9 December 2026, 13:00 - 14:15
Four hundred years ago, musicians known as The Oxford Waits played ceremonial tunes in the streets of the city, also entertaining audiences at parties, banquets and alehouse singalongs. The hits of the day were not measured by downloads or CDs but in sales of ballad sheets. Songs told of love, death, war, scandal – all the themes relished by the tabloids today.
Tim Healey, director of the present-day Oxford Waits, tells of the city’s music scene in a bygone age with fellow band members Caroline Butler and Edwin Pritchard illustrating the songs and tunes. The trio appear in period costume with instruments that include shawm, fiddle, hurdy gurdy, hammered dulcimer, bandora, nyckelharpa & more.
The talk and performance will last for approximately 1 hour, followed by 15 minutes for questions from the audience for a 2.15pm finish.
Tickets cost £6 and are available to buy online (via Plinth) or at the Museum shop. Tickets for this event also include free entry to the Museum’s galleries.
Part of the Sounds of the City exhibition and events programme.
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Further information
Complimentary tea and coffee will be available to enjoy during the talk. We recommend arriving before the start of the talk if you would like to grab a refreshment.
Sales from tickets help support our work to deliver fun and accessible family activities, community engagement projects, schools workshops, exhibitions and special events for Oxford’s people in our Museum spaces.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Refunds will only be issued if the event is cancelled or if there is a significant change to the advertised programme.
Access
There is step-free, level entry access to the Town Hall via the entrance closest to Carfax Tower (to the left of the main steps as you face the Town Hall). Inside the Museum, Museum Makers is accessible via a platform lift to the Galleries and then a lift to the basement.
Accessible toilets are available in the Museum (close to Museum Makers) and in the Town Hall on the ground floor, before entering the Museum. Please contact the Museum team if you’d like to talk to a member of staff about your access requirements. Further access information can be found on our page dedicated to access at the museum.
