Rhythms of the Loom: Weaving Songs

Part of London Textile Month, with programmes running throughout September 2026.

Discover the rich musical traditions of Britain’s textile workers, from the cotton mills of Lancashire to the crofts of the Outer Hebrides.

When weaving was a cottage industry, handweavers sang to the click of the shuttle. Later, as industrialisation reshaped communities and working lives, their songs reflected new realities of hardship, conflict, and change.

Using recordings of ballads, laments and protest songs, this talk by Vanessa Houlder describes how music enlivened labour, defined communities, and preserved workers’ stories. It also explores the practical benefits of using music to pace production, illustrated by the Scottish folk songs that synchronised the rhythmic beating of newly woven tweed.

About Vanessa Houlder

Vanessa Houlder is studying for a PhD at Queen Mary University of London, in partnership with the Museum of the Home, after a long career as a journalist. She recently completed a master’s degree in economic history at the London School of Economics which helped fuel her interest in how ordinary people experienced the upheavals of the industrial revolution. These themes intersect with her PhD research into Soundscapes of Domesticity: Music and Lived Experience in Non-Elite English Homes, 1780-1870, which explores the emotional, cultural and social significance of music-making, including its role in family relationships and everyday domestic life.