(c’83-’85) – Bev Chadwick (sax), Jon Robertson (guitar) Alan Wallis (bass), Philip Joseph (keyboards) and Stuart Barnett (drums).

La Maison du Chants at The Old Schoolhouse, Woking.

The band appeared at local venues across Guildford and Woking including the Old Schoolhouse, Woking and the Sea Cadet Hall and University of Surrey, Guildford. La Maison Du Chants played the May Bug Ball at University of Surrey on 7 May 1983, along with Creatures of Darkness, LongPig, and Freedom Dance. Translated from the French the bands name is The House of Songs, and they along with Freedom Dance often shared the stage and were back together on 13 August 1983, along with Rainbow Road at the Old School House, Woking. Paul Dreczko (keyboards) joined the band around this time replacing Joseph.

Exactly a year after the May Bug Ball, on 7 May 1984, the band were on the bill for a University of Surrey New Wave Society event headlined by Longpig, with Freedom Dance, Funtime for Phillip and The Dark Trio. This event got the band featured in The Werewolf fanzine. Just before Chadwick left in mid-’84 there was another gig at The Old Schoolhouse with Plan A, Pied Piper and The Rats, and Freedom Dance. The band, now down to 4 members with Robertson, Barnett, Wallis, and Dreczko appeared on 8 September 1984 at the Sea Cadet Hall, Guildford with Wild Lettuce and Defabulous. Some time around Christmas / New Year the band faded away.

Chadwick went on to perform in Casual Sax and Steel Bill & The Buffalos, Then worked at the Royal Festival Hall, London for several years becoming the Foyer Music Programmer and is now a freelance tenor/baritone sax player taking on short and long term contracts in the UK and across Europe in jazz, soul, blues, and reggae. In the early ’90s she appeared on two of the Fugatives albums, was part of Mass Producers in the late ’90s and on the track “Out Of The Blue” for Robert Wyatt’s ‘Comicopera’ in the late 2000s with Brian Eno, Yaron Stavi, Annie Whitehead, and Alfie Benge.

Gallery:

Stuart Barnett drumming with La Maison Du Chants. Source: Stuart Barnett
7 May 1983: Ticket for The May Bug Ball at University of Surrey, Guildford with La Maison Du Chants, Freedom Dance, Creatures of Darkness, and LongPig.
7th May 1984: LongPig, La Maison du Chants, Freedom Dance and Funtime for Philip are at Surrey University. Picture courtesy of Alan and Jackie Wallis
13 August 1983: Handbill for Freedom Dance, La Maison Du Chantes, Rainbow Road, and Friends at the Old School House, Woking.
13 August 1983: Handbill for Freedom Dance, and La Maison Du Chantes at the Old School House, Woking.
La Madison du Chants at The Old Schoolhouse, Woking
La Maison du Chants at The Old Schoolhouse, Woking.
La Maison du Chants at The Old Schoolhouse, Woking.
La Maison du Chants at The Old Schoolhouse, Woking.
7 May 1984: La Madison du Chants are second on the bill for this Surrey University New Wave Society event. Picture courtesy of Sharon Pilling
La Madison du Chants were featured in this issue of The Werewolf fanzine. Picture courtesy of Sharon Pilling.
8 September 1984: Handbill for La Maison du Chant’s appearance at the Sea Cadet Hall Guildford. Source: Alan and Jackie Wallis
8 September 1984: La Maison du Chant’s appearance at the Sea Cadet Hall Guildford. Source: Alan and Jackie Wallis
8 September 1984: La Maison du Chant’s appearance at the Sea Cadet Hall Guildford. Source: Alan and Jackie Wallis