The Dandelion Daily

Recent gatherings in Totnes have drawn local audiences into shared musical spaces, with SONIC RITUAL: All Hallows at St Mary's Church on the High Street offering a live performance where people can listen, rest, dance or move freely. Attendees valued the calm start, the powerful sounds, and the candlelit, comfortably heated church setting. Many appreciated the freedom to lie down or dance inside the church, finding the musical atmosphere uplifting and joyful.

A few practical tweaks were suggested for future evenings, such as providing extra cushions and blankets to help audience members relax comfortably towards the end. Some felt the later pieces grew slightly frantic, and noted that the ticket price felt high or that the night ran on too long. Others suggested encouraging people to keep their mobile phones away to preserve the focus in the room.

There is plenty to draw local crowds around Totnes and Buckfastleigh in the coming months. High above Buckfastleigh, in an old ruin, seventy singers from the Brown Bread Choir are gathering to perform BABY. This free folk opera features old songs, a giant marrow baby, a large monster, an apple-smashing ritual, and a mock wedding and funeral. Just down the road at the Moor Imagination Centre on Chapel Street, the HALLOWEEN FAMILY GATHER offers an evening for all ages, with fancy dress, scary stories, party games, food, and dancing at a haunted disco. Looking ahead towards the festive season, music lovers can head to St Mary's Church on Totnes High Street, where Martha Tilston and Dartsong Chorus will take to the stage for an evening of singing that raises money for a local charity.