Around Kent Folk issue 114 for December 2022 / January 2023

kent folk

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.

2022/January 2023 issue of AKF

I’m writing this just a few weeks after a very successful Tenterden Folk Festival 2023. The long-awaited appearance of The Wilson Family was rewarded with excellent attendance and a lot of great harmony singing. All our guest artists gave great performances over the weekend. We are very pleased to say that ticket sales were well over budget. The weather was wet on Friday night but stayed dry for the Morris dancing and procession on Saturday and was then wet again on Sunday morning. Despite a high turnout of supporters, street collections were lower than expected over the weekend. This could be at least partly due to the fact that people are less inclined to carry cash after the Covid pandemic or the general economic climate. With The William Caxton closed, the popular sing-a-rounds took place in other venues and mostly worked well despite the odd hit-up. We would like to say a big thankyou to everyone who helped to make the festival a success including, guest artists, stallholders, venues, Morris sides, dance teams, singers and musicians and especially the volunteers and workforce who all worked very hard over the long weekend. A special thanks goes to the people involved in responding to a medical emergency and saving a life at the end of the procession. They know who they are. We are now starting to plan for the 30th Tenterden Folk Festival which will take place from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th October 2023. We want this to be an extra special weekend so are seeking more sponsors, grants and of course more volunteers.

2022 has been another very hard year for the local and national folk scene with the aftereffects of the Covid pandemic and the increasing economic problems still set to effect professional folk musicians, venues, folk clubs, pubs, festivals, floor singers, dancers, etc. for months or years to come. Most folk clubs have now reopened but some have stayed online or closed their doors permanently. Others have had to find new venues when pubs have closed or changed over to doing more food rather than being traditional wet pubs. As I am writing this the government is in chaos and the news is suggesting that we may have another new Prime Minster at any moment. What the future holds we will have to wait and see. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and good luck for 2023.

Alan Castle (Editor)

PS: You can make a donation to Tenterden Folk Festival or this magazine via our websites or by post (see payment details on last page). Thank you. www.tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk www.aroundkentfolk.org.uk

Find us online at www.aroundkentfolk.org.uk and on Twitter as @AroundKentFolk, where you can always find a link to the latest and past issues of AKF.

Please pass this link on to your mailing lists and place it on your social media so that as many as possible of our regular readers can find AKF online until we are able to get back to a full print run and physical distribution of the printed magazine.

Stay well and take care in these difficult times

Readers’ Letters

Dear Alan,

It was good to get my copy of AKF today, interesting as always. I enjoyed Pete the Punters article on Broadstairs Folk Week, it was indeed a great week. I was surprised however to read about him hearing “Malcolm Ward reminiscing about the first knockings of song” because Malcolm wasn’t there at the beginning – I was. There was always song at Broadstairs right from the first show in 1966. Every evening in the Old Retort House in Albion Street car park (now an Escape Room!). Clive Bennett and friends ran the Song Spot. My sister and I, as teenagers, actually plucked up the courage to sing there. True there wasn’t singing in the pubs ‘til later years, but there was always singing at Broadstairs. – Clive worked really hard, and seems to have been forgotten about.

Yours sincerely Anne Hilton

Hello Alan

Firstly thank you for such an excellent festival this year (Tenterden Folk Festival), Julia and I especially enjoyed the performances in the church with Morrigan on Friday, Folk songs of the upper Thames on Saturday and Paul Walker and Karen Pfeiffer Auf Wiedersehen Me Duck on Sunday.

With regards to AKF Bob Kenward wrote about how unifying chorus singing and Morris singalongs were ( last paragraph Scene and Heard) and ended “Your views welcomed”. As I don’t have an email address for him could you pass on the message that I started singing with the Morris after their dancing at pubs and Julia and I both think there is nothing to beat a good old sing song in a pub or at a folk club so we wholeheartedly agree with his last paragraph I think about 99% of my songs are chorus songs !!!

Many thanks, Chris Griffin

Broadstairs Folk Week

Broadstairs Folk Week seemed to go very well in 2022 and we’ve received loads of positive feedback which is marvellous – thank you!

Of course, there were some issues that we faced and we’ve listened to a lot of suggestions about the format of the Souvenir Programme, the mix of artistes at the festival and addressing the thorny question of venues in Broadstairs. They’ll be more updates soon on our website www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk

In the meantime – there is still time to support our Crowdfunding campaign! It ends on 20 December 2022, and if successful, it will release match funding from Kent County Council. https://www.spacehive.com/broadstairsfolkweek

So if Broadstairs Folk Week is an important part of your summer – then please pledge – the minimum amount is £2 – so not too much in these financially challenging times that we’re all in. Thank you and hope to see you in 2023 11 – 18 August 2023.

Can you help?

Have you got half an hour to spare to talk to someone about folk singing to help with some research?

We are looking for people - just like you - to talk to people who aren’t already involved with folk singing to find out what they think about it all. It’s part of a bigger project looking to increase and diversify the people who get involved in folk singing, called Access Folk.

What we need you to do is invite a friend or acquaintance to have a chat with you, talk through some questions (that we supply), record it and send it back to us with some notes about what you thought of the conversation. Absolutely no previous ‘interviewing’ experience is required from you, and they don’t need to know anything about folk singing, we just want to know their thoughts.

We’re gathering a lot of different experiences to build a picture of what ‘outsiders’ perceptions of folk singing is, what’s putting them off getting involved and what might attract them, so we can think about ways of making what we know to be so brilliant open to more people. We have a lot of students involved, but are looking for more interviewers from the folk singing community.

If you think you might know someone to talk to and have a bit of time to spare we’d REALLY appreciate your help. Feel free to get in touch for a chat if you have any questions. We know it can seem a scary thing, even if you want to help, and would like to help reassure you that YOU ARE exactly who we want to be involved. We’re running this til the end of November, so there’s just a month to get it done and sent in. There’s lots of information on the website here, but please don’t hesitate to call for a chat to go through it all in more human terms! Thanks for reading, and hope to hear from you soon.

Tonbridge Folk Club (Nellie’s) Ye Olde Chequers Inn, 122 High Street, Tonbridge, TN9 1AS

Subject to the Covid 19 emergency, please check our website for the latest information tonbridgefolkclub.org

5th December Sally Ironmonger & Brian Carter 19th December Simon Kempston 16th January Four Gone Confusion 6th February Dave Ellis & Boo Howard 20th February Dick Miles 6th March Alan Reid

First and third Mondays of each month, 8 - 11 pm Tel: 01892 822945 info@tonbridgefolkclub.org www.tonbridgefolkclub.org

Available for live and online events, Julie and Gavin Atkin sing and play mainly trad music on a variety of instruments.

Our online Sunday night Zoom sessions are friendly, fun and attract some great performers. If you’d like to join us, drop us a line!

Gavin is running tunes playing meetings with Goudhurst U3A on Mondays. Email for details

Don’t forget our dance band The Tonic! ‘A great band –music that makes you want to get up and dance! So good that we book them every year!’ John Sweeney, dance event organiser and caller

See www.youtube.com/c/GavinAtkin for samples Contact: Julie and Gavin Atkin gmatkin@gmail.com More info at Singdanceandplay.net

Farnborough Social Club

6 Pleasant View Pl, Farnborough, Orpington, BR6 7BL Thursdays @ 8pm 01959 532 754 020 8325 6513 Website: www.orpingtonfolkclub.org.uk E-mail:orpingtonfolkclub@hotmail.com

Orpington Folk Music and Song Club exists to promote folk music and song. It is a non profit making organisation and is for those who wish to listen to or take part in an informal evening of folk music and song. For those who wish confirmation of guest(s) nights they can call any of the telephone numbers below.

Scene & Heard

Have you heard any news of the iceberg… lettuce, that is …? It’s been a crazy couple of months again, times which bring folksongs back to life… ‘they talk about the market, boys, but that is all my eye’.. ‘scarce have they got any shoes to their feet’…’ I wish that the wars were all over’… ‘I hope that they’ll pardon their prodigal son’… Fortunately we have plenty of good news to report as the festival season passes with 2022 as strong a year as can be remembered and with clubs up and running.

Good to revisit Crabble Mill to catch up with the East Coast crew for the evening with Alan and Chris Davis, whose mellifluous sounds so graced the Kent scene for many years. I’ve always admired Alan’s choice of song and the gentle emphasis he puts on the lyrics: making them flow naturally and meaningfully. The less said about his jokes, however… glad to see Ade with some Viv Stanshall inspirations… Faversham hosted Nigel Hobbins, a songwriter of great originality whose percussive and quirky chord changes always surprisehis CD Levitating In Lockdown well worth seeking out.

Faversham Hop Festival was blessed with fine weather, fortunately, as the folk stage was way out at the Albion Tavern, with Andy on sound fixing and mixing among the greenery. Helen North was her usual charming self first thing in the morning, with Crisis (Taylor & Sadler) rocking in on appropriately swampy sounds to follow. Quality here was high, the mighty CJ passing on drum-humping duty and Dave Raey’s gypsy jazz much appreciated out on the lawn. Trommelfluit’s evening concert at the Arden was a welcome meeting with old friends, the Belgian lilt a reassuring sign of returning normality. Throughout the weekend the town was packed with music of all genres- the programme emphasizing how important the festival is to the survival of many businesses over the year Graham ‘The Hat’ and the committee are to be congratulated, and are keen to reboost folk input, dance and music, if it can be done. Good fun.

A cracking evening at Faversham with Rattle On The Stovepipe saw Dave Arthur back in Kent following his recent move to Norfolk. Our loss is their gain, Dave always so supportive of those who had genuine interest in folk music English and American, a former editor of EFDSS’s magazine and author of the majestic volume ‘Bert- The Life And Times Of A.L. Lloyd’, (ISBN 978-0-7453-3252-9) , which has so much first-hand observation of the emerging folk scene from the 1960s onwards. Invaluable and insightful: he was there. Pages 139-142 especially will draw nods and smiles. Rail and bus strikes thwarted several excursions- it would be good to hear from clubs across the region of their successes, in particular NW Kent, where Dartford and Orpington are meeting regularly. Please do send reports to AKF- we need them for balance. I’m always pleasantly surprised to listen to artists I’ve enjoyed on stage or at festivals over the years, often quite a while after they were recorded… the Open Water CD particularly, Joanne Doolan, Jeff Alexander and Richard Rozze, impressed. I enjoy artists whose skill is so clearly focused on the songs, bringing out powerful emotion through the setting. Jeff’s own instrumental CD River Moon I commend to guitarists all, fine expression of beautiful tunes. As with Terry Lees and with Will Allen’s gorgeous English Fiddle which I wish I’d had more space to praise last issue, the unhurried tone is delightful. And so too is CJ’s Passing Through, slow of me not to catch up with her own songwriting and expressive vocals. The title track is a gem.

A real shock to hear of the passing of Paul Sartin, who so enhanced and amused the folk scene. The Bellowhead and Belshazzar’s Feast gigs we shall all remember, and many of us will have attended one of his singing courses in which he generously shared his enthusiasm and musicianship. It’s his oboe playing I shall particularly recall, to be found

across the spectrum of traditional recording. Like Jeff Gillett on guitar, clear and melodic. One of the good guys.

And so to Tenterden… elsewhere a fuller report, the last of the local festivals and as ever a hive of traditional emphasis. The procession much appreciated by a good crowd, and events across the available venues featuring local and national acts. This year’s enormous craft tent spared many traders the blustery excitements of yesteryear, and in a daze of autumn the season drew to a close. It’s been a grand summer amid friends old and new, a renewal of the bonds which we share through our interest in this many-faceted jewel we call ‘folk’… and long may we make music together. Harvest home and gather ye fuel while ye may…

Further to the Broadstairs piece last month, I’m pleased to set the record straight re singing at the Festival. Anne Hilton reminds us of the Song Spot in the Retort House from 1966 onwards, and of the contribution of Clive Bennett and friends before the pub sessions began. Anne comments on the supportive atmosphere which set her and her sister singing. There really is a need for a definitive timeline/ history of the early years- I can’t do it because I was always playing cricket! Many names spring to mind... perhaps memories can be gathered?

Chris Griffin adds to the discussion about the unifying nature of chorus singing: ‘I started singing with the Morris after their dancing... Julia and I both think there is nothing to beat a good old singsong in a pub or folk club so we wholeheartedly agree...’ -and so do several others who have offered their opinions at folk clubs around Kent. As I said in my Tenterden slot, all I’ve ever aimed to achieve was that people are happier when the go out than when they came in... and we are all in our own ways entertainers... other views also welcomed!

Bob Kenward

Esbe - Blow the Wind Southerly New Cat Music NC222

This is Esbe’s eighth studio album and includes a cappella versions of some well-known folk songs in a mix of folk and classical styles. The tracks include a couple of nursery rhymes, Three Blind Mice and Oranges and Lemons, and a Christmas carol, the Coventry Carol. There are also well-known folk songs such as Blow the Wind Southerly, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Scarborough Fair, Greensleeves and others. The opening track, Summer is Icumen In, also includes the sounds of sheep and birds and other tracks include the sounds of the sea, animals, and other effects. It is difficult to decide who the target audience really is, but it certainly shows imaginations and is worth a listen.

Janice Burns and Jon Doran - No More the Green Hills JBDO002

This is an album of traditional English, Scottish and Irish folk songs from an Anglo Scottish duo who met on a Newcastle folk degree course. Jon, from Gloucestershire, plays guitar, bouzouki harmonium and fiddle and Janice, from Glasgow, plays mandolin, guitar, harmonium and piano and both provide the vocals. The 11 tracks include She Moved Through the Fair, As I Roved Out, The Greenmore Hare and the Weary Cutters. Jon was a finalist in the Young Folk Awards in 2019 and won the Future of Folk award at Bromyard Folk Festival. They have already played at many of the major English Folk Festivals. Their arrangements of all these songs are pure and simple with their vocals clear and precise. I would like a chance to see them live in concert or at a local folk club.

Luke Daniels and the

- Gael Productions Gael CD022

The Cobhers, pronounced Covers, are Luke on melodeon, guitar and vocals with Matt Tighe on fiddle, Michael Biggins on piano, Scott Turnbull on guitar and Eleanor Dunsdon on clasarch and backing vocals. The track list starts with the Bee Gees, Staying Alive which is a bit of an odd choice for the opening track but it works. Other tracks include some written by Luke and a couple of more traditional or at least in a traditional style such as a set of jigs entitled Doodly, Doodly Dank. There is also a traditional Syrian Longa and a folk sounding version of Superstition from one S. Wonder. Carron Bridge showcases the work that the Cobhers have been doing to research and perform traditional tunes from Lanarkshire. The CD comes with useful and interesting sleeve notes. Luke does a lot of work with children and young people across Scotland and England and has performed at Broadstairs Folk Week.

Alan Castle (Editor)

Cobhers

The Guisers Are Coming

Zoom: Wednesday 5th January 2023

(Twelfth Night) 8pm Pete Castle’s sort of Christmas Show. A traditional, secular, left wing, alternative Christmas based around traditional songs and stories. There will be the odd carol, and perhaps a mention of Father Christmas and presents, but much more about poor people going guising to raise money to buy their Christmas dinner.

For the poor the whole of the Christmas period was difficult and they needed to go guising, or mumming, or hoodening or whatever else they called it locally— perhaps just carol singing—to survive. For the better-off Christmas did last a whole 12 Days with partridges in pear trees and lords a-leaping. Christmas Day itself used to be just a holy day, the main day for celebrations and presents was 12th Night so that’s when we will celebrate. Bring a bottle of your favourite tipple and some left-over Christmas cake and join Pete for a ‘different’ Christmas event which will include several of his favourite and most popular stories.

Tickets are £5.00 each and all profits will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee (https://www.dec.org.uk) for use in whatever appeals they are concentrating on at the time.

Tickets are only available from Tenterden Folk Festival online at https://www.musicglue. com/tenterdenfolkfestival/tickets/ Make sure you enter your email address carefully as it will be used to send you the Zoom link.

CD Reviews

Steeleye Span - Live at the Rainbow Theatre 1974 Chrysalis Records CRVX1485

It is not often I get to review a double red vinyl LP in AKF but this new release from Steeleye is too good to miss. The album was originally included on the 12 CD box set “Good Times of Old England”, released in May 2022, which covered their albums from 1972 to 1983. The album’s 16 tracks include some of Steeleye’s best knowN and most popular songs, including Two Magicians, The Wife of Usher’s Well, Long Lankin, Thomas the Rhymer, Cam Ye O’er Frae France and The Mason’s Apron. The live introductions to the songs are also included so you get to hear the voices of some of the old band members. The lineup in 1974 was Maddy Prior, Rick Kemp, Rob Johnson, Peter Knight, Tim Hart and Nigel Pegrum and it is interesting to see the photos of them as they where then. The two RED vinyl albums come in two inner colour covers with comprehensive sleeve notes all included in a traditional LP outer cover. A must for all Steeleye fans of any age.

Alan Castle (Editor)

December - January

Yes, Faversham Folk Club is open every Wednesday, 8 pm til 1030... we welcome performers and audience to our popular Singers’ Nights. On Guest nights, floor spots are welcomed by M/Cs if you arrive soon enough. A warm welcome is always available at The Limes!

14th Dec 2022 John Kirkpatrick Christmas NightRousing revels with the Guv’nor... by popular demand a rollicking ride on the seasonal sleigh from the King of Squeeze. £10/11

11th Jan 2023 Sally Ironmonger & Brian CarterSuperb self penned songs of local and radical interest... always a lively evening in store. £7/8

1st February Edwina Hayes - A welcome return South for a sublime singer whose Zoom request shows livened many an afternoon over the past couple of years. Glad to hear Edwina again in personbeautiful and committed vocals/guitar. £8/9

All others Singers’ Nights, and not, necessarily, as advertised in the local paper, Swingers. All other Wednesdays are Singers Nights, only £2, where traditional mixes with contemporary and jollity is encouraged.

We ask that you please test yourself before coming to the club, to keep guests and all of us safe and well. We do what we can to ventilate and keep safe by distancing. See you at the Limes!

Sussex Folk News

Let’s start off with folk dance events this month.

One of the most vibrant of the regular dance events is one that caters for those with and interest in French dances. Dansez Français events are usually held in Brighton. but during this editorial period, they also have one in Lewes. They are planning to dance the New Year in this year at their regular venue at Patcham Memorial Hall which you can find at 3 Old London Road, Brighton BN1 8XR. They are hoping to have a group of French musicians that perform under the name of St Sylvestre but they are awaiting confirmation so if this is for you keep an eye of the Dansez Français Group page on Facebook for further details.

On January 28th there will be an evening with more familiar musician in Sussex who play together as Sawney White Bird and features Ravi Sawney, Heather White and Jane Bird playing tunes they really love. There’s some old English ones, some from France, and ones they’ve written themselves. The line- up features saxes, whistles, melodeon, fiddle, mouthorgan, concertina. Again, this dance will be at Patcham Memorial Hall where there is a fabulous polished wooden ballroom floor, just perfect for French dancing!

Their event in Lewes is in another well-appointed hall; St Mary’s Social Centre, Christie Road, Lewes BN7 IPL and on Saturday 21st January 2023 from 8-11pm they will be holding a Fest Noz, an evening of music and dances from Brittany. There will be live music from two great bands; the Tonik Dance Band as well as Trio Zinzon. The dances are easy and fun, anyone can join in. No partners are necessary, no experience needed.

There will be no bar at Dansez Français events and you are advised to take your own refreshments.

The other dance club to mention is Shoreham dance club and their final event of 2022 will be on Sunday 4th December from 3pm to 6pm at St Julians Hall, Rectory Road, Kingston Buci, Shoreham by Sea, BN43 6E with dancing to the calling of John Portlock.

Chichester Folk club is one of the longest continually running folk clubs in the UK and it celebrates sixty years of its existence in December. For the majority of those years, the club has been run by the same person. Marilyn Campbell: Marilyn has been collecting and singing songs of the tradition since her early days on the 1970’s folk club scene of both her native Hull and Chichester. For many years she sang as half of the duo ‘Marker’ with Kerry Manning and as a soloist, she also added contemporary songs to her repertoire. Now, she a fine solo performer as well as an efficient organiser.

On two Mondays, 5th and 12th December, they have evenings called “Welcome Back”. On these two designated nights, they celebrate the club’s continuous existence for 60 years as it moved to various hostelries throughout Chichester and on the 19th it will be the club’s Christmas party. They add “we shall be inviting any past members to join current members for two nights of great music and nostalgia with archive photo montages.”

The Horsham Folk Club meets on Sundays at the Normandy Centre Denne Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1JF and they have two interesting nights in December, On the 4th it is Mike Nicholson who is one of those remarkable singers who manages to create an immediate and loyal following everywhere he goes. This is due in large part to his unrestrained passion for what he loves doing the most - singing good songs! He draws his audience to him through an unassuming approach which only asks that the listener might share his love of singing and of the songs. He performs a wide spectrum of material, and generally speaking, it’s material that has something to say.

On the 11th Dec at the Horsham club it will be that hilarious combination, the Okee Dokee

band which includes three stalwarts from the folk scene in Sussex, Mel Stevens, Dick Streeter and Dave Toye. Mel plays Chromatic button accordion and C Melody saxophone with Okee Dokee, and has written a number of their songs. Mel also plays with the French dance band Tonik, mentioned above.

Finally here is the programme for the Lewes Saturday Folk Club which meets at the Elephant and Castle in White Hill

3 DEC RAMSKYTE - a three-part vocal harmony group from Hampshire singing mainly English traditional songs & some written by John Bartlett.

10 DEC SHEPHERDS ARISE Old Sussex carols with fiddle, flute, bassoon, serpent, whistle & concertinas, Sussex tunes, Sussex readings, Sussex mummers’ play.

17 DEC CHRISTMAS PARTY BY FIRE & CANDLELIGHT £4

Carols, home-made mince pies, minimalist panto, candles & an open fire

7 JAN COPPER FAMILY The Copper Family of Rottingdean in Sussex sing the songs their family has loved and preserved for at least seven generations - songs of farming, sailing, love, drink, war, sport, drama and comedy..

14 JAN WASSAIL NIGHT We light the log fire and the candles tonight. Bring songs and tunes for winter and wassailing.

21 JAN SUSSEX ALL-DAY SINGAROUND

11.00 a.m. – 11.00 p.m. Elephant & Castle, White Hill, Lewes BN7 2DJ

Good pub food on sale until 7:30 p.m.

First an hour of informal tunes while people arrive. Then the singing starts, with a break from 6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m., finishing with a good hour of glorious choruses. Ballads & the occasional instrumental party piece will be very welcome too. The open fire will burn throughout & we’ll light candles for the evening session.

28 JAN EAST CORNER TRIO Three young musicians, finalists in the 2022 New Roots competition & members of the London & National Youth Folk Ensembles, Elye Cuthbertson, Danny Marshall, & Mía Iles-Pérez.

Vic Smith

Animal Guising and the Kentish Hooden Horse Wed 8th February 2023 to Sat 17th June 2023. Exhibition with Free entry. Maidstone Museum, St Faiths Street, Maidstone ME14 1LH

The Hooden Horse can be seen snapping its teeth and causing havoc at many folk festivals, but where did it come from and how does it relate to other animal disguises around the UK?

This exhibition unites Maidstone Museum’s two old Hooden Horses with their early surviving cousins; Morris Dancing revival horses; Northern skull horses; the Old Tup; Mari Lwyd; Obby Osses; and stag disguises. It explores the Christmas house-calling custom of Hoodening and its reinvention as Autohoodening, a new kind of folk performance about the precarity of contemporary seasonal working.

This will be worth a visit to experience the Hooden Horse brought to life around the town and museum on event days during the exhibition.

museum.maidstone.gov.uk/whats-on/events/animal-guising-the-kentish-hooden-horse

Peter the Punter - Tenterden Autumn colours through the Weald for this most traditional festival, a chance to dance out the harvest and sing in the sunset season. A bold start with Dick Miles, Sheila Park, Keith Kendrick, Sylvia Needham and Phil & Denise Underwood in Round Robin format. Plenty of variety and experience- Sheila was a new voice to me, an acquaintance of Harry Cox and a bright way with ballads. The club atmosphere was superb. The Woolpack Barn has been modernised within and proved a good acoustic venue for the Friday singaround in the absence of the Caxton. By 1.00 some 30 singers were enjoying the session, spaced pleasantly and with guest spots by Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer- as ever the programme offered plenty of choice from the likes of Morrigan and Nick Dow. Roger Resch, Malcolm Ward, Dave & Eileen Masterson et al were as ever in fine voice. A quick nip to the Glebe at teatime to see Bob Kenward’s Pleasant Collaborations, anecdotes and songs from his 45 years of making music in Kent, a tribute to the many musicians he had enjoyed playing alongside and some little-heard songs. Then to the Ancient Borough, where gradually the session singers found space among the tapas... many diners stayed to listen too... a busy bustle...

Saturday broke with bright sun and East Kent Morris spanking sticks by the Museam. The station and High Street teemed with colourful dancers, a joy to see. So much to pick from, Gavin Atkin’s trad music class, the Wilsons in the Town Hall, Martin & Shan Greabe on Alfred Williams, Jerry Crossley’s tunes with Spare Parts ... Si Barron’ DADGAD splendour... another Barn singaround gathered 34 including several festival guests. I missed Vic Smith’s updated audio visual Copper family show, a pity as I had highlighted itpunters can’t be everywhere, especially if helping out...

A looming cloud held off as the procession advanced in the afternoon heat- the streets lined with amazed children and the generosity of their elders all helping to boost the festival in the eyes of Tenterden town. Four Gone Confusion battled away in the Borough with their delightful combination of harmony and delicate guitars. A quick splash of shanty, then off to the concert just in time to catch Jack Rutter and Jeff & Elaine Gillett, to vicariously learn how top performers approach accompaniment. I nipped away to catch the raucous Foot

Down to conclude a rich and varied evening. On Sunday PJ persuaded me to buy a capo in the Craft tent, which was humming with honey, mead, bracelets, art and shiny gemstones. Outside was the open air marquee with bunches of local talent like John Smillie and Ashford Folk Band on Sat, Hook Line & Sinker and Milton Hide on Sun, all overseen by the irrepressible Andy... again I missed some here due to other calls as my fancy was taken by the line-up of squeezeboxes in the Glebe- and glad I was, for the discussion and demonstration of styles between Dick Miles and Gavin Atkin was lively and full of sense. Keith Kendrick summed up beautifully, he and Sylvia consummate songsetters. Nice to see Pip Ives performing too- more of him please! The gist was ‘follow the song’ rather than ‘paste lyrics onto a virtuoso performance on the instrument’true for players everywhere. Another sing, then to catch Bob & Gill Berry again in the Town Hall with their cheery robust glee. The final sing in the Borough started early as Sarah had finished serving food at 4, so all sang on with gusto, the numbers swelling as the evening concert crowd swarmed in. After a bit of extra the focus moved to the Brewery, where by all accounts the Morris were still standing and singing lusty choruses. All in all a weekend which flashed by, so much put together by Alan and the Committee to whom many thanks from us all. Punters can only marvel at the range and colourful twirl of dancers all and the warmth and generosity of fine players in concerts, workshops and sessions. Long may it continue!

Peter the Punter

Bride Of The Wind

FOLK AT THE DRUM

The club meets every Monday evening at The Drum Inn, Stanford, Stone Street (TN25 6DN), between Canterbury and Hythe, from 7 till 10pm.

If you enjoy playing or listening to acoustic music of all types (folk, blues, country, rock, etc), you are very welcome to join us in the function room of the pub for a relaxed and entertaining evening.

Nominal £2 entry fee. For more information, contact Jeff on 01303 813188

CD Reviews

The Albion Christmas Band - All Are Safely Gathered In Talking Elephant Records TECD481

It is that time of year when we get out the Christmas decorations and put up the holy and mistletoe, but most of all we sing all the old Christmas carols and songs. Well here is a CD to listen to while doing all that and stirring the plum putting and drinking the sherry. The first new album from the Albion Christmas Band for six years is mainly songs written by Ashley Hutchings and his son Blair Dunlop but also includes a few surprises such as Simon Care’s recitation of “Sam’s Christmas Pudding” and a couple of traditional items such as “The Whittlesey Straw Bear Tune / Birds A’Building Molly Dance Tune” with spoken word from Ashley. The 12 tracks on the album start with Tim Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter” and conclude with Isaac Watts and GF Handel’s “Joy of the World”. Kellie While and Simon Nichol also provide some of the vocals and guitar and guest artists Blair Dunlop, Ruth Angell and Holly Brandon add guitar and vocals, violins and fiddle respectively. Definitely an album worth finding in your Christmas stocking.

Lady Maisery - Tender (LMCD052)

Lady Maisery are Hazel Askew, Hannah James and Rowan Rheingans and they have written and arranged all the 11 track on this their first album for six years. In the press notes they describe the album as “an examination of femaleness from many sides” and all the songs clearly reflect this but also incorporate other themes including sacrifice, duty, love and politics but this does not make the album heavy or depressing, far from it. Havel provides vocals, harp, harmonium, banjo and of course melodeon, while Hannah provides vocals, accordion sansula and percussion, and Rowan provided vocals, viola, banjo and electric guitar. Guest musicians add organ and additional percussion on a couple of tracks. Song titles include Tender, Echoes, Scientists, The Fall and Bird Song. The album comes in a cardboard cover with a comprehensive booklet with all the words to the songs, a couple of photos and other information. This is definitely an album to sit down quietly and listen to and digest.

Alan Castle (Editor)

Tenterden folk festival lottery

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. 115 February/March COPY DATE: 18th December

Then …

18th December 2022 – February / March

18th February 2023 – April / May 18th April 2023 – June / July

ADVERTISING RATES:

Current advertising rates are as follows:

Full colour: Back cover: £94

Inside front or back cover: £83 Full page (run of issue): £73 Half page (run of issue): £45

18th June 2023 – August / September 18th August 2023 – October / November 18th October 2023 - December / January

Grayscale:

Full page (run of issue): £44 Half page (run of issue): £31 Quarter page (run of issue): £20 Eighth page (run of issue): £12

Size Guide: Full page H 180mm x W 130mm, Half page H 85mm x W 130mm, Quarter page H 85mm x W 60mm, Eighth page H 42mm x W 60mm

Series discount: The discount for advance booking and payment of a series of 6 adverts is 15%, but you can still submit new artwork for each advert.

Artwork: If advert cannot be supplied at the correct size please add £10 to above rates. We accept adverts by email as high quality PDF, JPEG or TIFF. Email your adverts to AKF with a copy to Anmar Printing Services, details as below.

Payment: Cheques payable to “Tenterden Folk Day Trust” (NOT Tenterden Folk Festival or Around Kent Folk). Send cheque and hard copy of advert to the address below. You can also pay by BACS or internet banking. Ask for details.

News and Reviews: Please send CD, books, etc. for review to the address below. AKF also welcomes news and reviews of live gigs, festivals, etc. which you have attended. Website and Social Media: www.aroundkentfolk.org.uk twitter.com/AroundKentFolk ● facebook.com/AroundKentFolk

Contact details: Alan Castle, Around Kent Folk, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA Email: akf@tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk Website: www.arounfkentfolk.org.uk Twitter: @aroundkentfolk

Andy Wood, Anmar Printing Services anmarprintingservices@gmail.com Phone 01732 865380

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SUBSCRIPTION £11 for 1 year (6 issues) Cheques payable to “Tenterden Folk Day Trust” Send to: Alan Castle, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 3HA