| Fire, Feasts & Frolics |
A celebration by Doc Rowe of seasonal events, folklore and traditions from the British Isles and Ireland |
Presented in association with The Folklore Society |
The English Folk Dance and Song Society are delighted to present an exhibition of work from serial-archivist Doc Rowe.
For over forty years, Doc Rowe has been consistently recording and filming cultural tradition and vernacular arts, folklore, song and dance of Britain and Ireland. Continual documentation of annual events, using a wide variety of media, has resulted in a unique archive of images, film, video and audio recordings on past and contemporary popular culture and vernacular art. With its particular emphasis on seasonal custom, the collection has won international recognition.
Starting in 1963, with a Mayday visit to Padstow in Cornwall, a passionate interest in people's art and celebration has led Doc on annual visits to events such as the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance in Staffordshire; the Haxey Hood Game in Lincolnshire; the Burry Man of South Queensferry in West Lothian ...
This exhibition is seen foremost as a celebration of the diversity, vitality and richness of the organic, living vernacular and participatory arts found in the contemporary folk culture of these islands - generally unknown, overlooked and, all too often, trivially treated. This exhibition also features models created by Doc and his partner, Jill Pidd.
"One of the most important English collectors since Sharp"
(Living Traditions Magazine), this is a fascinating and illuminating view of the world of British folklore.
Friday 30 January to Saturday 25 April, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Admission Free.
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Road, Camden, London NW1 7AY |
|
| PHIL COOL JOINS FAIRPORT ON TWENTY-FIFTH WINTER TOUR |
Fairport Convention, the legendary band which originated folkrock music, is staging its 25th consecutive Winter Tour at venues across the UK in January and February 2009.
The show will open with a support performance by Fairport's special guests Phil Cool and Ken Nicol. Phil is best known for his prolific work as a television comedian but he is also a talented songwriter and musician. Ken Nicol of Steeleye Span is a singer/songwriter who has a long association with Fairport Convention.
After Phil and Ken's set, Fairport will take the stage to perform a selection of material old and new. As well as favourites from their enormous back catalogue, the band will be playing songs and instrumentals from their most recent albums.
Fairport's personnel has gradually evolved since that first Winter Tour back in 1984. This year's line-up features Simon Nicol (vocals, guitar), Dave Pegg (bass guitar), Ric Sanders (violin), Chris Leslie (mandolin, fiddle, vocals) and Gerry Conway (drums).
"We're really looking forward to going on the road again." says founder-member Simon Nicol. "This will be the silver jubilee of our Winter Tour in its present guise. A few of the venues are new to us but some are places we've been back to many times before – a few we've played 24 times consecutively. Fairport started out in 1967 so our next big anniversary will be the band's Golden Jubilee in 2017. We hope we'll still be together then and that we'll still be touring every winter."
After 25 consecutive annual outings, the Winter Tour has become the cornerstone of Fairport Convention's year. The band also stages the annual open-air music festival at Cropredy in Oxfordshire: now approaching its 30th anniversary, this three-day festival has become one of the UK's best-loved music events. |
JANUARY
29: Tewkesbury, The Roses Theatre 01684 295074
30: Exeter, The Phoenix Arts Centre 01392 667080
31: Truro, Hall For Cornwall 01872 262466
FEBRUARY
01: Yeovil, The Octagon Theatre 01935 422884
03: Ilfracombe, The Landmark Theatre 01271 324242
04: Basingstoke, The Anvil 01256 844244
05: Worthing, The Assembly Hall_ Pavilion 01903 206206
06: Weston-Super-Mare, The Playhouse 01934 645544
07: London, Union Chapel 0207 226 1686info Only
08: Stafford, Gatehouse Theatre 01785 254653
10: Runcorn, Brindley Arts Centre 0151 907 8360
11: Harrogate, Harrogate Theatre 01423 502116
12: High Wycombe, The Swan 01494 512000
13: Tunbridge Wells, Assembley Hall Theatre 01892 530613
14: Leamington Spa The Royal Spa Centre 01926 334418
15: Hunstanton Princess Theatre 01485 532252
17: Lincoln, The Drill Hall 01522 873894
18: Milton Keynes, The Stables 01908 280800
19: Chesterfield, The Winding Wheel 01246 345222/01246 345334
20: Huddersfield, Lawrence Batley Theatre 01484 430528
21: Burnley, Mechanics Theatre 01282 664400
22: Farnham, Farnham Maltings 01252 745444
24: St.Albans, The Alban Arena 01727 844488
26: Newcastle, The Journal Tyne Theatre 0844 493 9999
27: Edinburgh, The Queens Hall 0131 668 2019
28: Dundee, The Whitehall Theatre Dundee City Bo 01382 434940
MARCH
01: Glasgow, The Pavilion Theatre 0141 332 1846
03: Dumfries, The Theatre Royal 01387 254209
04: Isle Of Man, Centenary Centre
05: Kendal, Brewery Arts Centre 01539 725133
06: Southport, Southport Arts Centre 01704 540011
07: Birmingham, Town Hall 0121 780 3333 |
| LISTEN TO UISCEDWR BIG BAND |
Since winning the BBC Young Folk Award five years ago, Uiscedwr has become one of Britain's most talked-about young folk bands. As a trio and, more recently, as a quartet, Uiscedwr has built a reputation as a tight and funky outfit with a great self-penned repertoire.
Uiscedwr Big Band was formed as a spin-off in early 2008 and debuted at Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival. Led by Uiscedwr founders Anna Esslemont (fiddle and vocals) and Cormac Byrne (the most exiting folk percussionist you're ever likely to hear), the six-piece band also features Nick Waldock (bass guitar), Dylan Bible (guitar and mandolin), Neil Yates (horns) and Karen Tweed (accordion).
Uiscedwr Big Band plays Celtic-influenced folk with elements of jazz, klezmer, gypsy, Latin, and American folk fiddle. The heady mix wowed delegates when the band performed a showcase at this year's Association of Festival Organisers Conference.
Now you can listen to this fantastic band online. We've uploaded several tracks of Uiscedwr Big Band's great performance at Banbury Folk Festival in October 2008. These tracks will be released next year as an album to be titled 'Naked and Dangerous' . Simply follow this link:
http://www.iconicmusic.com/Artists/Uiscedwr/soundfiles.php
|
| SHOW OF HANDS TO MAKE THIRD APPEARANCE AT SCOTLAND’S PREMIER WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL |
England’s top acoustic roots duo Show of Hands have been invited to return to Scotland’s premier winter music festival – Celtic Connections – early next year.
Devon-based singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi instrumentalist Phil Beer will be joined by their regular guest Miranda Sykes on double bass and vocals for a show at the Strathclyde Suite on Tuesday, January 20 - making this their third appearance at the festival. The following night they will perform at the Festival Club.
At their Celtic Connections debut in 2005 they sold out at the Piping Centre, gaining enthusiastic media reviews, and returned the following year to take to the stage of the larger Strathclyde Suite at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.
In 2009 they return to the Strathclyde Suite with support from 2008 Danny Kyle Award winner John Langan, a singer-songwriter from Ayrshire whose eclectic style is rooted in traditional Celtic music. Now based in Edinburgh, John has played festivals from Glastonbury to The Wickerman, Knockengorroch and Sunrise. |
| CELEBRATED FOLK, ROOTS, TRADITIONAL, BLUEGRASS, AMERICANA, AND INDIE ACTS ON THE BILL |
Celtic Connections attracts a wealth of home-grown and international talent to Glasgow every January. This year, acclaimed acts such as New Orleans legends Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, New York blues master Eric Bibb and Michael Nyman (composer of the The Piano soundtrack) feature on the bill alongside folk favourites Judy Collins, Kate Rusby, Kathy Mattea, Michael Marra, Lúnasa, Dervish, Shooglenifty, The Sharon Shannon Big Band, Julie Fowlis, Blazin’ Fiddles, Karine Polwart, Rachel Unthank and The Winterset and Drever, McCusker, Woomble.
This year’s Classic Albums strand will see three great records – Richard Thompson’s 1000 Years of Popular Music, Battlefield Band’s Home is Where the Van Is and Catriona McKay’s Starfish– performed in their entirety.
Once again, some sizzling bluegrass acts feature on the Celtic Connections bill, including Crooked Still, Tim O’Brien, Abigail Washburn and The Sparrow Quartet (featuring Béla Fleck) and we welcome the return of one of the biggest hits of last year’s festival, Cherryholmes. In an exciting double-bill of Herald Angel-winners, Celtic Connections brings together two of the most talked about bands at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe – The Wilders and The Hot Seats (formerly known as Special Ed and the Shortbus).
Americana talent such as Justin Townes Earle (son of Steve Earle), Gurf Morlix, Nanci Griffith and Dirk Powell will perform at Celtic Connections 2009.
The programme’s indie contingent features Edwyn Collins (who will be supported by the legendary Scottish band The Bluebells, with original members Ken McCluskey, Robert Hodgens and David McCluskey reuniting for this Celtic Connections gig), Cerys Matthews, and a Shoeshine Records showcase night at the ABC with headliners Attic Lights joined by Norman Blake and Euros Childs, and BMX Bandits. The festival will also stage the official debut performance of The Burns Unit featuring Karine Polwart, Sushil Dade and King Creosote amongst others.
Celtic Connections will present the world premiere of Conflict and Resolution - a new composition by David Heath which celebrates the life of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and is the result of a two year collaboration between a group of Scottish and Catalan musicians. The piece will be performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra |
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