Lewes History Group

Roland Bryce: Carmina ex Ruinas

Roland Bryce is a composer and a music technology tutor at the East Sussex Academy of Music.

His new work, Carmina ex Ruinas, (Songs from the ruins) is a set of songs, plus narration, inspired by the stones from the ruins of Priory of Saint Pancras in Lewes.

The songs feature transcribed phrases of Gregorian chant with a blend of functional harmony and modern textures including some synthesizer timbres that support the vocals.

The concert will be in St John the Baptist Church, Southover High Street – built in the C12 as a hospice for the Priory which provided hospitality for travellers and the poor.

Venue: St John the Baptist Church (Trinity Church, Southover), Southover High St, Lewes BN7 1JH

Entry: £10, tickets on the door

More details on Roland Bryce’s website

Image at Roland Bryce’s website

Rowland Hawke Halls (July 1879 – March 1919) was a Lewes architect working in the Arts and Crafts tradition in the decade before the First World War. To mark the centenary of his death, two events are planned:

Exhibition of drawings and photographs – Tuesday 10 to Monday 16 September 2019, 9:30am to 4:00pm

On display will be Halls’ designs for local buildings, and previously unseen material from the family archive.

Venue: Lewes Town Hall, High Street, BN7 2QS

Entry: Free

A talk on Rowland Halls: A Sussex Architect – Wednesday 18 September 2019, 5.30-6.30pm

Event at The Keep, Falmer

Architect Rowland Halls died in a motorbike accident in March 1919, aged 39. He had spent most of his life in Sussex, where he designed many Arts and Crafts style houses, as well as public buildings such as the Council offices in Fisher Street, Lewes.

Halls celebrated traditional crafts; many of his buildings used local materials and were decorated with scenes from Sussex life and nature.

This talk, by his grandson David Scott Cowan, will explore Halls’ life and work, referencing his letters home from France and Belgium in WWI, as well as architectural plans, watercolours and other material from the East Sussex Records Office at The Keep and family archives.

Entry: £5, which includes the parking fee

Booking in advance is essential via The Keep’s website or call 01273 482349

Venue: The Keep, Woollards Way, Brighton,  BN1 9BP

Click image to enlarge

Sarah Bayliss and Wenda Bradley

Pictures have hung in Lewes Town Hall for more than 120 years and an analysis of the collection helps tell the history of our town. Three of the most important oil paintings have recently been restored with Heritage Lottery funding and their subjects stand out as depicting key moments and influences on local as well as national culture, from The Battle of Lewes to the Protestant Reformers to The Visit of William IV and Queen Adelaide. Other paintings in the Town Hall collection contribute to a rich visual heritage, ranging from images of famous men and two women, shipbuilding, orientalism, cricket, Bloomsbury and Bonfire.

A book has been written about the collection by journalist Sarah Bayliss, with educational materials prepared by Wenda Bradley of Artemis Arts. Their September 2019 talk for Lewes History Group will reveal colourful stories about the paintings’ subject matter, the artists and the generous benefactors who have donated such a variety of art to the people of Lewes.

King William IV ascending the steps of The Friars and being welcomed by Lewes’s MPs and High Constables, 22 October 1830. (Detail from painting by Archibald Archer)

All are welcome from 7.00pm for free refreshments and updates on the Group’s activities. The talk will begin promptly at 7:30pm and will finish by 9.00pm.

There is an entry fee for these meetings, payable at the door, of £1 for members, and £3 for non-members.

Venue: The King’s Church building on Brooks Road, Lewes, BN7 2BY. (Between Tesco car park and Homebase)

See the Meetings page for a list of  forthcoming monthly talks organised by the Lewes History Group.