May Day Celebrations

One of the reasons why I am no longer a Morris Dancer, and there are many, is that I don’t like getting up at the crack of dawn, so well done to all those hardy souls who managed to celebrate May Day as the sun rose earlier today.

Amongst the more interesting locations for May Day dawn dancing, though not necessarily at dawn, are The E.H. Shepard & A.A. Milne Memorial where you might have found Ashdown Forest Morris Men; Glastonbury Tor where Cam Valley Morris Men conduct their Beltane Celebrations, and Felixstowe Beacon where East Suffolk Morris Men perform. I believe the Abbots Bromley Horn Dancers can occasionally be found dancing in their village at an early hour on May Day though it usually takes place on Wakes Monday, the day following the first Sunday after 4 September. However, my admiration is reserved for Southport Swords who “.. due to old age, infirmity & apathy..” will not be dancing at dawn but will be out & about celebrating May Day from 12 noon and proceeding around a variety of public houses including the usual haunts! Perhaps I should join them!

Now perhaps is a good time to remind all EFDSS or Morris sides that Unicorn Folk would be happy to list their summer programmes or other activities free of charge in the Dance Diary in The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website. This is provided simply to do what little Unicorn Folk can to keep these old traditions going. Do take advantage if you can and send your details to info@unicornfolk.uk ideally using the Word form which makes it a lot easier to collate than just plain text in an email.

Well, the good news for this month is that Royston Live made a successful debut at The Plough in Shepreth on Thursday 25^th April thanks in no small part to Chris Fox who sounds better than ever and the John Ward Trio who performedwith their usual accomplished gusto. The stage and seating in the venue worked very well and hopefully this will be the scene of many future concerts.

May is also the start of the Folk Festival season in earnest with a few festivals kicking off this coming bank holiday weekend mainly starting on Friday 3^rd. Yorkshire, Worcestershire and the West Country are particularly well served this weekend but you can find a full updated list of all 90+ of the folk festivals going on in England between now and the end of October in the Festival Finder in The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website. The Festival Finder contains newly-tested links to all the festivals listed and using them you can find all the details of who and what’s on, where and when.

I hope you celebrated St George’s Day by listening to the repeat of ‘Filby’s Folk’ recently on Tuesday 23^rd April. The shows can normally be heard at 6pm on Sunday evenings on  Royston Radio with a repeat at 1pm on Tuesdays. If you did listen you will have realised that the St George’s Day show featured only English folk artists whereas the show normally features a wide range of folk music including traditional, acoustic, Celtic, European, Breton, Indie folk, and of course folk rock, from the 60s right up to the present day and often features new releases and music from the latest UK Folk Album Charts. If you like the sound of any of that then please give it a listen and I would also be very grateful if you would spread the word about ‘Filby’s Folk’ and Unicorn Folk. Thank you!

Folk in February

This seems a strange time of the year with such mild weather in February, in the South-East at least, and perhaps that’s why life seems unusually busy again though if I start repeating myself that’s not going to be very entertaining! What should be very entertaining are many of the acts that we have coming to our region over the next week or so.

Tonight, Tuesday 20^th I’m off to see Bird In The Belly in concert at St Neots Folk Club a band that I have wanted to see ever since I wrote the review of their CD ‘After The City’ for Unicorn Folk which you can read HERE along with lots of other reviews. Then, on Friday 23^rd Royston Live have their first Singers and Players Night since the new organisers of Bryan Causton, Penni Maclaren-Walker, Guido Rincón & Jeremy Harmer took over. (Hopefully, one or two of the hosts might provide a song or two!) On the same night, The Stables, Milton Keynes have Maddie Morris and Watford Folk Club have Hamish Currie as guest artists and Cambridge Folk Club have Nick Barraclough and friends.

On Sunday 25th February Hitchin Folk Club have Miranda Sykes & Hannah Martin as guests and again on the same day The Stables, Milton Keynes have Seth Lakeman on the Kitty Jay Tour. On Wednesday 28th Baldock Folk Club have North Sea Gas + Orphean Sprig and Four Rivers Folk Club in Hertford have Kate Ellis and finally on Thursday 29^th the Acoustic Club, Bishop’s Stortford have one of their 6 Acts 4 Songs nights with Colin Frid, Mike Excel, Melanie Quinn, Cider at Yours, Paul Booth + Si + Verna, and Ali Cossor.

A little further ahead and St Andrews Church in Hertford have Martin Simpson in concert on Thursday 14^th March. Their concerts seem to sell out quickly these days, probably because of the high quality of their performers so, should you be interested, I advise that you enquire quickly about tickets. Details with links can be found on the main Unicorn Folk website amongst the posters in the Featured Festivals & Concerts section.

I have recently become aware of the work of The East Anglian Traditional Music Trust, a registered charity which is based in Stowmarket, having been approached by them to help with publicity for their Traditional Music Day on Saturday 21^st September 2024.

As the Trust’s website says, East Anglia has a rich seam of traditional folk music, and has provided inspiration for composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, and been the subject of many recordings, books and articles. You can find information about their current projects, and how to get involved, including workshops and evening classes, community projects, research and publications on their website https://www.eatmt.org.uk/ and you can contact them at: info@eatmt.org.uk or ring 07495 054669.

In connection with the above and as regular readers of this blog will know I’m keen on keeping alive the old dance traditions, so I won’t apologise for another mention of the Dance Diary in The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website. This provides a FREE listing of events for all EFDSS or Morris sides to allow them to publicise their activities.  Do take advantage if you can and send your details to info@unicornfolk.uk ideally using the either Word or Excel forms (still labelled 2023 but fine to use) which makes it a lot easier to collate than just plain text in an email.

The new releases are starting to come out this year and I have a few to review now, more of which in the next blog but in the meantime keep your eyes on the CD Review page HERE. I have already started playing tracks from new albums in ‘Filby’s Folk’at 6pm on Sunday evenings on  Royston Radio with a repeat at 1pm Tuesdays. The show features a wide range of folk music including traditional, acoustic, Celtic, European, Breton, Indie and folk rock. I usually include a reminder or two about ‘What’s On’ in the way of folk concerts in the week or so following broadcast so do give it a listen and if you like it spread the word please. Thank you!

Where did January go?

As I said in the last blog, life seems very busy at the moment and before we know it we will be Into February and beyond. In the meantime, there are lots of good things coming up, (and that’s leaving aside the Six Nations rugby!) in the form of several concerts in our locality, starting with another reminder about Royston Live on Friday 26^th January featuring The Bounty Hounds and with the new management team of Bryan Causton, Penni Maclaren-Walker, Guido Rincón & Jeremy Harmer providing support.

You will have to be quick to catch the Burns Night celebration at the Four Rivers Folk Club in Hertford tonight but they also have a Ronnie Lane Night going on tomorrow Friday 26^th January and now all their club nights can be found as an entry in the Unicorn Diary which is one of The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website. The same is also now true of the Acoustic Club Bishop’s Stortford following the publication of its programme concerts, mostly at the new venue the South Mill Arts Centre. Their next concert night is a ‘6 Acts 4 Songs’ evening on Thursday 1^st February.

Next Wednesday 31^st January Baldock Folk Club features Elizabeth & Jameson with support from Adam Cooney and the following Wednesday 7th February there is another great night folk lined up for the audience at  St Andrew’s Church in Hertford featuring the Sharon Shannon Trio details of which can be found on the main Unicorn Folk website where it is a featured concert, but you’ll need to hurry as it is almost sold out! If that’s the case, then perhaps you should try for the night before that, Tuesday 6^th February, when Fairport Convention open their Wintour 2024 at the Stables, Milton Keynes. You can read a review of their Harpenden concert from Wintour 2023 on the Unicorn Folk website HERE.

I was saddened to see the news that Standon Morris are officially calling it a day and winding down. This decision was reached unanimously at their most recent AGM in September of last year following many years of struggle to recruit new dancers from the local area, despite repeated campaigns. They are now in the process of creating a consolidated archive which will hold photos, videos, newspaper cuttings and other bits and pieces from over the years. Select media from their archive will be posted to their Facebook page and they warmly welcome any media, footage, information, anecdotes or tales of the side that former members or followers are happy to share.

Amongst the responses to the post by Standon Morris was one by Trevor Jenkins who posted a copy of the front page of ‘The Times’ from Monday 27^th June 1977. This showed Standon Morris dancing in the Winster Processional as part of the 1977 Morris Ring meeting in Thaxted over the weekend just ended. I was reminded on seeing the photo that I was at that Ring Meeting, my first, as a dancer with Bath City Morris. We were led by Tubby Reynolds & Roy Dommett and missed out on the front page of The Times by only about 50 yards! Sadly, the Bath City Morris ‘university’ side has also been defunct for many years. We used to have an archive on a website somewhere and if anyone who is reading this has any connections with Bath City Morris as was, or knows someone who does, I would be interested in putting up another commemorative website for that side. Please get in touch using info@unicornfolk.uk.

Whilst genuinely saddened at the demise of any group keeping alive the old dance traditions, all the above is also an excuse to mention again the Dance Diary in The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website which provides a FREE listing of events for all EFDSS or Morris sides to allow them to publicise their activities.  This is provided simply to do what little Unicorn Folk can to keep these old traditions going. Do take advantage if you can and send your details to info@unicornfolk.uk ideally using the either Word or Excel forms (still labelled 2023 but fine to use) which makes it a lot easier to collate than just plain text in an email.

Finally, if you enjoy listening to folk music, try ‘Filby’s Folk’ at 6pm on Sunday evenings on  Royston Radio with a repeat at 1pm Tuesdays. The beauty of radio is that you can listen and do other things, such as cook, at the same time! The show features a wide range of folk music including traditional, acoustic, Celtic, European, Breton, Indie and folk rock (or ‘Frock’ as Fairport apparently now refer to it!) the latter being a particular favourite of mine. Do give it a listen and if you like it spread the word please. Thank you!

Happier New Year

I don’t know about anyone else but where I am usually a bit fed up at this time of the year, post-festive season and with at least a couple of months of cold weather to look forward to, the fact that life seems very busy seems to have mitigated my usual post-festive blues.

Maybe it’s the knowledge that there is lots of good music in store for us soon and to that end there is a new version of the Unicorn Diary in The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website which covers the first three months of events at music venues in the local area in 2024. If your venue is not listed then do be sure to send in details of your events preferably in either Word or Excel format by downloading and completing one of these forms. A plain text list in an email to info@unicornfolk.uk is also fine.

One highlight of the coming month is a concert that is taking place next Thursday 18th January at St Andrew’s Church in Hertford featuring Eliza Carthy. You can find all the details on the on the main Unicorn Folk website where it is a featured concert and also an entry in the Unicorn Diary which is one of The Listings. Some of the clubs listed in the Union Diary have only booked artists for the first month or less but the Unicorn Diary will be updated as soon as we have the details.

I’m also looking forward to the first concert under new management at Royston Live on Friday 26^th January featuring The Bounty Hounds where the new team of Bryan Causton, Penni Maclaren-Walker, Guido Rincón & Jeremy Harmer will hopefully also be providing a few tunes.

Did you know that The Stables, Milton Keynes runs music-based workshops and courses year-round which offer sociable and stimulating opportunities for people to become musicians?Amongst these is the Ceilidh Experience, which is a chance for anyone interested in traditional and folk music to play in a band and play at a ceilidh. The courses run every Sunday from 28 January and you can find more details HERE.

Also part of The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website are the Festival Finder and Gigs & Tours which have both been updated for 2024. Why not see if your favourite band is listed or perhaps even your own band if you are going on tour. Just drop a line to info@unicornfolk.uk if you wish your details to be included and the same goes for anyone organising a festival with at least some ‘folk’ music in it. Links to 100+ festivals are included in the Festival Finder though some, as indicated, don’t yet contain details of their 2024 event. There is also a Dance Diary in The Listings which provides a free listing of events for all EFDSS or Morris sides to publicise their activities, though take up of this service was very disappointing last year. Do take advantage if you can and send your details to info@unicornfolk.uk ideally using the either Word or Excel forms (still labelled 2023 but fine to use) which makes it a lot easier to collate than just plain text in an email.

If you are reading this blog then you probably enjoy listening to folk music, in which case, try listening to  ‘Filby’s Folk’at 6pm on Sunday evenings with a repeat at 1pm Tuesdays. You have missed the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve specials but can always catch up on podcasts, now to be found under ‘Rewind’ on the Royston Radio website around a week after the original broadcasts.

Finally, let me wish you all a very Happy New Year in 2024.

Christmas tidings

It will soon be Christmas and most of the local folk clubs have had their Christmas parties and wound down for the festive season, including Royston Live where we had an excellent evening with a great story from Chris Walls and songs from Mark Gamon who are both stepping back after 10 years organising the club with help from partners Lesley and Becky amongst others. Many thanks to all of them for all their efforts in providing so many enjoyable evenings at the club! The evening was topped off with an appearance from Black Scarr who, as usual, left the audience demanding more before we all departed in a thoroughly festive mood!

There is still some music to catch before the new year though you will have to look sharp! The Bishops Stortford Acoustic Club have their Christmas Party tonight (Thursday 21^st) when they stage their Annual Retune Fundraiser starting at 8.30. They have a double headline with JONO and the Kazans (along with Greg Camburn) as well as 3 supporting players. Retune is a charity that inspires young people to improve their mental wellbeing through creative outlets such as music and the arts and this evening will help them to continue to give their invaluable help to youngsters at difficult times in their lives.

On Friday December 22^nd you can catch the Churchfitters at St Andrew’s Church, Hertford where I’m sure that you will enjoy a wonderful evening. The Churchfitter’s Christmas Cracker is a joyous blend of traditional and original festive songs as well as well-known carols and there are still a very few tickets left which you can purchase using this LINK. Heading North instead, on the same night, Cambridge Folk Club have Christmas Music as part of a Victorian Parlour Evening with The Threebys, David Savage and Hugh Boyde.

If you are still looking for that elusive Christmas present, or perhaps a stocking filler for a luxury stocking, do read my review of A Winter Union’s new album Sooner After Solstice on the main Unicorn Folk website under CD Reviews and you may find the answer. You will be able listen to a track from the album on ‘Filby’s Folk’at 6pm on Christmas Eve when I have a selection of brilliant Christmas Folk songs and again at the same time on New Year’s Eve when I am selecting my best new albums of 2023 and if you are a die hard folk rock fan then you will enjoy my show that went out on Royston Radio on Sunday 17^th December, now on a podcast listed under Filby’s Folk.

Over the next few days I will be updating the details in the Unicorn Diary in The Listings on the main Unicorn Folk website for the next 3 months or so, though some clubs are yet to finalise their programme. In the meantime, it only remains for me to wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year in 2024.