Gavin Atkin

It's tonight at the Gun and Spitroast, Horsmonden, Kent! A friendly, mainly English tunes session - not too fast, and plenty of familiar tunes. Read about it here: http://www.singdanceandplay.net/sessions/ Why not join us if you can? Gavin

The 6th of April is the date for our annual Old Fashioned Night Out - a day of music, singing and dancing the way we do things down our way. Read all about it here: http://www.singdanceandplay.net/940/ As you'll see, the band is made up of trad music class members augmented by a few pals to make sure the evening goes with a swing - which, judging by previous events, it will in spades. Free-reed equipped pals playing with the band will include Steve Harrison and Will Duke, as well as myself. I'm writing to say that if anyone would like to come along that night and join the band for a few tunes - or all - they are welcome to join us, so long as they let me know in advance. The tunes are already on the Traditional Music Class page... Gav

The next first Sunday tunes session at the Gun and Spitroast pub, Horsmonden is on the evening of the 3rd of February - that's tomorrow night! Starting from 8pm, the aim is to play a good mix of mainly English tunes, including whatever people bring along, as well as our own favourites and a good helping of the tunes folks have been been looking at during the Wednesday night classes (see the http://www.singdanceandplay.net site for details). We're a friendly bunch and play through terrific number of good tunes during the evening - so I hope to see some of you there! Julie and Gavin

Jeffries duet concertina maestro Michael Hebbert appears at Frittenden, 24th February 2013 We're delighted to be able to welcome our friend Michael Hebbert as our featured visitor at the February session at Frittenden - we've been hoping to bring Michael here for quite a while. As some will know, it was MH's playing that first inspired me to take up the instrument. Here's what Michael he has to say about himself: Concertinas are uncommon enough instruments and Jeffries duets are the most uncommon type of concertina - but Gavin Atkin plays one of these oddities, and so does this evening's guest Michael Hebbert. Michael was born in Glasgow, grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire, and began his performing career in Wallingford, Oxfordshire as a pub musician at a pub locally known as The Rampin' Cat, and as a dance band leader. He went on to contribute to Ashley Hutchings's album Kicking Up the Sawdust (Harvest SHSP4073) and releases his own LP, The Rampin' Cat (Free Reed FRR 009). On the folk circuit he has a long-standing double act with singer Andrew Frank and his concertina classes and workshops have featured at Kilve, Witney, Swaledale, Bradfield and the English Country Music Weekend. With a huge repertoire of tunes from many traditions, Michael shows the tremendous versatility of the Jeffries Brothers's duet concertinas. A triumph of late Victorian craftsmanship measuring only 6in across, Jeffries squeezeboxes pack the essence of the music whether they're blazing away like a fairground organ, punching a tango rhythm, or unfurling the long melody of an Irish slow air fit to break your heart. We couldn't put it better. This will be a smashing evening at Frittenden, so don't miss out! For information about the Frittenden sessions and the other events we run locally, see http://singdanceandplay.net

The next Horsmonden traditional music class is on Wednesday the 12th December. We'll be working on a suitable arrangement of the Coventry Carol - it's very manageable using the left-hand chords of a melodeon and we're hoping to perform it as a class at the Frittenden session on the 27th December - and also a couple of tunes, one of which is the jig Hexham Races, and the other an ear-learning tune. I will later record the ear-learning tune and put it on YouTube. The trad music class meets at the Gun & Spitroast pub at Horsmonden at 8pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. The classes are free and all are welcome. Download pdfs, abcs and access YouTubes of the tunes we're working with at: http://www.singdanceandplay.net See you all soon I hope, Gavin

Bell & Jorrocks - music and singing on a winter’s night 27th December 2012 Our sessions at Frittenden’s B&J pub start at 8pm and are informal and free, with lots of old-fashioned and traditional songs and tunes, perhaps a little stepdancing and a big emphasis on variety, humour and entertainment generally. If you liked your pub the way it was before the telly and the computer came, this is the event for you. Why not bring a song, a tune, a story or a poem yourself? Our special guest for December is favourite Frittenden singer Peter Collins — a big, genial presence with a voice and repertoire to match, and a great way with a song. Expect old songs, new songs and a bit of a laugh in an easy-going atmosphere... However, this isn't a folk club and he won't be singing all evening - so there will be plenty of time for tunes etc. For information, see http://singdanceandplay.net or contact Gavin Atkin at gmatkin@gmail.com