UK Events - December '97 / January '98
Festival news
Having sent the old desert boots down to the cobblers for a quick resole having tramped the hills and highways of this years festival route march, advance news is already starting to filter through of plans for '98.
Early birds Cheltenham Folk Festival kick the year off in style with a guest list that includes Anam, Alan Burke, Tom McConville & Pauline Cato, Pete Coe and Brian Peters & Gordon Tyrall. Taking place between the 6-8th of February, the festival will get you into your stride for another year of non-stop sessions, dance and top flight concerts.
For more details, call 01242 227979. Book before the 1st of Feb and save yourself a fiver!
For those of you looking to finish up unused holiday entitlement what better way than to head off to the manorial grounds of Kinnersley Castle in Herefordshire for their winter festival. Nine days of traditional music and dance. Although there is a definite continental twist - excuse the pun - to the proceedings there is a pretty relaxed anything goes atmosphere. So if you like bagpipes, melodeons, accordions, fiddles and you know your Bourse from your Bossa Nova then this is the place to be between 13th-22nd of February. The Great Hall has a wonderful dance floor and leading you through it will be John Kirkpatrick, Squip!, Stephane Delicq, Turning the Red, Finality Jack, The Beach Persons, The Eel Grinders, Allan Moller & Chris Knowles and The Tango Band. Sessions, workshops, concerts and dance!
Want to know more? Call John Leopold on 01743 718145
Meanwhile reliable sources inform me that the 44th Sidmouth International Festival of Folk Arts has already got a list as long as your arm of top notch artists to wow you with - including Oysterband, Dervish, The Kathryn Tickell Band, The Poozies, Edward II, Kate Rusby, The Flatville Aces, Ira Bernstein ( a one man dance phenomenon, believe me!), and Daily Planet. Expect more top names as the weeks unfold! So set sail for Sidmouth, which runs from the 31st of July - 7th August. There is the usual 'early bird' booking offer.
Call the booking office on 01296 433669 for more details - then whizz off and get your new designer swimming cossie!
Want to give your fest a bit of a boost? Send details - dates, headliners, contact numbers, etc. - through to Sean Laffey and I'll make sure you get a mention in the diary.
Patrick Street
Whoopee - it's out in time for Christmas. Made in Cork, the boys sixth album, has just landed with a satisfying thump on the welcome mat. The usual collection of real belters played with grace and style - polkas, jigs, reels, hornpipes, songs.... ah you know the stuff!
.....and speaking of Patrick Street....
Andy Irvine will pick up where he left off on his current UK tour at the end of the boys' tour.
just one more reason to go and see him! Andy has recently produced what he calls his 'gig' CD. A collection of some of his finest tracks, recorded essentially 'live' in the studio, it is only available from him at his solo concerts. Get the full story in February's forthcoming issue which features an interview with the man himself.
Natalie MacMaster
This month's feature on Richard Wood makes reference to wonderfully talented Cape Breton fiddler. Find out what she's like in the flesh when she arrives on these shores in January for a UK tour.
What's more, you could buy her video on Cape Breton techniques (Greentrax TRAXV 2002) for Christmas and busk along! More details on the tour from Adastra on 01377 217662.
By hook or by crook!
The old spell checker let me down last month when Scottish band Deaf Shepherd appeared on these pages spelt in a manner that more closely resembled their unrelated but similarly pronounced heavy metal counterparts Def Leppard. Apologies for any confusion caused. Bet it made for an interesting ceilidh though!
