HISTORY is set to be brought to life through a celebration of musical heritage.

The Hardys at Stinsford will be celebrating the musical heritage of Thomas Hardy, and will be performed by the Beaminster Gallery Quire.

Thomas Hardy's father, uncle and grandfather were all musicians.

Together, they formed the band which provided the music for Sunday services at Stinsford from 1800 to around 1840, the year Thomas was born.

Hardy's early childhood was echoed with the old psalm tunes that everyone still knew, the Christmas carols sung round the village every year, and the wealth of fiddle tunes played for dancing on a Saturday night.

Thomas Hardy himself was a skilled fiddle player.

For one night only, some two hundred years later, examples of this musical heritage will be brought back to life by the Beaminster Gallery Quire, whose greatest delight is to sing and play 'the old music' which was originally performed from the galleries of village churches throughout the land.

The group will be performing at St Michael's Church, Stinsford on Saturday, September 29 to help celebrate their Patronal Festival with a programme full of anthems, psalms, carols, songs and fiddle tunes.

Music from the Hardy family collection in Dorchester Museum is complemented by the work of local composers, Samual Wakely (of Bridport) and John Brown (of Fordington).

The Hardys at Stinsford will take place at St Michael's Church on Saturday, September 29 from 7.30pm.

Tickets are £8 or £15 for two, including refreshments, and available from Michael Clarke.