Around Kent Folk issue 92 for April and May 2019

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ke nt folk Issue 92 April / May 2019

Your FREE Guide to Folk Events in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and beyond

Published by Tenterden Folk Festival, Charity No 1038663 Promoting folk song, music, dance, crafts and traditions.

Steeleye Span return to Ashford Steeleye Span was formed in 1969 and is celebrating 50 years on the road with a big tour which includes a trip to Revelation Ashford. I cannot remember when I first saw Steeleye Span live but it must have been the early 1970’s. At that time I was running a folk club in Ashford and writing occasional articles on local folk gigs for the Kentish Express. The editor rang me and asked if I would like tickets for a Steeleye gig at the Leas Cliff Hall, but it meant meeting the band and doing an interview before the show. Well I was not going to say no to that was I. I met the whole band in a pub in Folkestone and we sat chatting for about an hour. I cannot remember the full line-up of the band then but I remember that the drummer was Nigel Pegrum so I think that puts it in 1973. Since then I’ve seen them live numerous times and in numerous venues from a sports hall in Chippenham, the grounds of a stately home near Canterbury, a Church in Ashford (where I was the compere) and several theatres. Each time there has been a slightly different line-up but Maddy Prior has always been out in front. The current members of the band include Liam Genockey (drums) and Jessie May Smart (fiddle) who both have connections with the AKF area. This will be the first time I’ve seen them since Benjie Kirkpatrick joined the band that John worked with back in the 1970’s. The other current members are Andrew “Spud” Sinclair, Julian Littman and Roger Carey so only Maddy remains from my first Steeleye gig in 1973. See the Revelation adverts for full details of their upcoming gig in Ashford.

Alan Castle Editor PS: We were hoping to include a bit about the Lunatracktors in this issue but space has beaten us so watch out for their debut CD “This is broken folk”, due for release on 18th May. We hope to review it next issue.

Dartford Folk Club BBC Radio 2 Best Folk Club of the year 2008 www.dartfordfolk.org.uk 01322 222553

FLOOR SINGERS WELCOME (PLEASE BOOK) RESIDENTS: DARTFORD RAMBLERS - ROB MITCHELL TRIO - IAN PETRIE

2nd April ASKEW SISTERS 9th April STEVE TILSTON 16th April MAIREAD GREEN & ANNA MASSIE 23rd April CHRIS & WENDY MORETON 30th April PETER KNIGHT’S GIGSPANNER 7th May JOHN DOYLE 14th May FARA 21st May CLIVE GREGSON 28th May LANDERMASON 4th June BROOKS WILLIAMS 11th June THE MILE ROSES Coming up: Paul Downes, Hicks & Goulbourn, Cup O’ Joe, Wizz Jones

To receive regular updates: Email (put ADD on subject line) dartfordfolk@googlemail.com

DARTFORD WORKING MENS CLUB Essex Road EVERY TUESDAY 8.30 TILL 11.00

Rab Noakes and Rod Clements - Alive ’n’ Pickin St Leonard’s Church Hythe is a wonderful venue for live music.The Friends of St Leonard’s are diversifying their concert programmes which until recently have been predominantly classical.

In November they hosted Peter Knight’s Gigspanner and now they are looking forward to welcoming Rab Noakes and Rod Clement’s as Alive ‘n’ Pickin on Thursday 2nd May. The shared roots of Rab and Rod go back to the 1960s when they both appeared on the folk club circuit of Tyneside and beyond. Rab as an up- andcoming singer-songwriter and Rod as a member of Lindisfarne.

After numerous occasional collaborations over the years Rod and Rab have finally got together to celebrate their past, their passions and their shared belief in the power of song. In an age of manufactured music they present their craft as writers and players in an unadorned style performing favourites from their own catalogues as well as some of the classics that originally inspired them.

Make no mistake, these engaging, perennially creative septuagenarians are Alive ‘n’ Pickin.

Rab and Rod will be supported by the Mampama duo performing African fusion and the sublime Rachel Gerrard. Tickets £12 from www.eventbrite.co.uk and Artwrite, Hythe High Street.

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Acoustic Music Night at “The George”

Stone Street CT4 6DF Every third Wednesday of the month 8pm - 10.30pm If you enjoy playing or listening to unplugged acoustic music of all types (folk, blues, pop, rock, country, jazz, soul, classical etc) you are very welcome to join us at the pub for a free, relaxed and entertaining evening.

For more information, contact Jeff on 01303 813188

The Bell, High Street Kemsing TN15 6NB

2nd Thursday each month from 8:30pm a great programme of events for 2019

April 11th Gavin and Julie Atkin May 9th Welcome Evening for new singers and musicians young and old.

June 13th The Gillies

'Resident singers: Alan Austen and Linda Smith' as well as our regular club members. .

All new musicians, singers and audience very welcome.

Contact: 01689 825263/ 0208 857 1024 Email: sheilafinn@hotmail.co.uk

Faversham

Every Wednesday 8.00pm Doors open 7.30 www.favershamfolkclub.net

Folk Club

The Limes

Preston Street, Faversham ME13 8PG

April - May

April - May

Wednesday 27 March - Lissie Bayford & Christine Adams £7/8 Sweet harmony and excellent musicianship from local songsters formerly known as Fiddle & Faff- sure to be a busy night, judging from their last appearance here.

Saturday 6 April - at the Assembly Hall Special club 50th anniversary with Green Diesel Licensed bar £7 advance/£8 on the door Wednesday 17 April - Pete Coe £8/9 Welcome return of a true troubadour, songs from all sources and writer of many. Pete combines radical songs with broadsheet and well- researched tradition, all with his characteristic panache.

Wednesday 8 May - Notts Alliance £8/9 Harmonies galore from sturdy voices- we are glad to book Notts Alliance again- top quality and diverse repertoire, popular performers all around the country Wednesday 22 May - Allan Richardson £7/8 Singer songwriter with lyrics for all occasions and guitar of deft ingenuity.

He’s always got something new up his sleeve, alongside his established deck of social comment and wry humour Other Wednesdays are Singers ‘ Nights, £2 for an eclectic mix...

Unless otherwise stated, admission to guest nights is £6 members, £7 non-members All singers nights now £2. Under 18 always free Chairman/ Bookings: Pat on 01795 423674 or rjpmailbox pat@yahoo.co.uk Press/ Radio Publicity:Bob on 07885 642763 / bobkenward21c@gmail.com

Deal Friday Folk Club meets 8pm every Friday at RMA Club (upstairs) 37 The Strand, Walmer CT14 7DX AprilOctober 19th - Rattle the Stovepipe 26thon - Granny's Attic - 3 incredibly talented

Daveyoung Arthurmen on guitar, Petetaken Cooper Dan Stewart on who have theon folkfiddle worldand by storm in years Irish and Appalachian songs & tunes and oldbanjorecent with British, timey music.

November 9th - Singer's Night with Remembrance May theme 10th -(Armistice Notts Alliance Day Centenary) An a capella harmony trio with material from the folk tradition and thereabouts who have a reputation- for tightBaynham and inventive November 16thgained - Quicksilver Grant & harmony singing.

Hilary Spencer entertain and delight with virtuoso guitar and amazing Coming soon on Junevoice 14th - Mick Ryan & Paul Downes.....

Guest nights - £5.

Singers Nights - £1.50 Singers, £2 Non-singers www.dealfolkclub.org.uk or ring Sue on 01-304-360877

Moore OR Less Folk Club Oast Community Centre, Granary Close, Rainham, Kent, ME8 7SG (next to Rainham railway station)

Second Friday of each month The club always welcomes new performers, of any ability, and audience who just wish to listen.

Friday 12th April - Singers Night - Entry £3 including raffle Friday 10th May - Singers Night - Entry £3 including raffle All singers nights are £2.00 members and £3.00 non-members Guest nights as advised but generally £4.00 / £5.00

All Club Nights 8.30 - 11.00pm Doors/bar open 7 for 7.30

Doors/bar open 7 for 7.30 Enquiries Chris Wilkin 01634 366155

Adventures of an Old Folkie Well, Lorna (my wife) and I are back from Western Australia, after a month of sun, sea, food and drink excess; I managed to reverse all of the good work of last summer by putting back on the stone in weight which I had lost! Oh, well; I’ll just have to start all over again.

My relatives in WA assure me that the weight gain is a positive sign that I really enjoyed the holiday, which, to be honest, I did. We’ve been back for almost a week now and seem to have spent most of the time sleeping! This is in contrast to the period directly after our flight to Perth, during which we were surprised to suffer no effects of jet lag whatsoever, especially after it had been a seventeen hour direct flight.

For the first five days of the holiday, we stayed just outside of Perth with my cousin and her husband, who took us to discover the many delights of the city, including a bar serving over a hundred brands of gin; very nice! We got to meet most members of my family over there; my aunt was one of the “ten pound poms” who took her family over there in 1963 in order to escape unemployment in her native County Durham at the time. Things don’t seem to have changed very much since then, with the north-east still being an unemployment black spot.

Her family thrived in WA and she now is a proud grand and great-grandmother, though she claims that she still doesn’t see herself as an Australian; indeed, she has retained her broad County Durham accent after all these years!

I took with me CD copies of two of my songs; one was entitled “Ready To Go Home” and is a eulogy to my late father (my WA aunt’s brother) and the other, “Jack a’ Days”, is about the convict-based settlement of Australia in the nineteenth century. I gave them to my relatives; I hope they will appreciate them.

For the rest of the holiday, Lorna and I stayed in self-catering apartments in Mandurah and Scarborough, which is nothing like our seaside town in north Yorkshire! It’s a young, brash, typically Australian seaside resort, offering beach sports like jet-skiing, and kitesurfing, which seems to be very popular over there. We hired a car and tried to get out to see various sights every day, including Busselton Jetty, the second longest pier in the world (after Southend pier!) and a heritage railway which had been originally been used to transport lumber in the early twentieth century. We allowed ourselves one “day off”, during which we planned to sunbathe, relax and read beside the swimming pool. Ironically, it turned out to be dull, cloudy and overcast and, after a couple of hours of trying to give the weather a chance, we gave up and retired to our apartment. I still managed to get sunburnt, though, as the sun’s rays penetrated through the clouds. Ouch!

As regards music, I must admit that I didn’t deliberately try to seek out the scene over there. Perhaps we were in the wrong places, but we saw very little evidence of a thriving folk scene, although there were very good individual street musicians and entertainers in the bars and restaurants, some using electronic loopers and vocal harmonisers to enhance their performances.

Although we really enjoyed our month “down under”, it’s great to be back home and last Thursday we went down to our local folk club (“The Drum” in Stanford North), where it was guest night. The guests were John and Di Cullen, who were superb, with a well-balanced set of very high-quality material. I’d never seen them before, but can highly recommend them; I even bought a couple of their CDs at the end of the gig!

Jeff (JR) Hartley

CD Reviews Various Artists - Here At The Fair (Double CD) Wildgoose WGS 428 CD - www.wildgoose.co.uk Here is something that will prove to be an excellent memento of the folk opera by Mick Ryan which was such a success when it was performed at the Town Hall at last year’s Tendered Folk Festival. The album had not been released at that time but it is on offer from Wild goose with exactly the same cast as performed it then.

The scene is a mid-Victorian fair and we encounter the sort of characters that you might expect to find there - amongst them a sort of failing actor/manager (played by Mick himself) and his daughter (Alice Jones), a snake oil salesman/doctor (Geoff Lake man), a fortune teller (Helen Bradford), a seller of broadside ballads (George Ransome) and two characters from a circus, a rather contemplative clown (Cohen Braithwaite Kilcoyne) and a horseman (the ever effervescent Pete Morton). Mick has drawn on a number of novels by Dickens to form the character of the majority of the characters here.

Mick wrote almost all the twenty-two songs in the show with only a little help from traditional sources. He has certainly assembled a fine cast and there are some excellent performance here. The historical context of the show is the “Hungry Forties” and the associated agricultural depression with references back to the Peterloo Massacre which would have been in the minds of many of the characters.

Having the three members of the hugely talented Granny’s Attic to provide the accompaniments for most of the songs was a very good move; they provide an excellent musical underscoring for the proceedings.

Vic Smith Leveret - Diversions - Rootbeat Records RBRCD42 - www.rootbeatrecords.com We have moved into an age where folk artists are much more likely to be producing their own CDs - taking control of the whole process - rather than bringing our releases on our well respected specialist folk music labels. Concerns were expressed that this would lead to a reduction of the overall quality of the releases, especially when an album producer had not be chosen. No such criticism could be levelled at Leveret. All aspects of the four albums they have brought out, four in the five years of the band’s existence, have had great care taken of every detail - and they produce the albums themselves. Of course, it helps that all three are absolutely top-drawer musicians with a wealth of varied experience between them. The three are Andy Cutting (melodeon), Rob Harbron (English Concertina) and Sam Sweeney (fiddle).

After concentrating on their own compositions on their previous release, this time their all-instrumental album returns to traditional tunes and the album sounds the better for it.

Familiarity with the tunes helps reveal the artistry of the way their clever arrangements have been made though tunes that are not so well known are included. They are almost all drawn from the manuscripts of rural musicians from all over England though a couple come from the our best known source, Playford’s ‘The English Dancing Master’.

The album was recorded locally at the beautifully appointed studio in North Kent near the village of Bredgar.

Vic Smith

Adrian Hilton (1955 - 2018) Adrian Hilton who died in December 2018, after a stroke, was for 46 years a member of Chingford Morris Men, acting as a dancer, musician, author and performer in the Mummers Play and for over 20 years, Squire. He joined the Good Easter Molly Dancers for many Plough Monday performances. He was a member of the Lea Valley Mummers until they folded.

He also played occasionally for the Enfield Chasers and Herts Holly among others, and for country dances in halls, pub bars and school assemblies. His music was always so danceable.

Adrian was an exceptionally talented musician impressing many with his ‘twiddly bits’. He regularly attended music session across the country, including East Anglia, and actually built his own melodeon.

He was a Friend of Broadstairs Folk Week for many years and attended a few days of the festival in 2018. In the Singaround he was famous for playing the “Chorus Tune” as it came to be known (“Woodland Revels”), because people used to sing along. He enjoyed attending Tenterden Folk Festival and played for Chingford Morris on the Sunday of the 2018 festival.

He attended a number of folk clubs over time including Walthamstow, Ware, Lewes, Loughton and Waltham Abbey.

He sang with Shape Note groups, and attended the first English Shape Note Convention in Hitchin many years ago.

The Unthanks Unaccompanied, As We Are With special guest Tim Dalling

Sunday 28 April, Doors 7pm Folkestone Quarterhouse The Unthanks make a welcome return to Kent, showcasing brand new songs alongside more familiar arrangements, singing in unaccompanied harmony.

Chingford Morris Men $QZ QHƂEG quarterhouse.co.uk

Lewes Saturday Folk Club Traditional music every Saturday night Elephant & Castle, White Hill, Lewes BN7 2DJ 8.00 – 11.00 www.lewessaturdayfolkclub.org valmaigoodyear@aol.com 01273 476757 Loyalty card: 6 evening visits = £5 off an evening Apr 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Apr 27 May 4 May 11 May 18 May 25

Jack Hogsden & Leon Hogsden Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (workshop) Spring Come All Ye with Easter biscuits Matt Quinn & Owen Woods May Songs with Maids of Honour Come All Ye: ‘Dirty Work’ with Derek Seed Emmanuel Pariselle & Richard Burgess (workshop) Come All Ye with Diane & Steve Nevill

WORKSHOPS (10.45 am – 4.45 pm) The tutor performs at the club in the evening. Booking forms from club website. Half-price places for 2 under-25 year-olds.

13 Apr

COHEN BRAYTHWAITE-KILCOYNE: MELODEON £35 18 May EMMANUEL PARISELLE & RICHARD BURGESS FRENCH & SCANDINAVIAN DANCE MUSIC £35 8 June JEZ LOWE: SONGWRITING £35 23 June SANDRA KERR: VOICE & CONCERTINA £35 6 or 13 July THE WILSONS VOCAL HARMONY THE WILSON WAY £35 14 Sept JEFF WARNER: USA WORK SONGS £35 21 Sept JOHN SPIERS: MELODEON £35 12 & 13 Oct VICKI SWAN & JONNY DYER £35 TOPICS TO BE CHOSEN 23 Nov BRYONY GRIFFITH: VOCAL HARMONY £35 7 Dec THOMAS McCARTHY TRAVELLER SONGS, LIFE & STORIES £35

Whitby

Folk Week Over 600 events for young and old everyone welcome Workshops; Dances; Concerts

17 – 23 August 2019

www.whitbyfolk.co.uk Ticket Sales – 07597 541899

NANCEGOLLAN STATION Words and Music by Bob Watson

NANCEGOLLAN STATION Words and Music by Bob Watson

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Sussex Folk News Looking ahead to September, the South Downs Folk Festival continues to grow and their line-up for the weekend of 0f 19-22nd looks as though it could be their best ever. With the main centre for events being Bognor’s Alexandra Theatre, it is not suprising that they have big name concerts at the centre of their events.

This year they will be presenting two long established top name bands as headliners for their evening concerts with Lindisfarne and Oysterband. There will also be the fast-rising Young ‘Uns with a very special and unique whole evening show. Whilst they say that there are still quite a number of names to be announced, other top attractions will include the high-energy American band The Jigantics as well as the highly entertaining 3 Daft Monkeys. Blair Dunlop, Palmerston and Red Shoes.

The Regis Studio Theatre offers marathon daytime concerts on Saturday and Sunday running from midday until 6.30pm Looking ahead to September, the South Downs Folk Festival continues to grow and their line-up for the weekend of 0f 19-22nd looks as though it could be their best ever. With the main centre for events being Bognor’s Alexandra Theatre, it is not suprising that they have big name concerts at the centre of their events.

This year they will be presenting two long established top name bands as headliners for their evening concerts with Lindisfarne and Oysterband. There will also be the fast-rising Young ‘Uns with a very special and unique whole evening show. Whilst they say that there are still quite a number of names to be announced, other top attractions will include the high-energy American band The Jigantics as well as the highly entertaining 3 Daft Monkeys. Blair Dunlop, Palmerston and Red Shoes.

One of my many involvements in folk music is through the organisation Sussex Traditions organisation and one of several roles that I have for them is as webmaster for their website. I looked at the page listing Morris Dance sides in the county and found that there were six sides listed. “Surely there are a few more than that.” I thought and I checked the website list against the names of the sides that had dance at Lewes Folk Festival in the last couple of years, checking the geographic location of the sides that I knew were based in Sussex and found eighteen sides from the county that were not listed. I updated the website and posted the update on the news page there as well as on our Facebook page. Within an hour I had been informed of five more Sussex sides that I has missed! Checking the ‘links’ pages of websites or Facebook pages of these sides revealed two more sides that I had not known about so now the list at https://sussextraditions.org/sussex-topics-2/song-musicdance/folk-dance/morris-dance/ has thirty-one in the list. There are actually a few more names of sides that I know of but if I cannot trace a website or a Facebook page then they are not included as they may no longer exist.

Mention of the Lewes Folk Festival reminds me to mention the sad news that Lewes Folk Festival is no more.

Despite the fact that the festival has made a profit in every year, all the committee members have lots of other demands on their time and it was felt that we no longer had the time with all our other involvements to devote to the weekend event. Here is the statement that the committee agreed on to put out as a press release and on the website:“After nine years of running the Lewes Folk Festival we have decided to call it a day. All the Committee have lots of other calls on their time and feel they cannot devote to the festival the attention it needs to be successful.

We feel we are going out on a high and not just letting it dwindle away.

Mary will continue to run the Day of Dance at least for next year and we will all give our support to her for that.

Thank you for the helpers and supporters you have given us over the years and thank you for all who came, it would be pointless without you. - The Lewes Folk Festival Committee.

Tina Smith, Vic Smith, Valmai Goodyear, Bryan Creer, Carole Chick, Brad Chick, Mary Motley” The festival ended with a healthy bank balance and most of our final meeting was deciding which folk music charities or good causes we could all approve for the distribution of this money Vic Smith

Skinners Rats As last issue

EGERTON FOLK AND BLUES CLUB

Meets every last Tuesday of the month, at The Barrow House, Egerton, TN27 9DJ, from 8pm.

Folk, Blues and beyond.

No guests, just residents and itinerants. All welcome.

Hat collection.

Contact Jerry Hatrick

(01233) 756357.

Foots Cray Social Club Waring Road Entrance, DA14 5BY

Open Music and Song Session in the Bar every Monday 8.00 11.00 p.m. www.crayside-folk-club for more information All genres- – Mainly Acoustic, but quiet electric guitars with battery amp allowed- must be compatible sound level.

Beginners Encouraged. Experience is gained through jamming along.

Occasional Open Mic Evenings and Guest Nights.

Players, poets, storytellers, and listeners welcome.

Free Entry – Please support our raffle, which pays our running costs.

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ELSIE’S

FOLK-AT-THE-DRUM The Club meets every Thursday at ‘The Drum’ Inn at N. Stanford, Stone Street (Between Cant’ & Hythe)

14 June - Keith Kendrick 4 Apriland - Bob Kenward Sylvia Needham Please note this is a change of date and artist!

12 July - Geoff Higginbottom 9 May - -“Notts 23 August PeterAlliance” Collins All other evenings Singers Nights Guest Nights 8.00 p.m.

Singers Nights 8.00 p.m.

Members, Guests & visitors are always welcome to play, sing, listen or do all three!

On Club Nights everyone who wishes gets a spot to perform. On Guest Nights there is limited time for ‘floor artists’ but a phone call usually gets you a spot.

Tel: 01797 320518 mobile: 07890 292467 or email: david@plesbit.net www.folkatthedrum.co.uk

The Queen’s Arms, on the B2026 midway between Edenbridge and the A264, Tunbridge Wells - East Grinstead Road 8 - 11 pm

20th April - Jim Causley One of the best from the West - an Elsies favourite

18th May - Will Noble Heading down from Yorkshire again - gritstone for Elsies

15th June - Mary Humphreys & Anahata Welcome back again

www.elsiesband.com

Tonbridge Folk Club (Nellie’s) The Flying Dutchman, 118 Tonbridge Road, Hildenborough, Kent TN11 9EN First and third Mondays of each month, 8 - 11 pm

1st April Will Finn & Rosie Calvert Playing traditional music with a contemporary flair.

15th April

Hickory Signals

Multi-instrumentalists Laura Ward and Adam Ronchetti perform traditional folk songs in an original style together with self-penned material.

20th May

Na-Mara

Welcome return of duo Paul McNamara and Rob Garcia. Paul’s skilfully crafted songs are accompanied by his guitar and Rob’s wonderful mandolin playing.

3rd June

David & Alison Fenner

A mixture of traditional and self-penned songs, beautifully sung and accompanied by duet concertina & guitar.

the Change of Horses Farnborough Village, Orpington

APRIL:

4th

Les Elvin

A wide range of styles from across the British Isle reflecting Americana influences. It also includes Celtic and dance instrumentals.

11th, 18th 25th

Maundy Thursday Singers & Musicians Night

MAY:

2nd

Jez Lowe

Must be the premier singer/songwriter in the UK.

9th, 16th, 30th Singers & Musicians Night 23rd

Kelter World music duo

Davey Slater (guitar) and Graham Knibbs (fiddle)

Tel: 01892 822945

Thursdays @ 8.15pm 01959 532 754 020 8325 6513

info@tonbridgefolkclub.org www.tonbridgefolkclub.org

Website: www.orpingtonfolkclub.org.uk E-mail: orpingtonfolkclub@hotmail.com

Scene & Heard Welcome to the first Scene & Heard column, Kent folk news following on in Bob & Kathy’s footsteps.

Please send any contributions to bobkenward21c@gmail.com and we will see how many we can fit in … always interesting to follow clubs’ successes and rare sightings… Thanks to Sue Watson (Deal), Roger Resch (Tonbridge), Pat Patrick (Faversham), David Pleasants (Drum) and everyone else who’s supplied info for this issue. More please!

Too late to include in the last issue: Faversham have Lissie Bayford & Christine Adams slotted in on Wednesday 27 March… delightful harmonies from the former Fiddle & Faff now working under their own names…

Broadstairs Winter Warmer in January was a great success, raising funds to support the festival. High quality acts all the way, plenty of variety and well supported. I only saw the half of it, yet there was excellent gypsy jazz, robust folk, eclectic excursion, tight Americana, laid-back Celtic and brand-new lay-it-on-the-line… all for the price of a squid dinner… be good to see it again next year…

Well attended and all profit to Folk Week... Crisis Chris Taylor changing Mando strings on the run... while cool Steve Moreham covered as if rosin wouldn’t melt in his horsehair...

Notts Alliance are doing a mini-tour of 3 south-east Kent folk clubs in May. For the first time Faversham Folk Club, Folk at the Drum and Deal Friday Folk Club have banded together to invite artists to perform at all 3 clubs on consecutive evenings. Catch them on Wednesday 8th (Fav), Thursday 9th (Drum) and Friday 10th (Deal)…

Lovely to see Judy Collins at Deal’s Astor Theatre back in January. Still going strong at the age of 79 and able to reach the high notes of classics such as Both Sides Now and Amazing Grace. The audience sang along and loved every minute. Welcome back Judy!

Remember Dave & Toni Arthur? Dave’s current trio Rattle on the Stovepipe are appearing at Deal Friday Folk Club on 19th April. Along with Pete Cooper on fiddle and Dan Stewart on banjo they specialise in traditional British and old timey Appalachian music.

Unthanks at Folkestone Quarterhouse 28th April…

Gavin Atkin has plenty going on in Mid-Kent, check out his workshops for more info….

The new venture in Margate, Rosslyn Court, has seen some excellent and varied sessions already, contact Morag Butler to see what’s in store…

The popular Thursday night tune session in Faversham, run by Mike Wheeler & Ruth Cronk, will continue... The current venue is due for refurbishment, so contact Mike on 01795 536635 to find out where it’s moving to - if you can’t hear it that is... 40-odd tunes in 2 hours, a great way to gain new repertoire...

Ian Petrie, he of the new CD, has a Facebook blog of interest, visiting many clubs in Kent... when does he ever sleep?

Tonbridge residents Paul Stepto & Pete Metcalfe have been branching out into the Forum, Tunbridge Wells, alongside the Grey Lady...

Good to hear Joe Waters in fine voice in West Kent. His versions of modern songs rooted in the tradition are well worth seeking out.

Singarounds like John & Di Cullen’s (2nd & 4th Mondays) at the Junction, Groombridge or Travelling Folk (1st & 3rd Thursdays) are the perfect place to hone new material. Contact Roger Resch or Terry King for details of TF. In the Tenterden area, 2nd Tuesday at the Caxton does the trick...

Catch Mitchell & Vincent if you can, at Broadstairs again this year- stunning set at Tonbridge There’s an internet thread at the moment suggesting that folk song is the only real carrier of news today... what do you think? Should it be so or should it be for relaxation or entertainment at the end of a working day? Your views welcomed.

Bob Kenward

Book Review Gordon Tyrrall - Around The Blooming Heather Gaho Publishing - ISBN 978-1-5272-3324-9 We have had Derek Schofield’s book “The First Week In August” which documented the first fifty years of Sidmouth Folk Festival; now on offer is a book that covers England’s other major week long festival, the one that takes place on the third week in August in Whitby.

Though the books have a festival as their core subject, the approach is different; one has a chronological historical approach, whereas Gordon’s book is, as the subtitle says, “A Personal Memoir of Whitby Folk Week over 35 years”.

People who have been to this event are bound to find lots of memories stirred by this fine piece of writing. People, places, sights, venues are all evoked in a way that brings the festival to mind, and if the words do not achieve this for you then there are Gordon’s fine ink and paper sketches liberally distributed though its pages.

Sometimes his train of thought takes him away from the festival to deal with other subjects, aspects of his thirty-odd years as a professional folk singer/musician, thoughts on different guitar tunings and towards the end a very moving story of personal loss.

People who know Gordon well will find a lot of his personality in the writing in that it is full of acute observation and is totally free from anything that could resemble boastfulness or egotism.

Vic Smith

CD Review Ruth Notman & Sam Kelly - Changeable Heart - Pure Records - 10 tracks/38 min A welcome interlude of folk songs arranged to suit current audiences seeking ways of interpreting the tradition.

Six tracks are Trad arr. , there’s a MacColl, a Brady and two self- penned, which adds up to a neat collection of shepherds lad, butcher’s wife, moleskin trousers and even a lovesick lennanshee (?) ... Inevitably the listing of songs like Bold Fisherman and Sweet Lass Of Richmond Hill invites comparison with those gone before; usually those who sang lustily either unaccompanied or using ‘traditional’ styles with which most folk club audiences have become familiar. Ruth Notman’s vocal style is quite different, more trill-contemporary, yet she is honest with the songs in a way which puts them across beautifully. The woven arrangements by Ruth, Sam Kelly and Damien O’Kane have been delicately put together, piano, accordion, tenor and electric guitar, even, on Caw The Yowes, a moog analogue synth - not available to your average ploughboy in the day- and the effect is that the songs all occupy their own space somehow; if I found Young Brian Of The Sussex Wold a little ill-matched, their approach to Paul Brady’s The Island put that right. Sure, there’s studio technique rather than muddy boots here, but Ruth and Sam show the way for these powerful and still relevant songs to resonate with an evolving folk taste.

Bob Kenward

John H Hills

A Summer MG Breakfast

It was on one Sunday morning at the latter end of May. The early sun was rising, it promised a fine day.

The gentlest of breezes and the mist had cleared away.

And what a golden pleasure for me in store did lay.

The ringing of the phone bell roused me from my bed.

The caller, a life-long friend, these were the words he said.

“If you`ve a mind to breakfast out then come along with me.”

“We`ll drive along to Ide Hill in my vintage black MG”.

And very soon I heard the sound of Alan`s car arrive.

This polished classic sports car was parked upon my drive.

And then in next to no time, me seated by his side, We headed into sweetest Kent, he driver, me the guide.

Our progress through to Chipstead caused heads to turn and stare.

With smiles and admiring looks from folks who knew this car.

They probably were thinking “It`s been many a long year”, “Since we have seen a fine ”TF” bless the lanes round here”

April 2018

John H Hills

A Summer MG Breakfast

April 2018

We pressed on through the leafy road, past pub and farms until.

At length we reached the parking lot that sits upon Ide Hill.

The view across the Bough Beech lake, the Weald and the Greensand.

It makes you wonder why we ever want to leave this land.

We breakfasted on coffee and cobs fit for a queen.

We sat on the sunlit terrace and took in the stunning scene We reminisced about the days when these “TF`s” first arrived.

We were early in our teenage then and none of us could drive.

And as we sat there chatting of the things we valued still, We were joined by intrepid cyclists who`d struggled up that hill.

Then a line of classic cars passed by, to Hever, I expect.

Where they`d form an exhibition for the visitors to watch.

The hours had passed so quickly it was time that we were gone.

To retrace our route through sunny lanes and make our way back home.

An adventure on that Sunday, it took away my breath.

The weather, ride and company in my pal`s MG “TF”.

CD Reviews Merry Hell. Anthems To The Wind. 12 Tracks It’s loud, it’s stompy and the clue is in the title. Anthems are designed to be chanted, you go to them for instantly memorable lines with which you and the majority of the audience agree. You wave scarves. Mostly live recordings from an 8-piece ensemble well gigged come across with energy and determination, backed up with close musicianship from guitars, fiddle, melodian, banjo, bouzouki, percussion, stomp box and 3 credited vocalists harmonising: the messages are drilled home. Key words are ragged, straggler, the weary, the fractured, the war between ourselves... don’t look down, the precious child within... You think you have an idea where all this is going. There are several lyrics, however, which make you sit up and listen: My Finest Hour and especially The Butcher And The Vegan which mean you’re never Pogued out. I enjoyed Virginia Kettle’s singing for its range from exasperation to warmth.

Harmonies seem to be based in country, and for me the repetition of single lines to hammer them home is, well, a bit repetitious. That’s anthems, though- and anyone who can write a line about watching oyster catchers through binoculars in Burnham-on-Sea has my vote.

Bob Kenward Christine Kydd - Shift & Change - Greentrax CDTRAX - www.greentrax.com Christine has been a central figure to the folk scene in Scotland mainly as a singer, but also as an educator, academic, choir leader and an all-round mover and shaker. She is known and respected for her solo singing but also for her partnership with Janet Russell and also as a member of a number of groups most notably Chantan. She is of a number of performers whose profile in much higher in Scotland than in the south.

This album of a mature performer seems much broader in repertoire than her those of her earliest releases. There are a couple of her own compositions here and if these were to be judged on their own, the listener would place the song, the performance and the accompaniment would, to these ears, place it in the English language equivalent of the Francophone chansonnière.

Elsewhere in a wide variety of fine performances there is love, clearly, in her way with two traditional songs ‘The Back of Rares Hill’ and ‘The Braes o’ Balquidder’ ranging through settings of poems by Violet Jacob to Scots songwriters like Alistair Hulett, Alison MacMorland and the album’s opening track which is also the finest, a lovely interpretation of that beautiful song ‘Just Another Rolling Stone’ one of the magnificent compositions of Michael Marra.

There also needs to be a mention for her accompanists throughout the album who bring thought and originality to their contributions whilst still enhancing what the singer brings to the song.

Vic Smith

T N E K RADIO W

O H S K L FO Sunday 9 - 10 pm Presented by Doug Welch mw 96.7 (west) 104.2 (east) Live show featuring guest performers and artists appearing in Kent venues.

Send info to: kentfolk@bbc.co.uk 0345 9811 111 Radio Kent Folk Show The Great Hall Mount Pleasant Road Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1QQ

Singdanceandplay Join us for friendly,, free evenings with great music and special guests at The Castle Inn, Brenchley TN12 7BN from 8pm: x

x

28 April:: Nigel Hobbins — an intriguing singer who performs his own songs as well as traditional and music hall material learned from his gran ndad These sessions break k for the summer butt will start aggain at the end of September

Also fo or lively English tunes sessions,, workshops about playing tunes,, twice yearly barnd dances and mighty Christmas carol singiing concentrating on old local carols,, see Singdanceandplay.net or call 07985 522734

Shepherd and Crook Inn Burmarsh TN29 0JJ 01303 872336

Open Mic Night 1st & 3rd Tuesdays every month

7.30 – 9.30pm Come and join us, and sing-a-long with a local ukulele band If you play come and entertain us It’s a fun evening

TENTERDEN

olk festival 2019

The Thursday Concert supported by AKF Thursday 3rd October Town Hall, High Street, Tenterden 7.30 to 10.30 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.)

All tickets £10 until 31st May £12 from 1st June

Will Pound and Eddy Jay Plus other festival guests

TICKET AVAILABLE FROM: Festival director: Alan Castle Tenterden Folk Day Trust 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA E: info@tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk T: 01233 626805 Or online www.musicglue.com/ tenterdenfolkfestival/tickets/

Tenterden Folk Festival Registered charity No. 1038663

folk festival

f

Tenterden

“Tenterden the Jewel of the Weald”

Tenterden Folk Festival 2019 Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th October Ordered by: Information may be stored for the use of Tenterden Folk Festival only

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Name Address Town Postcode Telephone

FULL WEEKEND TICKETS: Admits holder to all Festival events except Thursday evening concert and camping, which must be booked separately.

Terms and conditions apply.

EARLY BIRD: To 31st May 2019: Full Weekend £44.00 (under 16's £22.00) Caravan / Campervan £20.00 Tent £18.00 FROM 1st June to 31st August 2019: Full Weekend £54.00 (under 16's £27.00) Caravan / Campervan £25.00 Tent £20.00 FROM 1st September 2019: Full Weekend £59.00 (under 16's £29.00) Caravan / Campervan £28.00 Tent £22.00 THURSDAY EVENING CONCERT: All tickets £10.00 to 31st May. £12.00 from 1st June

Email Date

Where did you first hear about Tenterden Folk Festival Details of ticket holders (use extra sheet if insufficient room) First name Surname Adult / Under 16

Total CAMPING Up to 4 nights from Thursday afternoon to Monday morning Caravan/Campervan Tents TOTAL PAYABLE

Prices £

Total £

£ Vehicle Registration(s)

No.

Prices £

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£

HOW TO PAY (also available on line from www.musicglue.com/tenterdenfolkfestival/tickets/ Make cheques payable to "Tenterden Folk Day Trust". Send cheque and details of the tickets you require, together with 2 x A5 stamped and addressed envelopes (for tickets and free programme) and a list of the full names of all ticket holders and age if 16 or under, to Tenterden Folk Festival, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 3HA

TENTERDEN

olk festival 2019

folk festival

f

Tenterden

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tenterden the Jewel of the Wealdâ&#x20AC;?

Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th October Folk song, music, dance, crafts and traditions

Get Involved, Take Part or Buy Tickets www.tenterdenfolkfes val.org.uk info@tenterdenfolkfes val.org.uk

THE FIRST GUESTS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED Andy Turner, Broomdashers, Dan McKinnon, Dick Miles, Foot Down, Keith Kendrick & Sylvia Needham, Mike Wilson & Damien Barber, Nick Dow, No s Alliance, Paul & Liz Davenport, Pete Castle, Peter & Barbara Snape, Portsmouth Shantymen, Stan Graham, Tom Lewis, Will Pound & Eddy Jay Plus more to be announced Including our regular and local guests, showcase guests, free music stage guests and up to 50 Morris sides and folk dance display teams

Ticketed events: Thursday evening concert, concerts, barn dance, special shows, workshops, meet the guests, folk clubs, etc.

Free events include: cra & street stalls, free music stage, dance stage, Morris dancers, dance displays, procession, song and music sessions, street theatre, etc.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Fes val director: Alan Castle, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA E: info@tenterdenfolkfes val.org.uk T: 01233 626805 Cra s and stalls: E: info@tenterdencra fair.org.uk Chief Steward: E: Chiefsteward@tenterdenfolkfes val.org.uk Dance co-ordinator: Spud Jones Dance@tenterdenfolkfes val.org.uk

Tenterden Folk Festival: Registered charity No. 1038663

This issue of Around Kent Folk was produced by Alan Castle and Andy Wood on behalf of Tenterden Folk Festival. Promoting folk song, music, dance, crafts and traditions.

Registered Charity No 1038663 Issue No. 93 June/July COPY DATE: 18th April Then …

18th June – August / September 18th December – February / March 18th August – October / November 18th February 2020 – April / May 18th October - December / January 18th April 2020 – June / July

ADVERTISING RATES: With both printing and postage costs continuing to rise we have reluctantly decided to increase some of our advertising rates with effect from issue 91.

The new rates are as follows: Full colour: Back cover: £75 Inside front or back cover: £65 Full page run of issue: £60

Grayscale: Back cover (if available): £50 Inside front or back cover (if available): £50 Full page: £35 / Half page: £25 Quarter page: £16

Series discount: 10% if you pay in advance for a series of six adverts. You can still submit new artwork for each issue.

Artwork: Copy for new advertisements should be supplied as camera ready artwork by email as a high-resolution PDF, JPEG, or TIFF. Existing, regular advertisers need only send in new copy to update existing adverts.

A minimum extra charge of £10 will be made if you cannot submit your artwork in the correct format or sizes. Adverts and listings should be sent to akf@tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk with a copy to anmarprintingservices@gmail.com Payment: Cheques payable to Tenterden Folk Day Trust (not Tenterden Folk Festival or Around Kent Folk). Send cheque and hard copy of adverts to: Alan Castle, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA You can also pay by BACS or internet banking. Ask for details.

REVIEWS AND NEWS ITEMS: AKF also includes CD and book reviews. Please send items for review to the address above. AKF also welcomes reviews of live gigs and festivals that you have attended and other folk news which you can email to us at akf@tenterdernfolkfestival.org.uk WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA: www.aroundkentfolk.org.uk twitter.com/AroundKentFolk ● facebook.com/AroundKentFolk Around Kent Folk Subscription Form Name .......................................................................................................................................

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SUBSCRIPTION £8 for 1 year (6 issues) Cheques payable to “Tenterden Folk Day Trust” Send to: Alan Castle, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 3HA