Billy Bennington (1900-1986)
Click here for more photos of Billy Bennington
Billy (William Horace) Bennington was born on 5th June 1900 and spent most of his working life as a gardener. His father kept the Barford King’s Head public house between 1922 and 1929 and it was he who gave Billy his first dulcimer.
His father, Horace, had heard Herbert Sadd play and bought a dulcimer for Billy’s mother who played melodeon, but it was Billy who took it up.
His father arranged for Billy to have lessons with Frederick Cooper, father of Billy Cooper.
After the First World War Billy Bennington and Billy Cooper played in Barford Kings Head where they teamed up with fiddle player Walter Baldwin. On Saturday nights they would play in village pubs all over Norfolk, travelling on a motorbike combination which had a basket on the front, where they would carry the two dulcimers and the fiddle.
In the 1970s Billy was ‘discovered’ by the folk scene. John and Katie Howson met him in 1979 and he joined the Old Hat Concert Party on many outings, both local and across the country, including a memorable visit to Sidmouth and Dartmoor Folk Festivals in 1982. He built up a strong following of admirers both here and in America and Rose Cottage welcomed many musical visitors.
Throughout his life Billy would tune other people’s dulcimers for them and acted as an informal mentor for a number of people who took it up, some of them quite late in life, such as Percy Garrod and Frank Read.
Further information about Billy and his life can be found in :
‘The Barford Angel’ CD notes and in two magazine articles:
Billy Bennington interviewed by John Howson – English Dance & Song (Vol. 46 No.1) Spring 1984 – ED&S article
An interview with Billy Bennington by Mitzie Collins – Dulcimer Players News (Vol.11 No.2) Spring 1986 – DPN article
There are numerous recordings of Billy Bennington available:
- Billy Bennington was recorded by Tony Engle for Topic records in May 1972
- A film instigated by Russell Wortley was made by Garland films for the English Folk Dance & Song Society in 1979
- John Howson recorded Billy in 1982 and returned with Mike Yates in 1985.
Here is a taster of Billy playing Dark Town Strutters’ Ball, a ragtime song composed in 1917. It’s on the album I Thought I was the Only One: follow the link below to find out more about this and other albums featuring Billy Bennington.
Billy Bennington’s Dulcimer
More photos and information about Billy’s dulcimer.
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