FolkWorkshops Early September Newsletter

Being born in the town or country doesn’t always mean your preference will remain with your birthplace. There are however a lot of people who don’t like the countryside at all or don’t want to stay there for long. Like medical emergencies often happening after 4 am, the urban itch usually kicks in after a predictable 18 months to two years. Many of our folk songs are about the countryside but many are now about every kind of place and person. You will see where this is going if you have a look at this:  http://tinyurl.com/c37fyzh  By the time you read this nonsense we should have written and performed our first draft of a song based on this story.

That said, whether town or country, not enough people get out and do things together as part of a community. Are we losing the knack of living together in a community? Judging by some of the dormitory villages we seem to have acquired in recent years that could be happening. Surely TV isn’t that good to keep you away from a good pub, choir, WI, or other communal activity? Sadly it often is, especially when some people will have spent up to 4 hours a day commuting to Cardiff, Swansea, or Worcester. Not mention the demands on those who work locally and especially during lambing, hay making and harvest times. The chance to get out for an evening would be a luxury. So, whether you live in a town or the country, we all need to get out more. Provided we can drive or can get a lift our rural location doesn’t stop us getting to all sorts of folk events of the sort listed below.

John and Jane

PS: this newsletter has taken so long to prepare it is going out now! Look out for the low flying typos.

Events:


Jim Neale tells us of a Food and Craft Fair at Broome Farm: on Sunday 2nd September, starts at 10.00am Free Entry Take the A49 towards Ross-on-Wye . Enter the village of Peterstow; the first LEFT turn (immediate) is to Peterstow Church; the second Left Turn (30 metres) is to Broome Farm. Down the lane for 200m and turn Right into the Farm...Stewards on duty. The Food and Craft fair A Swing Band plays mid morning. Fiddle Guitar and Double Bass.It was brilliant in previous years.


Singing Lessons in Garway
    Individual tuition with experienced teacher
    All ages and levels of ability welcome
    Piano lessons (to Grade 3) and music theory (to Grade 5) also offered
    For further information, or to arrange a no-obligation introductory lesson, contact: Jane Bovell, BA(Hons), Dip ABRSM Tel: 01600 750700 Mob: 07904 530641

Folk Evenings at the Crown Inn, Longtown: 3rd Tuesday of the month from 8.pm. All singers and musicians will be made very welcome at this sing around session. The next meet is Tuesday 18th September.

Harp Songs: Harp Inn, Glasbury 3rd Saturday of the Month: Next meeting 15th September:with a good contact through Phill Tipton and his visits to the Crown Inn Longtown every 3rd Tuesday, there are regular visits from this side of the boarder. Their Basque Musicians Evening  achieved full house. All those who were there said it was a great evening and were brilliant. Four of us went this last Saturday and had a very pleasant evening with a few other singers just dropping in for the first time. An excellent landlord and good lighting.
Many thanks to Phil for making contact with us for the sessions at the Crown Inn. He always has new and interesting songs and his methods of getting to Longtown have gained everyone’s respect. He has also kindly passed on all the details of this FolkWorkshops Newletter, our Blogs and our @FolkWorkshops twitter feed on his own e-circular for Harp Songs regulars.
   
Rapsqillian: publicity has now been placed in several outlets and posters will soon be available. John Biggs writes, ‘On the evening of SATURDAY OCTOBER 20TH  we shall be holding a concert in St Margaret's Church which will feature the well known Shropshire based folk singing group, 'RAPSQUILLION'. Seven singers and instrumentalists will perform songs from many lands loosely based around the theme of harvest. They will have had a busy summer on the music festival circuit and we are indeed fortunate to have them with us on this date.
All proceeds will go towards the proposed improvements to facilities at St Margaret's Church.
During the afternoon before the concert they have agreed to hold a SINGING WORKSHOP in the School Room at Upper Maescoed Methodist Chapel which will be open to all.
Further details of times and charges of both of these events will appear in the September FolkWorkshops Newsletter. If however you want to reserve tickets in advance please telephone  01981 510629 .


Flash Mob for hEnergy High Town, Hereford 22nd  September

Look out for a massive harmony singing flash mob for High Town on Saturday 22 Sep as part of a hEnergy event.  There will be a free two hour workshop 10am to 12 mid day at the Shire Hall, led by Neil Pigott and Jess Ryan-Phillips, to teach a four part song which will then appear in High Town as a flash mob at 12.30 (just after the clock strikes!).
While we would like to have members from local singing groups involved we also want it to be entirely open to anyone who fancies a go.
Any ideas you have that could assist us in spreading the word would be welcome and please do come and join us in any case.  We will be singing a very beautiful and powerful four part harmony piece reflecting the local environment and landscapes. Neil Pigott

The Courtyard Hereford: Spiers and Boden, 25th September at 8pm. It looks as though Nightjar has survived and is back for the winter, so check the publicity from the Courtyard.
The Globe, Hay on Wye: 29th September There is going to be a Welsh Tune Workshop at the Globe Theatre in Hay on Saturday 29 September.  (2 classes: Beginners and more advanced)   The workshop will be in the afternoon and this will be followed by an ‘open’ evening session.  Gary Northeast, melodeon player is probably going to run the beginners class; this is to be confirmed. This looks like it will be a big event for those learning an instrument within the range of instruments being catered for. More details later’

Early Notice:  PETE COE  at the Globe, Hay on Wye Saturday 16th March 2013: With a session after. More details later but keep this evening clear if you want to hear a true troubadour from the club and festival scene. This event is a joint promotion by Black Hill Tunes and FolkWorkshops in association with the Globe, Hay on Wye.

Black Hill Folk: continue to get together for group singing rehearsals and for the sessions at the Crown Inn, Longtown every 3rd Tuesday of the month. New singers always welcome. For details ring John Biggs on 01981510629

The Black Hill Tune Club meets on the first Thursday of the month. This is a fast growing group attracting several supporters wanting to develop their playing skills for playing instruments together. The next meeting will be at Rhiannon and Simon Taylor’s house near Longtown on Thursday 6, September at the earlier time of 11.30.  (Light lunch provided £3.  Wine £1.50) Subsequent Thursday meetings will be at The Crown, Longtown 2-4pm. For details of what instruments are played and the levels of ability.

EFDSS: Why not sign up for their e-Newsletter. Lots of interesting things going on this winter especially if you are planning a pre-Christmas trip to London. We have just received our quarterly magazine from HQ & there is so much going on it reinforces what has just been said about any plans you might have for venturing forth, whether locally or further afield.

Halsway Manor: A National Study Centre: check this place out on Google if you would like a weekend residential folk music course of some kind. Details are on the internet and we now follow each other on twitter.

@FolkWorkshops For those who might have any interest, our twitter feed, has now reached over 100 followers. For those who don’t ‘get’ twitter a good deal of information is available to folk enthusiasts via this medium as an examination of our followers list will show. It is up to the subscriber what they want to use it for and how much they want from it.