Charles, from Watchet, plays cello, violin and recorder. He learned violin for 18 months as a child, and also played bamboo pipes. Subsequently he joined several recorder groups in Benson, Oxfordshire. Later in Aberaeron, Wales, he played viola for 3 years, and finally having moved to Watchet made a box cello and had lessons with Vivienne Irwin.	A History of the West Somerset Minstrels and its Members	David Goodland, from Sampford Brett, started playing cello in his late twenties and has continued off and on ever since. He also enjoys singing bass in various groups and choirs. He met Charles at a Deanery meeting at St.Decuman’s, Watchet, who mentioned Old Cleeve and invited him to come along and help.
	Charles Birch was the original member of ‘The Minstrels’. He had met Liz Foster at Knights Templar School, Watchet, where he was helping her to teach recorders. Liz said they needed help at Old Cleeve for their 3rd Sunday morning service, and would he like to meet Austen Hayes who was currently playing his violin there, and help him. Austen, also a reputable artist, had moved to Old Cleeve with his wife along with Margaret Cook and her husband from Yorkshire, as they were good friends. Anyhow, Charles and Austen duly met, but sadly Austen suddenly died and Charles was left to play on his own. He quickly began to gather other musicians around him to help, the first a recorder player, Barbara Robinson from Five Bells, and then Pam Freeman, a pianist and recorder player from Watchet. We have developed from this start, and currently have 10 members from various parishes. If there are any other musicians who might like to join us, please contact Pam Freeman on 01984 634378. We rehearse on either the Friday or the Saturday before the 3rd Sunday in the month, with a short rehearsal before the service on the 3rd Sunday. We play classical, mostly baroque music, as we feel this suits our instruments. We mostly play at Old Cleeve and occasionally in other parishes. In spite of various health problems we enjoy making music together.
Pam Freeman, from Watchet, learned the piano as a child, but stopped at age 12 for financial reasons, though she continued to play and started lessons again at age 40, in 10-minute evening classes when she took Grades up to 8. She has always enjoyed singing and has sung in variouos choirs and quartets. Finally she taught herself recorder in order to teach children in Peckham, South London, and took Grades up to 5. She also taught piano for over 20 years both at school and privately.		Felicity Belton, from Alcombe, started learning descant recorder at school, and has also always enjoyed singing in groups and choirs. Upon retirement she learned the alto recorder. She met Pam Freeman in Watchet through a recorder group which she led, who invited her to join the Old Cleeve Minstrels group
		Ricki Schnorr, from Cleeve Park, had piano lessons as a child which she enjoyed. She says, “Music was my first love.” She took up recorder about 35 years ago, then let it go and only restarted about three and a half years ago, when she joined Pat Matthias’ recorder consort in Minehead. Ricki then joined “The Minstrels” and now also plays monthly with the Society for Recorder Players near Taunton. She is also currently learning Tampura and Indian Rag singing.
Ronnie Bourouba, from Bicknoller, says: “I have always enjoyed music since I was a child. My father played the piano and my mother sang, so there was always music around the house. I had a little help with recorder at school, but mostly I am self-taught. I have also sung in various choirs and then about 7 years ago took up the flute, thanks to the influence of the conductor of the West Somerset Youth Orchestra. I encountered ‘The Minstrels’ through Pat’s recorder group and now play with them as my churchwarden duties allow.” . Pat Matthias, from Minehead, started piano at age 6 and passed all her grades, and also took and passed her LRAM at aged 24. She also took Advanced Music at college, where she started to learn recorder, which she subsequently taught at school, also teaching piano privately. She was asked to start a recorder group with U3A in Minehead, where she met Charles who asked her to join “The Minstrels”, which she now co-leads with Pam Freeman. HOME
		Michael Freeman, from Watchet, has always enjoyed listening to music since a child, and finally started to learn the oboe when he retired, with Di Jerrold in Taunton. He subsequently joined “The Minstrels” about five years ago. He also enjoys singing tenor with various groups and choirs as the opportunity arises Ruth Humphreys, from Timberscombe, started learning the violin as a very young child, following the Suzuki method, but upon moving to boarding school stopped and didn’t take it up again until she moved with her family to Exmoor, when she had lessons with Honor Philips in Porlock. Ruth says she was always surrounded by music as a child, as her mother taught it, and happily the tradition continues with her own children and grandchildren
	Lorna Chivers, from Alcombe, started to learn the descant recorder when she retired about 5 years ago. She heard about “The Minstrels” through Pat Matthias at the U3A, and joined us and hasn’t looked back. Other musicians have helped us in the past, like Sue Welch from Brompton Ralph, Barbara Robinson from Five Bells and Jeanne Webb from Old Cleeve; their help has been much appreciated.