All together now! My Old Man Said Follow the Van...

"To Great Apollo, God of early morn,
Who wakes the song of birds from Eastern sky,
We consecrate this shrine of gentle music;
Music that alternates from smiles to tears;
Smiles emanating from the purest mirth,
And tears of sympathy that speak not sadness."
(Dedication written for the opening of Wilton's Music Hall in 1858)

We went along to the fantastic Wilton's Music Hall yesterday afternoon to listen to Roy Hudd - not just one of Britain's favourite comedians, but an expert in these matters - who gave a one-man show on the origins of Music Hall entertainment and its development into Cabaret and Vaudeville.



The man is a joy to watch and listen to. His knowledge and sheer enthusiasm for the songs and music of our ancestors, and his obvious love for the sadly neglected Wilton's, were an entertainment in itself. He sang some classics from the Music Hall repertoire, gave a potted history of the origins of this style of music - to sell beer! - and kept the audience enthralled with his insight into the performers of the nineteenth century and their show-stopping songs.

To add to the entertainment, when we took our seats we noticed that several in the row behind were marked "Reserved". Imagine our delight when the seats were taken by June Whitfield, Prunella Scales and Timothy West! Ah... What a perfect Sunday...

Anyway, here's a couple of clips of one of the Music Hall performers who survived until the cinema era, Lily Morris:

Lily Morris - He's Only a Working Man

Lily Morris - Waiting at the Church

Wilton's closed as a Music Hall in 1885, and was taken over by the East End Mission of the Methodist Church, and even though the hall was eventually used for a variety of activities ranging from film shows to badminton, it retained its original decor. Wilton's was used by the Mission until 1956, after which the building was sold and used as a rag warehouse.

In 1964 John Betjeman led a successful campaign to save Wilton's from demolition. The campaign was successful and Wilton's was saved. It is now a Grade II* listed building, but desperately needs donations to secure its future.

Wilton's Music Hall website