back from Whitby

[michael sam wild]

Just back from Whitby Folk Week and full of it!

 

Mostly a chance to catch up with old friends and make new aquaintances and play in a whole range of pub sessions and get a lot of new tunes and listen to a variety of styles with a wide range of instruments being played. A lot of youngsters around too.

 

Lots of great sessions and workshops Concertinas were well represented and omnipresent both EC and Anglo

 

Ali Anderson ran a great mixed session which drew from the patrticipants and built up sets and how he drove us. It was solid for 2 hours , no prisoners taken and he led from the front in a very inclusive way. Top lad! quite a few of the students from FolkWorks schools were there joining in and mixing with the older crowd nicely.

 

I was particularly pleased with John Kirkpatrick's workshops on chords outside the home keys on C/G and G/D Anglo and got enough to keep me busy for years. 'Out to Mars' was the comment in the programme And then there's singing at the same time too! We only had time to go into F, E, Bb , Dmin and Amin but that was enough for an old brain.

 

Another nice session was with Iris Bishop and Martin Wyndham-Reed on Australian Bush Tunes. Nice laid back tunes they picked up on a recent tour. Derived form the older British and Irish tradition. She was on a Maccann Duet and I got my hands on one to try out at the Barleycorn stall, maybe another lifetime's project if time doesn't run out.

 

Chris Sherburn and friends ran a full pelt session of Irish tunes in The Fishermen's Rowing Club bar, his 4 fold bellows C/G Anglo cuts through impressively and his control and ornamentataion is very impressive

 

I also had a chance to chat to players with various sized and keyed concertinas by various makers and had a few demonstrations of tunes and techniques.

 

Already booked accomodation for next year!

Edited August 29, 2009 by michael sam wild

[Spectacled Warbler]

Just back from Whitby Folk Week and full of it!

 

Mostly a chance to catch up with old friends and make new aquaintances and play in a whole range of pub sessions and get a lot of new tunes and listen to a variety of styles with a wide range of instruments being played. A lot of youngsters around too.

 

and got enough to keep me busy for years.

 

Same here! Had a fantastic time, took part in some absolutely exhilarating pub sessions, made welcome everywhere despite being a novice.

 

The hills made me fitter, the weather blessed us, very little rain, plenty of sun and warm throughout.

 

Came back inspired and full of enthusiasm as usual, now have about 100 tunes to learn before next year.....

 

Joy