A YEAR of celebrations commemorating the 900th anniversary of Tavistock?s market charter gets under way next week with a Mediaeval Wassail in the town?s parish church. The performance by Lammas, the specialist duo of Sarah Deere-Jones and Phil Williams, includes music and readings from the Middle Ages, to celebrate the winter season. Playing a variety of traditional old instruments like harps, bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, dulcimer, psaltery and gemshorn, the musical event on January 15 should bring alive the spirit of the mediaeval age and provide an atmospheric launch to an exciting year for Tavistock. Graham Kirkpatrick, secretary of the charter group which is organising this year?s celebrations, said: ?It is such a professional line up for this concert, I think everyone who is lucky enough to have a ticket for it should enjoy a very pleasant evening indeed. ?The charter group is very grateful to Preb John Rawlings for allowing us to use the church for what should be a lovely night.? Free tickets for the Mediaeval Wassail featuring Lammas are available from the library, the town council offices and the tourist information centre. Sarah Deere-Jones studied harp and singing at the Royal Academy of Music, and went on to play with some of the major British symphony, ballet and opera orchestras, spent six months playing in the Middle East, and gave recitals on board the QE2. She has performed for numerous music festivals and clubs all over the south of England, and appeared on radio and TV. Phil Williams had been involved in traditional music for many years previously, playing concertina and guitar in various folk clubs in the south, and he is also a keen singer and morrisman. Together as ?Lammas? they play in venues as diverse as the London Guildhalls, to the castles and historic sites of the National Trust and English Heritage across the country and they successfully toured New England in 1998 with hurdy-gurdy player Mike Eaton. Their concerts, which are usually performed in costume, include readings and stories from medieval life, anecdotes about the lives of the minstrels and the construction and history of the instruments. An exciting programme of events has been lined up by the charter group this year, which is also the 750th anniversary of the granting of stannary status to Tavistock. There will be exhibitions, competitions, a mediaeval weekend, musical events and a spectacular lantern procession during the town?s Dickensian Evening, to round up a year of celebrations. l Graham Kirkpatrick is appealing for information from Times readers as to the whereabouts of the old butter market in Tavistock. According to an old Kelly?s Directory, the Plymouth Brethren used to meet in rooms above the butter market. Mr Kirkpatrick said: ?I have spoken to at least half a dozen people born and bred in Tavistock, but no-one has been able to say where the butter market was. ?We think it was somewhere in Market Street, probably overlooking what is now Taylor Square, but there?s no certainty about this.? Anyone who can help Mr Kirkpatrick should call him on 01822 614525. ?If we can get this information it could then be included in the exhibition on the markets as part of the celebrations,? he said.
