Jules Gibb was invited to give us a singing workshop after people who went to the Brighton Street Choirs Festival loved what she did there. And it was a treat.

She taught us about West Gallery songs. In the Puritan period when singing in church was frowned upon, cunning music-lovers got round this by building a gallery at the west end of the church, where singers need never step on consecrated ground while hymning the congregation.

Jules suggests that the songs from this period were more complex than the mass-hymns produced later by the Wesleys and their ilk, for they were written to be performed by specialist singers.

She suggests too that - as with the sharp lyrics of what we learnt on the day - the songs had a political purpose, forcing the posh folk in the pews up front to turn and 'face the music' of their neighbours' opinions.

The songs are preserved in an unusual form, with the ups and downs recorded for each part but not the individual notes or their lengths. (The felt-tip pen has been specially invented since to make reading them easier, as on the wall behind Jules in the first picture).

It wasn't all West Gallery though. Jules taught us the haunting 'Wangari' about Wangari Maathai, first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize; and 'Jellele' a Yoruba song about gathering in. We all had a terrific time. And Jules's own verdict? As she wrote to Gwyneth (thanks for organising Gwyneth) afterwards: I had a great time too and always love your bolshie energy. Everyone worked really hard and you sounded fantastic. Love Jules

Bolshie? What can she mean?

Pictures by Iain Harrison, thanks Iain.