Hi and welcome to this week’s Dreamers Newsletter.
We’ve had some excellent evenings in recent weeks and last week’s was no exception with so many performers available that it was a struggle for Robin as MC to fit everyone in. On the whole, a nice problem for the MC to have and certainly better than having too few performers but it illustrates the challenge which can face the MCs to design a well-balanced programme and to fit everyone in so we all go home happy. Well done, Robin.
Let’s hope this coming Sunday continues the standard we have established. Particularly so as I understand that Roger Bryant is planning to join us (with Ben’s help). It will be great to see him after such a gap so hopefully everyone can make a special effort to come along, to bring some good material (and to rehearse!). Let’s make it another evening to remember. Then it’s a couple more singers nights before the visit of Mick Ryan and Paul Downes in August.
Meanwhile the Cornish Zoom Folk Club has its next session on Saturday 26th July. Numbers have been holding up pretty well despite the other attractions, festivals and the like, of the summer season. More about that next week.
Some of those who come along to these zooms are very envious that we have Ray Chubb to sing to us often in Cornish. That seems to be a big feature of the Cornwall Folk Festival at Wadebridge this year (August 21st to 25th) with a number of performers singing in Cornish, performing Cornish dances or generally celebrating the culture. All the details and tickets at Festival Tickets – Cornwall Folk Festival
Further ahead, we can look forward to the 29th edition of the Cornish Voice Tour based at the Membly Hall Hotel in Falmouth from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October. You don’t have to stay – everyone’s welcome at all the sessions and it’s always a great weekend with visitors from far and wide. For more information, contact Pip Franklin (07778 739341 or di.franklin@gmail.com).
As mentioned last week, there are various events from the Warwick Folk Festival on the Live to Your Living Room site next Friday, 25th July. These are hybrid gigs, available online live but also for 72 hours afterwards. On Friday 25th from 2.00, the line up has Banter, a quartet that plays well-loved traditional folk tunes, The English Fiddle Ensemble, a skilled and talented quartet with unique styles and influences celebrating the rich, historical tapestry of fiddle music and, finally, Keith Donelly and Lauren South, well-known solo artists in the folk world, performing together with beautiful vocals, thoughtful lyrics, and a lot of fun.
The evening concert from 7.30 features the award-winning Le Vent Du Nord inspired not only by the rich Quebecois tradition, but also by Celtic and Breton folk and then Will Pound (harmonica and melodeon) and Jen Butterworth (guitar), no strangers to the international touring circuit, playing a well-executed blend of traditional folk and blues.
There’s more of this to come from the Saturday of the Festival – details of that and the above performers (and tickets) at Events | Live Music Online Gig | Live To Your Living Room
That’s quite enough for this week, hope to see you all on Sunday night.
All the best
Nigel