Spent last weekend at Chetlenham Folk Festival. Obviously I ended up stewarding during the thing I really wanted to see (which would be Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings) and, it being on the Friday night, I didn't have time to swap with anyone but it turned out well since the person I was on the doors with didnt like them so let me do all the inside stuf so I caught mosy of them and they were brilliant. Loved all the different mixtures of instruments (although have to say that Paul Sartin looks terrified of holding the melodeon, never mind using it) and the mix of songs from the album (greatly added to by the sound of the oboe, I felt) and from the Folk Song a Day project were great. Gorgeous rendition of 'Rigs of the Time' all on strings and really liked Sportsman's Hornpipe (at least, that's what I think it was) leading into 'Penny for the Preacher. Also really liked the song about Francis Drake (whose title I just can't remember). I was off duty in time for the singaround afterwards which was great fun. We all sang along to 'Butter and Cheese and All' which was being recorded for the dollowing day's podcast and The Bailey Sisters treated us to a lovely rendition of 'The Cuckoo' before Paul Sartin brought the house down as well as not so much lowering the tone as boring a hole in the bottom and scuttling it with the hilarious 'Cock-a-doodle-doo'. Just a really nice end to the evening and I hope it catches on.
Saturday included, Jackie Oates, The Askew Sisters, Freya Abbott Ferguson, Hannah James and Sam Sweeney (introduced as Hannah and James by a slightly confused Pete Grasby which resulted in ahuge cry of 'Sam' from the audience which apparently made Sam Sweeney, backstage, wonder what on earth he'd done!), Pete Coe, The Crucible Trio and Kerr and Fagan who were just brilliant. Also managed to buy some fingerless gloves and some new melodeon straps (which was a little more involved than I suspected since the original Pokerwork strap fittings won't take the nice new straps so I'll have to get new fittings which PJ sadly didn't have with him at the weekend. He has, however promised to bring them to IVFDF and fit them for me and, in the process of all this, found that my current fitting was hanging by a thread so he fixed that so that my melodeon won't fall off the current straps in the meantime so disaster narrowly averted there). Also bought the new Blowzabella CD, 'Dance' which is just great!
On Sunday I managed to catch Mike Wilson and Damien Barber and their song to talk ratio is improving (although not by much! Doesn't matter though. Could listen to them do either all day). Went to Simon Care's melodeon workshop and he really is lovely. Didn't really teach us anything new but spent the whole session just reassuring us that what we were all doing was absolutley fine which was actually really, really helpful. I'm booked on one of his workshops at Squeezing Shropshire later in the year and I'm really looking forward to it. Finally managed to see most of The Melrose Quartet's set (and they were very, very good) before having to head for the train. Which was cancelled so they put us on a bus which didn't quite make it in time for my connection (although we were treated to a highly exciting 3 point turn in some incredibly narrow streets) so I had to wait an hour for the next train. Still I got back in one piece and it was still less time travelling than any festival I've managed from Edinburgh. Travel notwithstatnding, I had a great weekend with some lovely people and some fantastic music (and even ran into a Mons Megger. We turn up everywhere you know!) and Cheltenham has now been added to my list of likely festivals.
On Monday, I got to see The Remnant Kings again at the O'Reilly Theatre in Oxford (and, oh, the novelty of a gig I can get to with a short bus ride...). They were even better (possibly because I wasn't having to keep ushering people through doors during it). Was absolutely fascinated by the workings of the phonographs (one of which was right in front of me) and I also now have some slight urgings to have a go at the concertina after watching Rob Harbron. He really is a bit good. Anna, who I was at with, apparently fancies the double base, but I'd never be able to see over one!). We had a bit of a mad dash for beer during the interval since the bar was apparently in another building which made it interesting to find and it took them ages to serve us. (We were quite calm until we'd noticed that the band had just been served and were heading back. Panic set in a little then. The sing around was great fun again. This time we got to join in on 'Cupid's Garden' for the podcast. Lovely rendition of 'Don't Go Out Tonight Dear Father' by Jon Boden with slightly hilarious backing vocal antics from Messers Sweeney, Harbron and Sartin and we got a couple of numbers from Ian Giles to join in with. I do like him. He always seems to be so surprised to be talking to people. And, of course, Mr Sartin managed to get 'Cock-a-doodle-doo in again to general merriment.
Lovely evening with good company and good music.
Festival-wise this year, I'm definately going to IVFDF, Bristol, Shrewsbury, Holmfirth and Sidmouth. I was planning on the the Oxford Folk Festival and The Big Session but the Big Session is reduced to one day at the 'Beautiful Days Festival' which I can't make while they look for a new venue now that they'll not be using the DeMontfod Hall anymore and Oxford has just had to cancel due to economic difficulties. Fingers crossed that both of these manage to get off the ground again in 2012 because they're both great festivals and I shall really miss them this year. Anyhow, am currently considering Sheppley, Beverley and Ely. Sheppley's looking pretty good at the moment (list includes Bellowhead and Belshazzars Feast) and I really enjoyed Ely last year (may volunteer as a steward this year). Will have to see.
In the meantime, this weekend, I'll be heading back up to Edinburgh for a DERT pratice (and, hopefully, a pub tour) with Mons Meg. It'll be nice to dance some rapper again (rapper withdrawal is a bit severe currently since the Mables are busy trying to organise DERT so aren't really dancing at the moment) and it'll be lovely to see Mons Meg again too. I have missed them!
Also, at some point, I shall get round to sorting out my room since it is ridiculous to need a climbing harness in order to find clothes!
Showing posts with label Holmfirth Festival of Folk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holmfirth Festival of Folk. Show all posts
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Don't Panic, Don't Panic!
Rapper workshop went very well. We had 5 and a half sets who all seemed to have fun and then we carted them all off to Bennets where we had a pretty good dance (and a very strange discussion about the shipping forecast and the possibilities of a monopoly type game based on it) and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We seem to have gained 2 dancers and a fiddler (who, last night, turned out to be a pretty good dancer too) so things are looking hopeful on the Mons Meg front.
I've had the flat confirmed, which is a huge relief but have yet to start packing (mostly cause I'm in panic mode where I run around like a mad thing, picking stuff up and putting it back down and getting precisely nowhere.) Meanwhile, hating the post and whoever put the lock on the main door of the stair since I've been having to run back and forth to the depot (which isn't close!) on the say-so of cards that are themselves 10 days late to collect normal letters. So looking forward to having a main door address.
The pipe workshop at Celtic Connections was great fun. I even managed to get a tune (using the broadist definition of the word) out of them by the end of the day. Would actually consider adding them to my current instrument collection if I could afford them but I can't which is probably a good thing. Should try and achieve a playable level with the melodeon and the fiddle before I attempt anything else (so that could be a good long while).
The concert on the Sunday was also good fun. Not sure about the Cairngorm piece they opened with. all very good musicians but the tune would barely have stretched to 4 minutes, never mind the half hour it lasted! (Plus one of the fiddlers looked like he was ducking bullets the whole time he was playing). Interestingly (for me at least) the lead fiddler was the younger sister of one of my university dancy friends. Saltfishforty and Spiers and Boden were both excellent (although Saltfishforty are slightly weaker on their songs) and together they were absolutely brilliant. Sounded like there was far more than 4 of them.
Had my last proper rapper practice with Mons Meg last night. It was a good fun night with trying to put three beginners through the dance (and a dog I got to make friends with!). Plus Trina produced a cake for me (topped with a set of bellows with a face...wonder what that could possibly represent) and I got a framed collage of rapper photos and a T-shirt with the picture of us on the steps at Holmfirth on it (plus the contract that apparently hands me over to Mabel Gubbins which I find mildly suspect...). Am very, very sad to be leaving Mons Meg but glad I still get to dance with them at things like DERT and Holmfirth. (And we're booked for Holmfirth again this year. Looks like there's a good number of us going and we're all camping. Huzzah, Mons Meg encampment!)
Have notified all who need to be notified that I'm leaving; twice in the case of British Gas who, I forgot, did both my gas and electricity. Liked the poor lad on the end of the phone who clicked to it long before I did and pointed out that I may have just spoken to him...
Have booked for the fiddle workshop at Witney, the weekend next so am just waiting to hear back about that, then it's stewarding at the Cheltenham Folk Festival the weekend after that, back up to Edinburgh for a Mons Meg DERT practice the weekend after that, IFVDF, the weekend after that and then DERT and it's not looking like it'll ease up through the summer. Huzzah!
I've had the flat confirmed, which is a huge relief but have yet to start packing (mostly cause I'm in panic mode where I run around like a mad thing, picking stuff up and putting it back down and getting precisely nowhere.) Meanwhile, hating the post and whoever put the lock on the main door of the stair since I've been having to run back and forth to the depot (which isn't close!) on the say-so of cards that are themselves 10 days late to collect normal letters. So looking forward to having a main door address.
The pipe workshop at Celtic Connections was great fun. I even managed to get a tune (using the broadist definition of the word) out of them by the end of the day. Would actually consider adding them to my current instrument collection if I could afford them but I can't which is probably a good thing. Should try and achieve a playable level with the melodeon and the fiddle before I attempt anything else (so that could be a good long while).
The concert on the Sunday was also good fun. Not sure about the Cairngorm piece they opened with. all very good musicians but the tune would barely have stretched to 4 minutes, never mind the half hour it lasted! (Plus one of the fiddlers looked like he was ducking bullets the whole time he was playing). Interestingly (for me at least) the lead fiddler was the younger sister of one of my university dancy friends. Saltfishforty and Spiers and Boden were both excellent (although Saltfishforty are slightly weaker on their songs) and together they were absolutely brilliant. Sounded like there was far more than 4 of them.
Had my last proper rapper practice with Mons Meg last night. It was a good fun night with trying to put three beginners through the dance (and a dog I got to make friends with!). Plus Trina produced a cake for me (topped with a set of bellows with a face...wonder what that could possibly represent) and I got a framed collage of rapper photos and a T-shirt with the picture of us on the steps at Holmfirth on it (plus the contract that apparently hands me over to Mabel Gubbins which I find mildly suspect...). Am very, very sad to be leaving Mons Meg but glad I still get to dance with them at things like DERT and Holmfirth. (And we're booked for Holmfirth again this year. Looks like there's a good number of us going and we're all camping. Huzzah, Mons Meg encampment!)
Have notified all who need to be notified that I'm leaving; twice in the case of British Gas who, I forgot, did both my gas and electricity. Liked the poor lad on the end of the phone who clicked to it long before I did and pointed out that I may have just spoken to him...
Have booked for the fiddle workshop at Witney, the weekend next so am just waiting to hear back about that, then it's stewarding at the Cheltenham Folk Festival the weekend after that, back up to Edinburgh for a Mons Meg DERT practice the weekend after that, IFVDF, the weekend after that and then DERT and it's not looking like it'll ease up through the summer. Huzzah!
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Oxford Folk Festival 2010 (Sunday)
On Sunday, I decided to try a couple of workshops which started off with the Hands On Workshop at the Bate Museum where we got to handle and (attempt) to play some of the instruments. We had great fun and some folks managed to get some tunes out of the various instruments (although not, apparently, the hurdy gurdy!). I was really taken with one of the crumhorns. It had a really nice sound and was surprisingly easy to get a scale out of and I now sort of want one...
After that I went along to the harp workshop which was also very good. I also want a harp!
After this, I went back to the Town Hall to visit the craft fair again and succumbed to the lure of the bowler hats. I am now the owner of a very nice hat with jewels along the hatband and some feathers. I must now make a new tatter coat to match the hat (although my current one will probably go well enough for now). The lassie who was selling them seemed very surprised that poeple wanted to buy them which was fairly funny.
I then headed back to the Far From the Madding Crowd for the french session which had some great tunes and a little bit of dancing. After a couple of drinks, I met up with some of the BFP's and went to see Karen Tweed and Paul Hutchinson. Underrehearsed and chaotic would be one way to describe them as they occasionally found themselves playing the wrong parts or had to search frantically for sheet music that was on the stand all the time, but they were so funny and the music was lovely that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly liked the suggestion that, since they didn't have a CD out together, that we could play one each of their CD's at the same time, followed by the susggestion that we could run up and down the hallway for a doppler effect.
After a quick break to the icecream place for (in my case anyway) a Freeze (sorbet and lemonade. Lovely!) we went back to the Town Hall to see Maqam (Giles Lewin and others playing arabic music). They were very good but hit just at the wrong part of the day as I was a little drowsy and the music was very lulling. Managed not to fall asleep but it was a near run thing.
We then headed to the Cornbury stage to listen to (and sing along with) Ian Giles. This was really good fun with some really funny songs we could join in with. The Festival finished with What's Up Folk, a (large) group of kids from John Spiers' old school that he's done some work with in the past. Some very good performances (although we weren't too sure about them doing Kafoozalum. At least they didn't sing the words.) The lassie who sang solo was very good (although a slightly diconcerting choice of song for someone her age) and the 3 lads (one of which was also the trombonist who was really going for it!) who sang were also good.
We then headed off for tea before folks set off home. Since 2 of us were staying till the Monday, we headed off to The Bird and Baby (which I'm fairly sure is a nickname but I can't remember what it's real name is) where we drank green beer for the sheer novelty and just chatted before I finally headed back.
The coach trip back was a bit of a nightmare since it got delayed so it took over 10 hours and I was close to a kid who would not shut up whining. I got through 3 books (have just started reading Patricia Briggs who I'm quite enjoying) and listened to a lot of Bellowhead on the i-pod to get through it.
Still, totally worth it. I'm already trying to work out which of Bellowhead's November tour dates I can make it to and very much looking forward to Holmfirth where I'm going to see Rachel McShane and Belshazzar's Feast. It was also really lovely to meet so many people from the forum. Everyone was so friendly and it was really nice to have a group of people that I could just randomly meet up with when I felt like it and do stuff with. Will hopefully be running into them again at various festivals through the year.
Am now seriously starting to consider moving down south. Most of the stuff I want to do is down that way and I would save myself so much time and money taken up by travel. It would have to be somewhere with a rapper side and a strong folk scene. Am going to have to sit myself down at some point and have a very serious think.
Last night I was supposed to go over to a friend's for tea and DVD's. Instead I ended up helping her pull up the bathroom carpet in her old flat due to a leak. Still, it was nice to see her and we had pizza and a chat afterwards.
Still waiting to hear what is happening with Falkirk. Hope we cans till do it.
After that I went along to the harp workshop which was also very good. I also want a harp!
After this, I went back to the Town Hall to visit the craft fair again and succumbed to the lure of the bowler hats. I am now the owner of a very nice hat with jewels along the hatband and some feathers. I must now make a new tatter coat to match the hat (although my current one will probably go well enough for now). The lassie who was selling them seemed very surprised that poeple wanted to buy them which was fairly funny.
I then headed back to the Far From the Madding Crowd for the french session which had some great tunes and a little bit of dancing. After a couple of drinks, I met up with some of the BFP's and went to see Karen Tweed and Paul Hutchinson. Underrehearsed and chaotic would be one way to describe them as they occasionally found themselves playing the wrong parts or had to search frantically for sheet music that was on the stand all the time, but they were so funny and the music was lovely that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly liked the suggestion that, since they didn't have a CD out together, that we could play one each of their CD's at the same time, followed by the susggestion that we could run up and down the hallway for a doppler effect.
After a quick break to the icecream place for (in my case anyway) a Freeze (sorbet and lemonade. Lovely!) we went back to the Town Hall to see Maqam (Giles Lewin and others playing arabic music). They were very good but hit just at the wrong part of the day as I was a little drowsy and the music was very lulling. Managed not to fall asleep but it was a near run thing.
We then headed to the Cornbury stage to listen to (and sing along with) Ian Giles. This was really good fun with some really funny songs we could join in with. The Festival finished with What's Up Folk, a (large) group of kids from John Spiers' old school that he's done some work with in the past. Some very good performances (although we weren't too sure about them doing Kafoozalum. At least they didn't sing the words.) The lassie who sang solo was very good (although a slightly diconcerting choice of song for someone her age) and the 3 lads (one of which was also the trombonist who was really going for it!) who sang were also good.
We then headed off for tea before folks set off home. Since 2 of us were staying till the Monday, we headed off to The Bird and Baby (which I'm fairly sure is a nickname but I can't remember what it's real name is) where we drank green beer for the sheer novelty and just chatted before I finally headed back.
The coach trip back was a bit of a nightmare since it got delayed so it took over 10 hours and I was close to a kid who would not shut up whining. I got through 3 books (have just started reading Patricia Briggs who I'm quite enjoying) and listened to a lot of Bellowhead on the i-pod to get through it.
Still, totally worth it. I'm already trying to work out which of Bellowhead's November tour dates I can make it to and very much looking forward to Holmfirth where I'm going to see Rachel McShane and Belshazzar's Feast. It was also really lovely to meet so many people from the forum. Everyone was so friendly and it was really nice to have a group of people that I could just randomly meet up with when I felt like it and do stuff with. Will hopefully be running into them again at various festivals through the year.
Am now seriously starting to consider moving down south. Most of the stuff I want to do is down that way and I would save myself so much time and money taken up by travel. It would have to be somewhere with a rapper side and a strong folk scene. Am going to have to sit myself down at some point and have a very serious think.
Last night I was supposed to go over to a friend's for tea and DVD's. Instead I ended up helping her pull up the bathroom carpet in her old flat due to a leak. Still, it was nice to see her and we had pizza and a chat afterwards.
Still waiting to hear what is happening with Falkirk. Hope we cans till do it.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Extra Bounce and Needle Attacks!
Spent last night trying to get the hallway clear and I succeeded but only because everything is now in the sitting room!. Never mind, it means that the meter reading whatsit can get to the meter (and he had better come tonight!).
Tonight I will mostly be packing for Oxford since I'm getting the coach on Thursday night. Will also be reinforcing the bottom of the soft bag I bought at IVFDF since it always tends to go in bags like that and it's useful and I would like it to last.
Very, very excited. Have printed off all my booking things (campsite, coach and festival ticket) and the venues map and have been listening to Bellowhead CD's and DVD at all opportunities.
Have also booked bits and bobs for Holmfirth (These would be camping and tickets to go and see Belshazzar's Feast and Rachel McShane) so excited about that too. Add to that the fact that the Freaks in the Peaks Canal trip is sneaking up on me and I am a bouncy little gremlin indeed.
Got a little bit of the bounce knocked out of me last night when I managed to bring my hand down hard on the blunt end of a needle (well I will use the settee arm as a pincushion). It went pretty deep and I now have a slightly swolled and reddened puncture wound in the centre of my left hand. Will have to keep an eye on that (boom, boom!) Anyhow...
Looking around at stuff last night, I really, really need to have a big clear out (not just a big tidy!) The chest of drawers in the hall can certainly go (especially since I think the only thing keeping it upright is the stuff inside it!) and I can replace it with a cheap basket stand thing from Ikea or some such cause most of the stuff inside it can be binned too. All the books are sacrosanct, as are the CD's but there's a lot of DVD's I can see if I can sell to one of those second hand DVD shops. There's also a lot of reenactment kit I just don't use any more, mostly because it's rubbish so it'll be a case of binning rather than selling on. There's also the electronic items graveyard (hoovers, kettles, irons, heaters etc) that I seem to be hanging on to for unknown reasons. They can definitely go.
Anyhow, while not loking forward to another overnight coach journey (and the fact that I arrive in Oxford at around 07.45 but can't get in to the campsite till 12.00), I am definitely having problems containing the bounce being generated by this weekend. I've never been to Oxford before and am quite keen to see round it (please let the weather be nice!) and, as well as Bellowhead, I'm really looking forward to seeing MacLaine Colston and Saul Rose, The Demon Barber Road Show, Paul Hutchinson and Karen Tweed (I think they are going to win out over the northumbrian pipes workshop) and going to the workshops (I'm aiming for the singing and harp playing ones and possibly some morris) and, of course I will be keeping my eyes peeled for rapper since I think Black Adder will be there.
Tonight I will mostly be packing for Oxford since I'm getting the coach on Thursday night. Will also be reinforcing the bottom of the soft bag I bought at IVFDF since it always tends to go in bags like that and it's useful and I would like it to last.
Very, very excited. Have printed off all my booking things (campsite, coach and festival ticket) and the venues map and have been listening to Bellowhead CD's and DVD at all opportunities.
Have also booked bits and bobs for Holmfirth (These would be camping and tickets to go and see Belshazzar's Feast and Rachel McShane) so excited about that too. Add to that the fact that the Freaks in the Peaks Canal trip is sneaking up on me and I am a bouncy little gremlin indeed.
Got a little bit of the bounce knocked out of me last night when I managed to bring my hand down hard on the blunt end of a needle (well I will use the settee arm as a pincushion). It went pretty deep and I now have a slightly swolled and reddened puncture wound in the centre of my left hand. Will have to keep an eye on that (boom, boom!) Anyhow...
Looking around at stuff last night, I really, really need to have a big clear out (not just a big tidy!) The chest of drawers in the hall can certainly go (especially since I think the only thing keeping it upright is the stuff inside it!) and I can replace it with a cheap basket stand thing from Ikea or some such cause most of the stuff inside it can be binned too. All the books are sacrosanct, as are the CD's but there's a lot of DVD's I can see if I can sell to one of those second hand DVD shops. There's also a lot of reenactment kit I just don't use any more, mostly because it's rubbish so it'll be a case of binning rather than selling on. There's also the electronic items graveyard (hoovers, kettles, irons, heaters etc) that I seem to be hanging on to for unknown reasons. They can definitely go.
Anyhow, while not loking forward to another overnight coach journey (and the fact that I arrive in Oxford at around 07.45 but can't get in to the campsite till 12.00), I am definitely having problems containing the bounce being generated by this weekend. I've never been to Oxford before and am quite keen to see round it (please let the weather be nice!) and, as well as Bellowhead, I'm really looking forward to seeing MacLaine Colston and Saul Rose, The Demon Barber Road Show, Paul Hutchinson and Karen Tweed (I think they are going to win out over the northumbrian pipes workshop) and going to the workshops (I'm aiming for the singing and harp playing ones and possibly some morris) and, of course I will be keeping my eyes peeled for rapper since I think Black Adder will be there.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Festival Plans
Rapper was fun but exhausting (it always is when there's not many dancers). Our musician has just proved himself a true folk dancing musician due to managing to fall in his garden, break 3 ribs, puncture a lung, drive himself to hospital and he was still playing for our practice last night. The words 'impressive' and 'nuts' come to mind.
We seem to have a fair bit of stuff coming up. Provisionally, we seem to be dancing in Falkirk for St Georges Day, Anstruther for the Lifeboat gala day, a latino scottish ceilidh in Edinburgh and, of course there's the workshop/St Andrews tour this coming Saturday leading to DERT itself. Lots of rapper can not be a bad thing.
Have decided that I am definitely going to head down for the Holmfirth Folk Festival so need to send off my camping application. Ian has very nicely put me in touch with the organisers to book Belshazzer's Feast tickets and I'm swithering between the ceilidh and Rachel McShane on Saturday night. I think I can probably do both and so will probably book to see Rachel McShane at the picturedrome.
Oxford is looming large on the horizon and the only reason I'm not all over the place bouncing about is that DERT is first and I'm too busy bouncing about that. At some point I should get my tent out and see how it is. Hasn't been used since Whitby but it did get put away dry so fingers crossed.
Still waiting to find out whether I can steward at Whitby. They said to get back in touch if I hadn't heard anything by a couple of weeks and it has now been a couple of weeks so I should probably e-mail them
We seem to have a fair bit of stuff coming up. Provisionally, we seem to be dancing in Falkirk for St Georges Day, Anstruther for the Lifeboat gala day, a latino scottish ceilidh in Edinburgh and, of course there's the workshop/St Andrews tour this coming Saturday leading to DERT itself. Lots of rapper can not be a bad thing.
Have decided that I am definitely going to head down for the Holmfirth Folk Festival so need to send off my camping application. Ian has very nicely put me in touch with the organisers to book Belshazzer's Feast tickets and I'm swithering between the ceilidh and Rachel McShane on Saturday night. I think I can probably do both and so will probably book to see Rachel McShane at the picturedrome.
Oxford is looming large on the horizon and the only reason I'm not all over the place bouncing about is that DERT is first and I'm too busy bouncing about that. At some point I should get my tent out and see how it is. Hasn't been used since Whitby but it did get put away dry so fingers crossed.
Still waiting to find out whether I can steward at Whitby. They said to get back in touch if I hadn't heard anything by a couple of weeks and it has now been a couple of weeks so I should probably e-mail them
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