Larks of Dean

The Larks of Dean were a society of musicians formed in Rossendale, Lancashire in northern England during the early and middle eighteenth century. They were known in the local dialect as 'Th' Deighn Layrocks'.

Background

'In the densely-populated manufacturing districts...music is cultivated among the working classes to an extent unparalleled in any other part of the country', wrote George Hogarth in the "Musical History" of 1835, referring to the industrialised parts of England. Soon after, in 1862 Edwin Waugh describing Manchester in the Cotton Famine mentions 'swarms of strange, shy, sad-looking singers and instrumental performers in the work-worn clothing of factory-operatives'. Making music provided one of the few ways to find relief from the hardship of working in the new mill factories of Lancashire. [ The First Industrial Society:Lancashire; Chris Aspin; Carnegie 1995; ISBN 1-85936-016-5]

Chapels and music

Non-conformist religion has been an important feature of working-class northern British life since the evangelical awakening of the first part of the eighteenth century. As in many similar communities chapels were built throughout Rossendale during the following years. Influenced by the preacher John Nuttall a small Baptist chapel was built in 1750 and rebuilt later in Goodshaw in 1760. Nuttall was the minister until his death in 1792. Richard Hudson was another preacher working with Nuttall who was responsible for the religious music that was a feature of the worship. Goodshaw Chapel became a magnet for music. The group who called themselves The Larks of Dean carried their instruments over the rough moorland terrain every Sunday to perform in the Chapel. The tradition flourished for a century until the Chapel closed in 1860. [Jean Seymour; article West Gallery no.6 Spring 1994 pp 14-21]

The music

There are well over a thousand psalm and hymn tunes collected together from the Larks of Dean. The earliest dated appears to be 1745, and the Rev. John Nuttall's two sons, James and Henry contributed most, with Henry composing about 100. Other composers were John Hargreaves, Reuben Hudson, Abraham and Robert Ashworth, and other members of the Nuttall family. [Jean Seymour; article West Gallery no.6 Spring 1994 pp 14-21]

There are many stories of practices going into the early hours, even of Sunday sessions continuing into Monday. In addition to their own music, the Larks of Dean loved the music of George Handel. One member is said to have walked well over 20 miles just to look at a copy of Samson. [Jean Seymour; article West Gallery no.6 Spring 1994 pp 14-21]

One remarkable member was Robert o' t'h Moss (Ashworth). On one occasion he played a hornpipe on his cello. An old deacon exclaimed "Robert, that's an idle tune", to which Robert replied, "There are no idle tunes." [ A Rossendale Anthology; Ronald Digby 1969, The Forest Press, Bacup - quoting Thomas Newbigging's 'History of Rossendale']

Today's the Larks of Dean Quire, based in Bury, Lancashire continue this tradition, though their singing of hymns, psalms, anthems, and carols, are mostly performed unaccompanied. A collection of instruments and manuscripts belonging to the original Larks of Dean are on display in Whitaker Park Museum, Rawtenstall.

Wandering Minstrels; or, Wails of the Workless Poor

Dean is a small settlement about 3 miles due east of Goodshaw Chapel. The places are not connected by road, rather by several of the countless footpaths that criss-cross the moorlands of the area. These paths are exposed and high, potentially dangerous in the winter months. The musicians would have walked these paths to reach their place of worship and music-making.

"Up in the forest of Rosendale, between Deerply Moor and the wild hillcalled Swinshaw, there is a little lone valley, a green cup in themountains, called "Dean." The inhabitants of this valley are sonotable for their love of music, that they are known all through thevales of Rosendale as "Th' Deighn Layrocks," or "The Larks of Dean."

"In the twilight of a glorious Sunday evening, in the height ofsummer, I was roaming over the heathery waste of Swinshaw, towardsDean, in company with a musical friend of mine, who lived in theneighbouring clough, when we saw a little crowd of people comingdown a moorland slope, far away in front of us. As they drew nearer,we found that many of them had musical instruments, and when we met,my friend recognised them as working people living in the district,and mostly well known to him. He inquired where they had been; andthey told him that they had "bin to a bit ov a sing deawn i'thDeighn." "Well," said he, "can't we have a tune here?" "Sure, yocon, wi' o' th' plezzur i'th world," replied he who acted asspokesman; and a low buzz of delighted consent ran through the restof the company. They then ranged themselves in a circle around theirconductor, and they played and sang several fine pieces of psalmodyupon the heather-scented mountain top." [Edwin Waugh: from 'Home-Life of the Lancashire Factory Folk during the Cotton Famine' Chap.23. From the columns of theManchester Examiner and Times;1862.]

References