Village Quire Launch New CD: Good Old Way

Having spent a very pleasant evening at Stretford Church yesterday evening being entertained by the Village Quire we can report that The Good Old Way is now available in the form of their debut CD. This morning has been spent listening to this excellent collection of songs and readings which among other things documents the demise of the West Gallery Choir as well as the coming of the enclosures. For full details of this CD go to http://www.villagequire.org.uk/GoodOldWay So, as the song says, ‘don’t delay’ get your copy of The Good Old Way CD before they sell out, as we suspect that is not far off judging by the way they were going last night.

Congratulations to all the Village Quire for a great recording and a great concert. Keep it up. Here are details of how to buy and what you get:

On sale from 14 April 2012, the entire Good Old Way show is now available on CD from the Genuine Folk label www.genuinefolk.com

Track listing – Click on the titles to see the lyrics.

Reading 1: Mellstock Gallery from Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Psalm 100 Joseph Watts of Fenny Compton (1749) © Shelwin Music, Oxford 2005

Reading 2: Dick in Love from Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Deryn Du Trad. arr. Paul Guppy (2009)

Reading 3: The New Pa'son from Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Giberalter Words: Isaac Watts Psalm 72; Music W. J. White of St. Albans (ca. 1830)

Reading 4: Gallery vs Nave from Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Psalm 40 Joseph Watts of Fenny Compton (1749) © Shelwin Music, Oxford 2005

Reading 5: Fancy Makes Her Debut from Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

The Good Old Way Oral transmission (from the singing of The Watersons) Arr. Dave Newell

Reading 6: Enclosure is Mooted from Hawthorn Hedge Country by Fred Archer

Psalm 9 – Thorpe Tune William Knapp from William East's The Voice Of Melody (1748)

Reading 7: The Effects of Enclosure from Hawthorn Hedge Country by Fred Archer

Jordan Trad. arr. Dave Newell Reading 8: Bredon Hill by A E Housman

Psalm 15th – Bishop's Castle Funeral Hymn John Symons (ca. 1816) Transcribed by Gordon Ashman (1990)

Reading 9: Richard Surman Ties a Knot from Hawthorn Hedge Country by Fred Archer

Psalm 128 - Burton Bradstock Anon, transcribed by Rollo Woods (1981)

Reading 10: From the Diary of Parson James Woodforde 1740 – 1803

Spanking Roger James Nuttall (1745–1806) Transcribed/edited by Jean Seymour (1991)

Reading 11: From the Diary of Parson James Woodforde 1740 –1803

Old Sye Thomas Healey (ca. 1830) Transcribed/edited by Jean Seymour (1994)

Reading 12: Saturday 7th May 1870 from The Diary of Francis Kilvert

One May Morning Early Oral transmission (from the singing of the Copper family) Arr. Dave Newell

Reading 13: Sunday from Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee

Hail Shining Morn Reginald Spofforth (1810)


We were also entertained by the Eardisland Village Band with a selection of period pieces most fitting for the occasion. We were both heartened to see two English System Concertina’s playing away. Even better, one was a Baritone. Yes, we know, it’s sad isn’t it, but that’s the way music gets us sometimes.

The concert was a sell out fundraiser for this interesting ‘farm yard church’ which is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is dedicated to St. Cosmas and St. Damian, the patron saints of doctors. We shall say no more for fear of spoiling your visit.

What is FolkWorkshops?

We are an informal group of people who like music from the Folk Music Tradition. Some of us play musical instruments, some of us sing, while others like coming along to listen. We hold regular folk music evenings at Newton Church Room and at other locations such as the Crown Inn Longtown.

Singing: We are not a choir, although when we sing as a group we are known as Blackhill Folk. We also hold regular rehearsals when we have been asked to sing at a particular event. Supporters regularly attend Susie’s Song School near Glasbury during the winter months. We are also strong supporters of the Village Quire from Glasbury who organise occasional singing workshops. There is no need to be able to read music.

Singing Workshops: The Village Quire organise occasional guests to run these in Glasbury and also lead workshops themselves. Please see the Newsletter for the latest details.
Instrumental Workshops: We hope to run occasional workshops for specific instruments at beginners and improvers level as the number of players increase. We will be holding a Guitar Workshop sometime during the winter and other instruments will be added when possible.
Events: We are not a Folk Club but we can look like one at times. We have organised events such as our own Ceilidh, and helped with last year’s Concert and Workshop by the Village Quire from Glasbury in association with St. Margaret’s and St. John’s Churches.
Dancing: some of our supporters are folk dance enthusiasts and most of us try to support events run by Foxwhelp Morris whenever we can. Our members also attend singing workshops organised by other groups and individuals.

The e-Newsletter: through this and our twitter feed @FolkWorkshops we keep in touch with the growing number of fellow enthusiasts. We try to give early notice of folk music events and car sharing is often possible. We receive mailings from the English Folk Dance and Song Society as well as other groups. To register for the e-Newslettter send a request to john.baxter87@virgin.net

FolkWorkshop's Newsletter: June 2011

Dear Supporters,

Many thanks to all those who made it to the recent FolkWorkshops Session. Jim Neale greatly enjoyed the evening and he tells us that there will be others wanting to visit in the future from the general direction of the Black Swan in Much Dewchurch. Everyone enjoyed his songs, music and stories. Many thanks Jim, and please come again. The softer lighting and refreshments seem to have been appreciated and as usual thanks go to all those who helped set the room up, provided snacks, and most importantly, did the washing up. The surprise appearance of a spider dangling above the singers heads during the performance of the Wreck of the Old ’97 also added to the general mirth caused by the ensemble of guitars, banjo, bass guitar, harmonica and the percussion provided by Sue. Thanks also to all of you who gave so generously towards the cost of the evening and to Jim’s Cambodia fund.

There seems to be a lot of live folk music just at the moment. The Pete Coe Concert in Leominster was an inspiring evening and the trip to the Festival Hall Singing Festival to hear the Village Quire, the Martin Carthy 70th Birthday Interview and many other choirs, was well worth the effort. Please see the attached photo of a new recruit to the Village Quire who joined them in the Roof Garden of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Needless to say the Village Quire were on top form in front of large and appreciative audiences.

The Norma Waterson benefit organised by The Village Quire raised £1400. It was a great evening and a local discovery was Anne Lister, a singer and song writer from Pontypool. Dave Swarbrick performed a wide range of pieces including works recently discovered among forgotten manuscripts at the British Museum. This seems to be a growing trend as while we were at Cecil Sharp House earlier in the year the librarian told us that they have been working on a new collection from among their own archive.

With news that the Shrewsbury Folk Festival ( August26th/29th) is now sold out, if you are thinking of going to a local festival this year make sure you don’t miss the boat. The Bromyard Festival is being held on 9th/11th September.

News and Events Update


Foxwhelp Morris: Alison has just told me that the Foxwhelp Morris appearance at the Angel at Grosmont for this coming Tuesday the 31st May has had to be cancelled. This comes as a timely reminder that they will be dancing at the Crown, Longtown on Tuesday 19th July. Other bookings near us are The Harp, Glasbury on Tuesday 7th June 2011 The Pandy Inn, Dorstone on Tuesday 5th July 2011 and at The Yew Tree, Preston-on-Wye on Tuesday 26th July 2011.

Garway Folk Festival: Day tickets are now on sale. We are off there with our caravan on Friday morning whether its emptied of junk or not. Might see you there. http://www.learningobjectivity.com/garwayfolkweekend/tickets.html
.

Mid-Summer Singing Workshop Brecon Beacons Saturday 18th June: An all day event. Please see the earlier e-mail of 17th May but note you could still get to the Ceilidh advertised below.

Ceilidh for Cambodia|: The Courtyard Hereford: Saturday 18th June: This is Jim Neale’s event so why not try some mutual support!Tickets are now available from the Courtyard ticket office. A good evening for £7.50 with concessions.


Help the Heroes Fundraiser: Peterchurch Fire Station 25th June: We have been given a 15 minute slot and rehearsals start at the Griggs, Wednesday 1st June

10 Years of Fund Raising at the Griggs: A Celebration: John Biggs writes ‘At 6 p.m. on Tuesday 12th July, we shall shut the gate on the last National Garden Scheme visitor after 10 years of garden visits for charity. Over the last 9 yrs we have sent off in excess of £7,500 to nominated charities. If FolkWorkshop’s supporters consider this worthy of celebration, then we would suggest the following evening, Wednesday July 13th, for a sing in the garden and hopefully a B.B.Q.’ Many thanks John and Bridget. This is a great idea and many thanks to John and Bridget for the invitation. I am sure there will be quite a few who would like to accept this invitation.

Longtown Show: Saturday 20th August: general publicity presence with some musical instruments, English Folk Dance and Song Society literature and shelter from the heat or rain in the caravan and possibly a CD or two being given a spin.

Longtown W.I. FolkWorkshop event:Tuesday 18th October: This has now been confirmed and should prove to be an enjoyable evening of song. We hope to do as many chorus songs as possible as well as say a bit about folk music generally. Please think of suggestions for songs and we can run some chorus words off.

Village Quire Workshop and Concert Sept and October 1st: as last year there will be a singing workshop on the Wednesday 28th at St.John’s Newton and the concert on the Saturday 1st October in St. Margaret’s Church. On the Sunday it will be St. Margaret’s Church Harvest Festival at 11. am followed by a Harvest Lunch. It will be a busy weekend so volunteers in all departments will be welcome. More detail in early September.

Spreading the Song: Can we repeat the plea that you forward this e-mail to those who you think will be interested in joining in with FolkWorkshops activities. Because we are neither a Folk Club, nor a choir or even a music teaching organisation an explanation of this ‘umbrella’ organisation is often needed. Hence the Longtown Show stall and our delight in being invited by the Longtown W.I. for an evening of song. FolkWorkshops can be whatever supporters want to be. If there are enough to form workshops for individual instruments where skills and ideas can be swapped then that can happen. If funds permit we can ask experienced players or singers to give classes. We are also acutely aware that there are many younger people who would like to sing but somehow are not sure what to do about it. If you can tactfully encourage them and explain the possibilities then they might turn out to play or sing folk music. A quote which we recently heard at the Martin Carthy Interview is well worth keeping in mind, ‘The only harm you can do to a folk song is not to sing it’.

Best wishes from all at FolkWorkshops and our singers, Black Hill Folk

FolkWorkshops Newsletter; 5th May 2011

Dear Supporter,

What an Easter we have had. It is comparatively restful now but you will be pleased to hear we had some very favourable comments re our singing at the Mountain Mayhem Fete. One such person was very well qualified to express an opinion. Say no more.

Just a brief update. Our next session will be at Newton Church Room this coming Wednesday 11th at 7.30. Jim Neale for the Black Swan is hoping to come along. He plays the guitar and violin and has a wide range of songs as is happy to play along with whatever is going on. There seems to be rather a lot going on with events coming thick and fast. This week alone there have been four events. We have succumbed to two. The Courtyard tonight with Belshazzar's Feast, thus missing the Black Swan, and Pete Coe at the Lion Ballroom Leominster on Friday, thus missing the Martin Harley band at the Courtyard.

Village Quire News: our friends will be singing at various points around the Festival Hall next Saturday 14th May. The highlight should be The Main Foyer after Martin Carthy has been interviewed for TV as part of his 70th Birthday celebrations and while the audience is coming in. It is all part of the celebrations marking the Festival of Britain 1951.

Foxwhelp Morris: Now the light evenings are with us you may be looking for an outing. Why not combine support of a local hostelry with watching a bit of Morris Dancing. Here is Foxwhelps itinerary for places nearby. Full details can be found at: http://foxwhelpmorris.wordpress.com

Tue 10th May 2011 Black Swan, Much Dewchurch, Tue 31st May 2011 The Angel, Grosmont, Tue 7th June 2011 The Harp, Glasbury, Tue 19th July 2011 The Crown, Longtown Tue 26th July 2011 The Yew Tree, Preston-on-Wye.

Garway Folk Weekend: 3rd to 5th June: After some boring thoughts about travelling back and forth we have decided to take our caravan for the full weekend. Hope to see some of you there. For full details visit: http://www.learningobjectivity.com/garwayfolkweekend/

More news will have arrived by our session next week so look forward to seeing you then.

Keep on singing!


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@FolkWorkshops

FolkWorkhops April Newletter

Dear All,

STOP PRESS: FolkWorkshop this coming Wednesday April 13^th at Newton Church Room at 7.30

Please spread the word!!!

A week is a long time in politics and so it would seem it is the same in the world of FolkWorkshops and the Black Hill Folk. Having had a great time at our Ceilidh it has taken a bit of time to recover but I am pleased to say we are not only re-covered personally but that we recovered our costs and made a modest profit for our events fund.

Many thanks to all those who helped with the various tasks to set the whole thing up, but a big thank you has to go to all of you who turned up to dance. Without you it would not have been the great family occasion which has convinced our group that we will try and organise another one during the early winter. We had visitors from the Village Quire members and supporters’ from hay and beyond and several people responded to our Villager News entry in the Hereford Times and made the journey from Hereford City.

Many thanks to the Silver Branch Ceilidh Band who kept us on our toes and to our Black Hill Folk singers, joined by Village Quire members, who started the second half.

So why is a week a long time? Well, with a bit of ale going off in the barrel the ceilidh organising crew had to have an emergency meeting to decide what to do about the potential waste of beer and to sort out who was owed what. This was soon resolved and as result we had a planning session and few songs. The result was the following.

Firstly, we must return to our original home at Newton Church Room. The first will be on THIS COMING WEDNESDAY 13^th April at 7.30. We will also be having another one in mid-May once all the bank holidays have passed. At the moment Wednesday the 11^th or 18^th May is being suggested so if you have any thoughts please let me know by Wednesday 13^th as that is the Newsletter deadline for advertising the session.

Please notel the Norma Waterson Benefit Gig which will betaking place on Saturaday 21^st May ( see Gigs List attached). We are hoping that a few of us will go and car share could be possible.

Secondly, we have been asked to do a bit of singing at the Mountain Mayhem Fete in aid of Llanveynoe Church on Easter Bank Holiday Monday. We will have our own table and have been asked to do some songs from about 12.45 to give the place a bit of life. The more that can come along for an hour or so the better. We will have plenty of printed word sheets for those who want to join in and we will be singing many of the songs at the coming workshop on Wednesday. It will be more of a ‘sing song’ rather than a formal performance so it should be a relaxed affair. There should be a good few choruses.

Having inspected the venue it is a big one, believe me, so we will be able to blast away in the manner of the Crown at Christmas or like our experimental evening at the Bridge Inn. We have about six very strong pieces most of us know already and with one or two other impromptu sing around songs it should be a pleasant afternoon. We are not obliged to stay all afternoon but as there is a bar and hot food this might be immaterial. More details will be given on Wednesday when we will be singing several of the songs we have in mind.

See the posters and flyers for full details of the fete.

Thirdly, we have been asked to do a set at the Help the Heroes fund raiser in Peterchurch on 26^th of June. This is a very flexible event and details will become clearer nearer the time

Fourthly, we will be running a stall at the Longtown Show on Saturday 20^th August. This will include a display of musical instruments, a bit of singing and playing as well as lots of leaflets and publicity to do with folk music in our area as well as trying to find more musicians and singers who would like to join us. We have permission to take a caravan plus awning so if the weather turns nasty we should be quite comfortable. If you would like to take a spell at the stall have any ideas as to what can go on the stall please let us know and.

Fifthly, we will of course be involved in organising a return visit to Newton and St.Margarets Churches by the Village Quire with their new programme, High Days and Holidays in the Welsh Marches on 28^th September and 1^st October for a Workshop and Concert. All proceeds will be shared between the two church funds. We managed to attend the premier performance of this collection of songs and reading last week and it is something well worth looking forward to. Please see a review of the performance at http://tinyurl.com/6khate2

Finally, our experimental visit to the Bridge Inn a while back now brought new contacts and inquiries from audience members as to when we would be making a return visit. We would be very keen to do so at sometime. In the meantime look out for other appearances of Black Hill Folk at local hostelries as part of our campaign to support local facilities: ‘Keep it lively, & Keep it Local!’

While I have been writing this the grass has been growing, more bits have fallen off the cottage, and Jane has been reading Broad Sheep and finding more events to go to. At this rate it looks as though a trip to the Garway Folk Weekend in June might be difficult to fit in. But then, the grass will still be there when we get back!

Looking forward to the summer ahead,

John and Jane Baxter

PS: We are thinking of organising dedicated workshops for specific instruments. We already hold informal 'strums ins' and 'pluck ins' for banjo and guitar but we will also be doing a 'drum in' for those who want to have a go or just let off steam. We have already done twitter and folk on the internet sessions. All of these can be arranged on demand when there is enough interest.

PPS: It has just been confirmed that we will be running a Workshop at Longtown Village Hall at the invitation of Longtown WI on Tuesday 18th October. More deatils should we live that long.

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@FolkWorkshops

Review: The Village Quire: High days and Holidays along the Welsh Border Marches Maesyronnen Chapel, Saturday 2nd April 2011

It was after telling a colleague where our permanent family base was, and singing the area’s praises he responded with the words, ‘ Ah!, a sense of place. You must be very fond of it’. I had not come across the phrase before.

This conversation came back to me last night during the first performance of this new programme from the Village Quire. I was already feeling that ‘sense of place’ when we parked the car in the field by Maesyronnen Chapel and looked across the Wye Valley to the northern escarpment of the eastern ranges of the Black Mountains. I knew I was in for a musical treat but I did not appreciate how much that landscape and its history was to be woven into the performance I was about to witness.

I think it is not only fair, but accurate to say, having heard the Village Quire perform on several occasions now, that these singers and their narrator are unique. With a mixture of West Gallery Music, Shape Music, Catches ( rounds which can be a bit cheeky) and the broader traditions of the folk repertoire, the audience never fails to be bowled over by the glorious polyphonic blast that greets them at the start and which underpins the performance throughout. I suspect that much credit has to go to Dave Newell, their conductor and fellow singer, for the harmonic arrangements which are so beautifully brought to life by this well balanced and disciplined group of voices.

‘I Like to Rise When the Sun She Rises’ led the way into a not so distant world of rural worthiness, naughtiness and rebellion which through its echo enriches us today and which makes living on the border so interesting. In looking back from the comfort of modern living we must remember that these would have been hard times, yet among all the troubles, humour, faith and community seems to have produced the communities which so fascinate today.

In all there are 16 pieces in the programme with an interval just over mid-way. It is hard to choose a favourite at this stage, but suffice it to say that the material ranges from the secular to the sacred, from the Welsh to the English, and from the light to the dark as though reflecting the tensions that have for centuries ebbed and flowed across our much loved Welsh Marches. Like having heard an album for the first time the favourites only emerge when you have had time to mull over the tracks. This is why I shall be going to another performance of this programme later in the season.

Similar tensions can be found in the readings which interleave with the songs. I am ashamed to confess that although my particular sense of place has been with me in excess of 50 years I have never got round to reading any of Raymond Williams works. This author’s description of our part of the Marches, taken from his book The People of the Black Mountains, is used to set the scene and the image presented is one that will remain with me permanently. I shall not spoil its effect by repeating it here and would advise, if, like me, you are a Williams novice, that you postpone reading the book until you have seen and heard this performance.

Also among the readings are extracts from Mary Webb, Alexander Cordell, Dylan Thomas, and Pat Malloy together with extracts from the stunningly named Brecon and Merthyr Silurian. For those who know little of the toll road troubles Dylan Thomas’s account in ‘Rebecca’s Daughters’ is entertaining history at its best.

This is a demanding programme but is no less well performed because of that and certainly no less enjoyable. I could go on at length about how important it is that people get together and sing and where this fits into what appears to be a retreat from funded culture, but you would find this tedious. Instead I will say that anyone who has an interest in music, local history and literature will feel very disappointed when they hear from friends what they have missed. To avoid this feeling, make sure you go.

Dacier

The Village Quire will be performing at:

St Michael and All Angels Church, Lyonshall, Herefordshire
HR5 3LN
On 30/04/2011
Further details and tickets from Bo Hollingshurst on 01544 340788
at 7.30 pm.In aid of the church bell fund.
£7.50 in advance / £8 on the door
(to include glass of wine / juice)

St James' Church, Audlem, Cheshire
CW3 0AJ
28/05/2011
2.00 - 4.00 pm
Entry free to festival goers.
Tel. (01270) 812125
info@audlemfestival.com



At the Abergavenny Food Festival
Abergavenny Baptist Church, Frogmore Street, Abergavenny
NP7 5AH
17/09/2011
7.30 pm
Details to be announced


Singing Workshop for FolkWorkshops
Newton Church
Newton St Margaret's
Hereford
HR2 0QR
28/09/2011
7.30 pm
And at nearby St.Margerets Church Saturday 1st October at 7.30
Tcket details to be announced. All proceeds in aid of both church funds.