Strings’n’Things; Rose Tree; 5-in-a-Bar; Do-Si-Do; and High Jinks to name some of them.

By 1981, the fee had gone up to £55.  The Band Secretary’s report states that “between March and December 1980, the band played at eighteen venues … and from January to December 1981, nineteen dances booked and we have already taken three bookings for 1982.”
A committee was formed in 1980 to relieve Milly of some of the administration which she had been doing single-handedly and in December 1980, the Workshop was registered as a club with the English Folk Dance & Song Society.  For the Golden Jubilee of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, an event was held at the Royal College of Music at which the Workshop provided the band.  The repertoire on this occasion included the first original composition by Jackie Hamilton who was then aged about fourteen.

The Workshop has taken part in many local folk festivals, organised Days of Music with well known bands leading and joined in other folk activities.  But, times change, and at present, the Workshop is simply a great place to meet fellow folk enthusiasts and have a good play.  And so, the Workshop will continue to adapt to suit the needs of its members.

The title changed several times over the years until the Workshop settled at Salford University.  This came about simply because a number of the members were on the staff there and, when the Workshop was looking for a suitable venue for practices, they decided to book one of the rooms there.  At that point, “Manchester” was dropped and “Folk” was added, but the first Friday of the month was kept as practice night.

And Milly?  Having been one of the Workshop’s most prominent leaders for many years, she went on to form that well known band, “High Jinks” and is a very respected and versatile player, as well as being President of the Workshop – an office bestowed on her in recognition of the 25 or more years unstinting guidance she has given to the Folk Music Workshop.

Information supplied by Barbara Doyle
    March 2006

* The website name is slightly different simply due to the quirks of domain names!