Night of music in courtyard for upkeep of village church

A LIVE music night in the courtyard of an 18th century barn in Ipsden raised £750 for the village church.

Music in the Barn, which was hosted at Ipsden Farm, raised the money for St Mary’s Church in Church Lane.

About 50 people attended the evening which featured performances by five acts for approximately 30 minutes each.

Performances included Mary Daniels, a pianist from Checkendon, who was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Schools of Music diploma last month, Anne Sherwood with Martin Butler, singer-songwriter, Steve Daniels and Harlequin, a trio with origins in the Bristol folk scene.

Aaron McRobbie, a bass player, was joined by singer Lightnin’ Willie from the Californian blues band, Lightnin’ Willie and the Poorboys. They have released eight albums, with their first release in 1994.

Friends and family brought their own picnics and drinks to enjoy on camping chairs while nestled under blankets, while the red sun set behind the barn.

A raffle also took place to raise extra funds for the church. Steve Daniels, from Checkendon, who organised the performances, said: “It has been happening for around 15 years but has tended to always be very local.

“The person who organised it originally, Ken Fitt, who is now 98, asked if I could organise it on his behalf.”

Kate Moberly, who helped organise the event this year, said: “It’s a lovely event and fundraising evening. It’s really easy to organise as we have the space and Steve sorted the music, and we just put out adverts, so it’s lovely to see so many families and young people turn up.”

Siobhan Bennett, who lives in Ipsden, said: “The evening is full of local talent, apart from the surprise international superstar. Up until this year, we used to have it in the open bit of the barn, but years ago, it used to take place somewhere else and then in the huge barn, which is now used for filming.

“There are so many new people, and the younger element of the village is so nice to see; it really is a great space, especially during the sunset on a lovely summer evening.”