Harriet Willes' Ball
Schedule
Sun, 24 May, 2026 at 03:45 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Neeld Hall, Chippenham, United Kingdom | Chippenham, EN
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Dearest Gentle Reader... you are cordially invited toHARRIET WILLES' BALL
Miss Harriet Willes invites you to attend an afternoon of her favourite dances, as documented in her own hand.
Dress up regency style, as your favourite Jane Austen or Bridgerton character, or come as you are.
No experience necessary.
All dances taught on the day.
Free to attend.
Harriet Willes was the sister of the vicar of the village of Christian Malford in the 1790s, and collected tunes and dances in her musical scrapbooks, now held in the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre.
She probably knew Jane Austen.
A project, “Music.Heritage.Place.” unearthed her collection in 2024, and this ball will have tunes and dances unplayed for more than 200 years.
Harriet's tunes and dance notations have been revived by Louise Siddons - a caller, teacher, and historian of social folk dances and related forms from the seventeenth century through to the present - working with experienced dance musicians John Hymas (violin) and Denise Bearon (piano) to put together an authentic regency dance experience.
Event part of Chippenham Folk Festival, in partnership with Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre and Chippenham - Our History.
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Where is it happening?
Neeld Hall, Chippenham, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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