Although Chris comes from a musical family, his rebellious
nature led to him rejecting piano lessons at the age of six, accusing the teacher’s
piano of being out of tune when he played a wrong note. In the sixties he taught himself
the guitar and became a semi-professional folk singer in East Sussex, at one time running
his own folk club, but after marrying and moving to Norfolk, became interested in other
things. In 1992, he was stricken by ME, which left him unable to play by ear. As therapy,
he learnt the viola, and later took trombone lessons with Richard at West Norfolk
Music Centre. He has been a member of the Norfolk
Symphony Orchestra and Centre Stage
Swing Band. Chris’ love of the eccentric and idiosyncratic meant that when he
came across the serpent, he had to have one, and his interest in early music and folk
music in turn led to him reviving the King’s Lynn Waites.
Chris designs and manages websites for arts organisations, and is an
established poet, having been published in several anthologies and magazines and given
public readings and radio broadcasts. His first book of poems, 'An English Man At Home',
was published in 1999. He also made his film debut with a small part in the short
feature film 'Something I
Forgot' by local writer, the late James Burch, produced by Dealing With It Films.
Most recently, he has also formed an English Folk Band, The Fall Of Eve, specialising in the dance tunes, marches and church music played by Norfolk village bands in the 18th and 19th centuries, which he has been researching for the West Gallery Music Association.
The traditional title of Chief Waite does not in any way imply
the remotest musical superiority, but was used for whichever member of the original Lynn
Waites was responsible for financial dealings with the Town Council, and therefore
reflects Chris’ position as the band’s manager.
Chris and his daughter Elizabeth also perform as a Renaissance or Georgian duo. See www.wyldesnoyse.co.uk for details.
Before studying music at Durham University, Elizabeth took an active part in
the music scene in West Norfolk. She was leader of West Norfolk Jubilee Youth
Orchestra for three years, and played clarinet in Springwood
High School Concert Band. She has also been a member of the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra, and has played in various
other ensembles.
She is particularly interested in composition, and was commissioned by Norfolk County Council to write a suite of music for the King's Lynn Waites, for use in their civic duties. She has also arranged several
Renaissance popular tunes for the Waites, and has been commissioned to compose pieces for
private individuals, arrange piano scores, and compose incidental music for a professional
drama company.
Since graduating, she has worked for Norfolk Music Works, been to Madagascar to count fish, performed as a member of the Waites, playing rebec and percussion, and also soprano and alto shawms as back-up for Deb and Claire, and joined the popular local Folk Rock band, Map of Tasmania, on penny whistle. She spent most of 2003 sailing as crew on the brigantine Swan fan Makkum, then lived in the Netherlands, where she continued to pursue both her musical and her seafaring careers, and forged links with our friends, the Stadspijpers van ’s-Hertogenbosch.
She has now returned to this country to take up a music-teaching post in Essex, but is maintaining her links with both the Netherlands and West Norfolk. Elizabeth and her father Chris also perform as a Renaissance or Georgian duo. See www.wyldesnoyse.co.uk for details. She has recently formed the Colchester Waits Shawm Band.
Richard is an accomplished folk and early musician performing with various bands including "Rigajigjig", a band specialising in the folk music of Norfolk in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is one of a very few remaining exponents of the Norfolk Hammered Dulcimer. Richard is also a woodwind instrument maker, having recently taken over the making of Baroque bassoons from famous shawm maker, John Hanchet. His musical interests and knowledge are encyclopedic!
Originally from Hertfordshire, Deb gained Distinction at Grade 8 Oboe at fifteen. She went on to learn other instruments, intending to go to Music College, but was advised to do a University Music degree course, which she abandoned for fear of becoming a disillusioned Secondary School teacher! Her oldest child teaching herself the recorder in three weeks at the age of six reawakened her interest in music, and she now teaches woodwind privately, at local schools, and at West Norfolk Music Centre, as well as doing various voluntary work concerning music. She plays oboe for the King’s Lynn Chorus and the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra, and enjoys making music for fun wherever and whenever she can.
Claire has an Associate Performance Diploma with Trinity College of Music and an Associate Teaching Diploma with London College of Music, and teaches woodwind in several West Norfolk schools and at West Norfolk Music Centre. She was a member of West Norfolk Jubilee Youth Orchestra and Concert Band for several years, and is a regular player for West Norfolk Gilbert and Sullivan Society and Hanover Productions. She has also performed with wind ensembles in King’s Lynn Festival and in June 1999 performed her debut concerto with the Iceni Orchestra. Claire was responsible for initiating Iceni's programme of Education Workshops. More recently, she has been closely involved in the forming of the chamber orchestra, Anglia Concertanti, which has received rave reviews in the press.