NEWS & VIEWS
Caversham Charity Folk Festival report that this year they raised 7000 pounds to distribute to their supported charities so well done everyone there. CCFF99 is planned for the weekend 4/6 June 1999.
Following our item on stewards we received a message that anyone who wished to steward at Sidmouth should contact Mrs Casey music http://www.mrscasey.co.uk
In response to my piece on proper provision for children at festivals Susan Butler writes that at Miramichi N.B. Canada, (Aug 3rd - 7th).festival they are trying to provide a family friendly environment
"We are celebrating 41 years of folk music Our music is authentic, traditional and contemporary folk music. We try to keep it family focused. We allow children under 12 accompanied by a parent in free. We open with a festival breakfast with live entertainment - open air show at Ritchie Wharf - noon luncheons with live music - daily evening shows. In 5 days we stage 14 shows including children's show & step dance workshop. We are like one big kitchen party. There's a jam session at local pub on August 6. I invite all to come and experience our down home hospitality, the tea pot is always on"
Email your address to bb2@nb.sympatico.ca for a brochure.
If you are involved in running a festival making a special effort to cater for families let us know what you are doing.
ARTISTES
Visitors from Canada, Tanglefoot have been impressing lots of people. I've caught them twice and really enjoyed them. They have already been invited back next year (1999) to do the Striding Man festival in Ellesmere, Shropshire and the Four Fools Festival in Lancashire(which is moving from its August bank holiday slot to the end of June in 1999).
William Pint and Felicia Dale, from Seattle, Washington State, will be appearing at this years Four Fools Festival, the Portsmouth International festival of the sea, Fylde Festival and Bromyard Festival. They perform songs of the sea with harmony vocals accompanied by guitar, hurdy-gurdy, octave mandola and whistles.
Tania Opland and Mike Freeman, Anglo-Alaskan vocal and multi- instrumental duo--including terrific African-type percussion--begin their tour in September with Bromyard Festival 18th/19th and Otley Festival 20th. They also have a tour list of venues and events, but some dates are still booking in October/November.
Jacey Bedford writes that "Artisan wish to offer apologies for having to cancel their appearance at Brampton Live on the 17th & 18th July. Hilary had an argument with her appendix and was parted from it surgically towards the end of June. Her recovery is steady but slow. We are hoping that she will be able to perform at Warwick on 25th and 26th July. Anyone who wants an update on the situation can be added to Artisan's mailing list. E-mail <artisan@artifact.demon.co.uk>" Future festival bookings are Towersey (August 28th/29th) and Portsmouth International Festival of the Sea (August 30th/31st, with almost a month in Canada and the USA to do the Turtledove Festival, Pennsylvania (Aug 1st), Goderich (Aug 8th/9th) and Owen Sound (Aug 13th- 16th) Festivals in Ontario and one concert at Bethlehem Musikfest in Pennsylvania (Aug 11th).
CORRECTION
Upton Folk Festival next year is as usual on the early May bank holiday not late May. I'm sorry for upsetting the good people at Chippenham who will be putting on their usual excellent event late May bank holiday.
FESTIVALS Diary;
This weekend is one of our favourite festivals;
24th-26th July WARWICK. Good facilities, secure camping, swimming pool on site and great concerts and dances with; Solas, The Albion Band, The Peatbog Fairies, Shave the Monkey, Peeping Tom, Meet on the Ledge, Artisan, Jimmy Crowley, The Fling etc. Email Warwick.folk.festival@iname.com
August is bucket and spade time with a fine selection of festivals at the seaside.
31st July to 7th August is Sidmouth, Devon. Expensive tickets but worth it with all the big names including Oysterband Acoustic, Dervish, Natalie McMaster, Kathryn Tickell, Edward II, Dougie Maclean, Show of Hands and too many more to include here. Email sidmouth@mrscasey.nildram.co.uk
7th-14th August Broadstairs (Kent) Folk Week. Not so strong on names but nonetheless plenty of good people including Pete Coe, Brian Peters & Gordan Tyrell, Jo Freya, Keith Kendrik, Sid Kipper, Bayou Seco and strange headliners Alan Price and Geno Washington both of whom I remember fondly from teenage Saturday nights at the Dreamland ballroom, Margate. Lots of dancers on the streets and live music free in virtually every pub in Broadstairs throughout the week. Hot tip; if you are taking the family book a beach hut or chalet in the main bay so you have a base on the beach and not have to hump your gear from venue to venue. We've already booked ours but there are normally some left on the day. Tel 01843 866048
22nd -28th August Whitby, North Yorkshire. A very traditional week with the likes of John Kirkpatrick, Ian Carr and Karen Tweed, Ray Fisher, Jim Mageean, Sara Grey, Pauline Cato, Tony Rose, Peta Webb, Tony Capstick etc. Lots of good small scale concerts, plus workshops and plenty of sessions in the pubs. Telephone 01757 708424
At this point if your main interest is song it is worth heading inland for;
Aug 28th to 30th THE FOUR FOOLS FESTIVAL at Lowton nr. Leigh, Lancashire. A fine weekend with Martyn Wyndham Read, Sisters Unlimited, Alistair Anderson, Keith Kendrick, Cyril Tawney, Dick Miles and a wide selection of other singers. This really is a singers festival, with plenty of opportunity to have a go yourself in the singaround and the Sunday Sing., always excellent harmony singing. Camping on the single venue site. Details Telephone 012744 732117
Also in August don't forget;
Aug 22nd & 23rd ROOTING FOR AFRICA in the beautiful setting of Hebden House at HEBDEN BRIDGE, West Yorkshire with Dave Burland, Janet Russel , Joe Stead, Alchemy , Judy Dalton and lots more fine singers and poets. Tree Aid is a charity that works to promote tree planting and self sufficiency within African villages. All proceeds towards this very worthy cause. (see previous issues for more details) Email Treeaid@kingsengland.demon.co.uk
Lincolnshire has a number of fairly small scale gatherings and festivals which can be quite good. Two are coming up in September;
11th-13th September a"Folk on't Fen" Thorpe St.Peter, Lincolnshire. The main guest artist will be Rik Palieri who has been playing with Pete Seeger for the past fifteen years or so plus local bands. Only 5 pounds for the weekend. Details Tony Nightingale, Email Antony.n@virgin.net
20th September Folk meet at Tattershall Castle with local singers, musicians, poets and storytellers. Tattershall Castle itself is well worth a visit - not actually a castle but the well preserved former home of Ralph, Lord Cromwell the Treasurer to King Henry the VI and Warden of Sherwood Forrest. The building conjures up a real feel of life in the 1450s. Admission is at normal National Trust entrance fees.
A rather beery ramble from Julia Hawkes-Moore. of Saffron Walden Folk Festival, produced apparently as part of a thread on beer and music in one of the news groups;
Saffron Walden Folk Festival,(23rd - 26th October 1998) Starring Wood Wilson and Carthy OBE (Hurray!Lets drink lots to celebrate!), The Wilson Family (gosh, they drink a lot of beer), The Wrigley sisters, Rory McLeod (for all us middle aged women devotees), Sin E, Grace Notes, Peeping Tom (gosh, they drink a lot of beer), Zydeco Active (Cajun meets reggae - hot! makes you need to drink a lot). Oh, yes, and a real ale bar run by CAMRA. The ocean of beer generally sells out by 11 pm on Saturday night, so we are trying to get the Town Council to build a bigger Town Hall to keep enough in for Sunday! Details; 109 Radwinter Road, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3HY Tel/fax 01799 528046
This newsletter is put out by by Little Pot Stove Records. We have a CD stall at many of the festivals mentioned. We also supply most independent label British folk CDs mail order at reasonable prices and put out a monthly list of collectors vinyl folk records.
Contact us at Little Pot Stove
The snail mail address for both Little Pot Stove Records and the English Folk Festivals Newsletter is 213 Nursery Rd, Dinnington, Sheffield, S25 2QU. Telephone/Fax 01909 569481
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