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February 2020 February 2020

MILBOURNE VILLAGE HALL
NEWS FROM WESTMINSTER

Windborne: Song on the Times
Thank you to every single person who voted for me
in the election. But whether you voted for me or This stunningly powerful close harmony vocal group of four from New England
not, I am here to serve the whole of Mid Dorset and shifts effortlessly between dramatically different styles of traditional music. Whilst
North Poole as your MP.
remaining deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions, their musical
As I write this month’s column, it is still mid-January, knowledge spans many continents and cultures. They have collected and
and Parliament has resumed sitting. We returned to studied polyphonic vocal music for over 15 years from traditional singing masters
Westminster with a very different government from from cultures around the world and are as comfortable with an improvised
that before the election. With a majority Corsican couplet song as an English ballad.
government there is a more settled feel to Song on the Times is a project that
proceedings, and the first job of business in the collects music from working class
House of Commons was to pass the Withdrawal movements for peoples’ rights in the
Agreement. This was done, and it was then passed to the House of Lords. As I US and UK over the past 400 years,
write, it looks as though it will pass smoothly through the Parliamentary process, and sings them again for the struggles
to ensure an orderly exit from the European Union.
of today.
As always, there has been other important work in both Parliament and the The four share a vibrant energy
constituency. I have had productive meetings with the leaders of both BCP onstage, their connection to each
Council and Dorset Council, along with MP colleagues. We discussed a variety other and to the music clearly evident.
of issues concerning the constituency, including connectivity, funding Entertaining with stories about the
applications for the local area and general funding for Dorset and Poole.
music, Windborne explain the
I have also had meetings with the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, and with characteristics and stylistic elements of
several local business to discuss how best to support businesses in Dorset in the the traditions in which they sing.
coming year. I have visited several local charities to discuss their work in the The group was catapulted to new
community, and I have been holding my regular surgeries for constituents. heights when a clip of them singing in protest outside Trump tower went viral, and

I will be attending a service in their crowdfunding project raised 1,600% of its goal from 2,600 people in every
State and 22 countries.
Wi mbor ne Mi nster to
remember the Holocaust at Vocal Harmony Workshop
the end of January. I was
humbled by my visit to the In this special workshop, Windborne will teach songs from their album Song on the
W o r l d H o l o c a u s t Times, alongside folk songs from other cultures collected on their travels. All the
Remembrance Centre Yad songs and harmonies will be taught by ear by Windborne singers Jeremy, Lynn,
Vashem in Israel a few years Will and Lauren.
ago, and I will be sharing a
few of my thoughts at the Places £5. Suitable for all ages, with no previous experience required.
service about that visit. Anti- Why not visit The Royal Oak in Milborne St Andrew for dinner and a drink between
Semitism has no place in our the workshop and show? Booking is advised.
society, and we must never
forget what horrors it can lead www.windbornesingers.com
to. This year Holocaust
Memorial Day will be commemorating not just the 75 anniversary of the
th

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