Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Lectures: The Heyday of the Dulcimer in East Anglia, John and Katie Howson

This presentation will outline the dulcimer playing traditions of England and focus in depth on the remarkable spread of dulcimer playing in East Anglia, highlighting the distinctive instruments and playing style of the region. During nearly forty years of research, John and Katie Howson have discovered a wealth of dulcimer players and makers in East Anglia, with interest in the instrument at its peak from around 1850 to 1930. This research started from information from the great player Billy Bennington, augmented by research notes from Dr Russell Wortley, and now enriched further by online archive resources and community investigations.

John and Katie Howson are the directors of the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust which was founded in 2000. In the 1980s, John established the internationally known traditional folk music recording label, Veteran and in 2010 they were both awarded the Gold Badge of the English Folk Dance & Song Society.