Wait (musician)
Encyclopedia
Waits or Waites were British
town pipers. From medieval times up to the beginning of the 19th century, every British
town and city of any note had a band of Waites. Their duties varied from time to time and place to place, but included playing their instruments
through the town at night, waking the townsfolk on dark winter mornings by playing under their windows, welcoming Royal
visitors by playing at the town gates, and leading the Mayor
's procession
on civic occasions.
Their instruments also varied, but were for the main part loud and penetrating wind instrument
s such as the shawm
, which was so closely associated with them that it was also known as the Wait-pipe. Waits were provided with salaries
, liveries
and silver chains of office, bearing the town's arms
.
As a result of the Municipal Corporations Act
of 1835, Waits were abolished, though their name lingered on as Christmas Waits, who could be any group of singers or musicians who formed a band in order to sing and play carols
for money around their town or village at night over the Christmas
period. It is these largely amateur
musicians who have today become associated with the name 'Waits', rather than the historical civic officers and accomplished musicians who represented the original Waits.
Most European countries had their equivalents of Waits. In Holland they were called Stadspijpers, in Germany Stadtpfeifer and in Italy Pifferi. See alta capella
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
town pipers. From medieval times up to the beginning of the 19th century, every British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
town and city of any note had a band of Waites. Their duties varied from time to time and place to place, but included playing their instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
through the town at night, waking the townsfolk on dark winter mornings by playing under their windows, welcoming Royal
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
visitors by playing at the town gates, and leading the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
's procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
on civic occasions.
Their instruments also varied, but were for the main part loud and penetrating wind instrument
Wind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator , in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of...
s such as the shawm
Shawm
The shawm was a medieval and Renaissance musical instrument of the woodwind family made in Europe from the 12th century until the 17th century. It was developed from the oriental zurna and is the predecessor of the modern oboe. The body of the shawm was usually turned from a single piece of wood,...
, which was so closely associated with them that it was also known as the Wait-pipe. Waits were provided with salaries
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
, liveries
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
and silver chains of office, bearing the town's arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
.
As a result of the Municipal Corporations Act
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
of 1835, Waits were abolished, though their name lingered on as Christmas Waits, who could be any group of singers or musicians who formed a band in order to sing and play carols
Carol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
for money around their town or village at night over the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
period. It is these largely amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
musicians who have today become associated with the name 'Waits', rather than the historical civic officers and accomplished musicians who represented the original Waits.
Most European countries had their equivalents of Waits. In Holland they were called Stadspijpers, in Germany Stadtpfeifer and in Italy Pifferi. See alta capella
Alta capella
Alta capella were town wind bands found throughout continental Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, which typically consisted of shawms and slide trumpets or sackbuts. Waits were the British equivalent. These were not found anywhere outside of Europe....
.
Scholarly research
- The Waits Website (designed to accumulate and disseminate historical information on Waits, and to advertise the growing number of revival bands, as well as their equivalents throughout Europe).
- Professor Richard Rastall Professor of Historical Musicology, University of Leeds. Includes downloadable copy of his thesis "Minstrels and minstrelsy in medieval Britain".
- City of Lincoln Waites : A history of the Waites of Lincoln.
Extant bands
- Baggshotte Waytes
- Canterbury Waits
- City of Lincoln Waites
- The City Musick (London)
- City Waites
- Colchester Waits
- Doncaster Waits
- Dresdner Stadtpfeifer Waits in Dresden, Germany
- The Pied Piper of Ely
- Faversham Waytes
- Gloucester Waits
- Leicester City Waites (The Longslade Consort)
- Ludlow Waites
- Joch de Ministrils del Consell de Mallorca
- King's Lynn Waits
- Leeds Waits
- Norwich Waits
- Oxford Waits
- Stadspijpers van 's-Hertogenbosch Re-creation of a Dutch Renaissance Town Band
- Winchester Waytes
- York Waits
Waites on Facebook
- Waites - Early Music International Guild of Town Pipers
- The Charlotte Waites
- City of Lincoln Waites
- Colchester Waits
- The Pied Piper of Ely