In medieval times, musicians and other performers in Cheshire would need a licence to perform without fear of arrest. They gained their annual licence and the protection of the Earl of Chester by attending a Minstrels’ Court at the Church of St John the Baptist each midsummer. The original Minstrels’ Court took place each year from around 1204 through to 1756. Pilgrims & Posies co-ordinated its modern revival in 2008 and again in 2009. As well as wanting to interpret the history of the church, a key factor in the revival was to be able to hear medieval music played on English bagpipes and other appropriate instruments in the wonderful setting of St John’s church.

The tale of the Court’s origin describes how the Earl of Chester, Ranulf de Blundeville, was besieged at Rhuddlan Castle in North Wales and sent word to the constable of Chester Castle for more soldiers, but few were to be found as it was the time of the Midsummer Fair. Instead, the musicians and “other debauched persons” were rounded up and headed off to Rhuddlan, making such a noise that the Welsh feared a great army and fled. In gratitude the Earl offered his protection to the minstrels each midsummer after that.

The 2009 event had knights, pilgrims, nuns and even a leper milling around inside St John's church whilst the medieval music got underway in the chancel. Performances were led by Richard York on a huge range of instruments but ensuring plenty of piping and visitors joined in with percussion. As attending musicians, we were then called to claim our licences from the Rector of Chester & Queen's Remembrancer, David Chesters. We solemnly processed through the nave playing Orientis Partibus on our bagpipes, sounding wonderful in the church and definitely an experience to make the hairs on the back of the neck stand up.

Local musicians also turned up for some impromptu sets and a bit of tune swapping takes place, just as our medieval forebears would have done at the Minstrels' Court.

The music continued through the rest of the day, alongside other performances from the knights, storytelling, mummers plays and morris dancing in the church, all of which seem to suit the space perfectly as well as benefiting from the acoustics.

For me, it was a reminder as to how the nave of medieval churches were often set aside for secular uses and how well they fit this community purpose. St John's church is a wonderful place to play bagpipes and now the Minstrels' Court is firmly revived we'll look forward to seeing some more musicians there next midsummer. Your licences will be waiting!

See our events page for details and dates of the next Minstrels' Court at St John's.

Musicians receiving their licenses