Although I had exchanged a few emails with her I never actually met Patti Pritt, but I was very sorry to hear of her passing a little over a week ago because I had been told what a lovely person she was and folk clubs can ill afford to lose people with her dedication. That dedication to St Neots Folk Club lasted for over 40 years and the Club Committee has put out a message which you can read HERE. I would also like to pay tribute to Patti by observing that it is people like her who have kept the tradition of folk music alive with their dedication in providing an essential platform and outlet without which it could not possibly survive. I send my sincere condolences to Patti’s family and friends at St Neots folk club.
At this time of year many folk clubs in this part of the world and probably across the country are closing down for the month of August but there are still a few things going on this month which should be of interest to the folk enthusiast.
Starting next Friday 21st July, The Stables at Milton Keynes is hosting a week long series of FREE ‘Sessions’ featuring some well-known musicians around this region including Lizzy Hardingham, Elizabeth and Jameson, Daria Kulesh, and Smith and Brewer. You can find all the details in the Unicorn Diary which has just been updated until the end of the year on the main Unicorn Folk website. Amongst the remaining folk club sessions this month I would recommend Linda Moylan at Baldock Folk Club and Ellie Walker at Ely Folk Club, both on Wednesday 19th (you must choose!) and the John Ward Trio at Watford Folk Club on Friday 21st having seen all of them perform recently, and I will add to that Causton & Walker at the Four Rivers Folk Club in Hertford on Wednesday 26th as any session that Bryan and Penni are involved in is worth attending. Cambridge and Black Fen Folk Clubs are also hosting a joint Folk Day at Cambridge Museum of Technology on Saturday 22nd July.
Some news now of a 180-mile sponsored walk this summer to raise money for the charity Help Musicians. Matthew Bannister the host of the multi-award-winning Folk on Foot podcast, will start his trek at the Wickham Festival in Hampshire on Friday, August 4 and finish two weeks later at the FolkEast Festival in Suffolk which runs from August 18-20. He will be joined along the way by many well-known musicians who will perform and help raise money for the Help Musicians charity. You can find all the details in a downloadable pdf with links to all the venues HERE.
If you love folk music (presumably why you are reading this blog) have time to spare on a Sunday evening or just want some entertainment whilst you are cooking dinner then you could do worse than listen to Filby’s Folk at 7pm on Royston Radio. Listen HERE or catch up on the podcasts for Filby’s Folk if you miss them on a Sunday.
Finally, if you miss the folk clubs during August then there are lots of festivals taking place around the UK, which can of course be found in the Festival Finder in the Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website.
Unicorn Folk News 