Young musicians will give historic Teesdale chapel a fitting send off

THE world’s oldest methodist chapel in continuous use is to close this summer, but it will be given a fitting folk send-off by young musicians from Teesdale.
The Music at the Heart of Teesdale (M@HoT) project, with the help of funding from Teesdale Action Partnership, have organised a special concert on Saturday, March 18, to mark the demise of Newbiggin Chapel.
The chapel, which was built in 1759 by leadminers, is being shut due to a dwindling congregation.
Award-winning youth folk band Cream Tees will be performing some of their Tunes from Teesdale, which they have been working on this term with their tutors Niamh Boadle and Anna Hughes, from Newcastle University’s folk degree course. 
The tunes have been gathered together by researcher Mike Bettison as part of the M@HoT project over the past five years.
They are all now freely accessible to view on the M@HoT website – www.music
attheheartofteesdale.com.
“One of the tunes Cream Tees will be performing is Raven’s Feather,” said Mr Bettison, from Bowes. “It has a beautiful melody and was collected by the famous English composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams in 1911 when he visited the workhouse in Barnard Castle.
“Niamh has done a great job to turn the piece of music that has amazingly survived in Vaughan-William’s own handwriting into a tune and arrangement for our all young musicians to play.”
Mr Bettison, together with Rosie Cross, will also be performing their unique and humorous Notes from Teesdale, at the concert, which draws on material from his Teesdale folk database.
Along with a performance from Ms Boadle and Ms Hughes, other special guests will include founder Cream Tees band members Rachel and Fiona Todd, a young folk duo who are starting to spreading their wings and are now rapidly gaining a name for themselves through their performances locally.
It is being billed as a  wonderful afternoon’s entertainment on a  poignant occasion.
“The Newbiggin Chapel Council are delighted to host this second concert from Cream Tees – an association that was born in a Teesdale hay meadow,” said Alan Farrar, the chapel secretary. “We are only sorry we cannot repeat the occasion next year as the chapel is scheduled to cease worship on May 24 this year.”
M@HoT project co-ordinator Neil Diment said: “We are very grateful to the chapel ladies who will be serving proper cream teas at the interval. We are especially grateful to June Luckhurst who has organised everybody.”
The concert starts at 2.30pm. Suggested donations of £5 to support the work of M@HoT are welcome on the door. Please note, there is no parking at the chapel. Those attending are being advised to arrive early and try to park by the village hall, a five-minute walk away.
For more  information, contact Neil Diment at: neil@ndi
ment.co.uk, or tel. 01833 638263.