Diary Notes Diary Notes
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Diary Notes as at 22.5.2009 the diary notes have glitched out: this is a rebuild 1st January 2009: Clopton Barn Dance Instep: a great evening 9th January 2009 Hank Wangford Ipswich Manor Ballroom 18th January Midwinter Bluegrass Day The Steamboat Ipswich 24th January 2009: Cynthia Garland 60th Birthday: Inertia Reel 60's night 30th January 2009 Everyman: Rob Harbron & Emma Reid 7th February 2009 Jackie Oates at Sproughton (Bill n Sheila in support 14th February Ceilidh Sproughton Fidget Pie with Dave Hunt 19 - 23 February 2009 ESMM Trip to Malta 27 February 2009 Everyman Folk Club Horse's Brawl 6th March 2009 Big Music Night 16 Bramford Victory HAll 7th March 2009 Ceilidh: Ducking n Diving at Kesgrave School (Bill leading) 14th MArch 2009 Instep Ceilidh Honington Village Hall (St Patrick's night) 21st March 2009 Sproughton Ceilidh Chalktown with Adam Highes 27th March 2009 Everyman: Belshazzar's Feast 18th April 2009 Ceilidh Sproughton Tim of your life with Barry Goodman 23-26th April 2009 Orwell Bluegrass Festival 24th April 2009 Everyman Folk Club: Alison McMorland & Geordie McIntyre 3rd May 2009 Community Day Alexandra Park, Bill n Sheila 4th May 2009 ESMM Earsham & Mendlesham 16th May 2009 Ceilidh Sproughton: English Rebellion with Ian Wilson 17th May 2009 HAdleigh Bluegrass Day. 23rd May 2009: Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting, Andy Seward. Halesworth Cut: a concert of 2 halves, the first half rather sedentary and uninspired for the most part, the second good but not as good as these three should be playing together. High spot for me Martin's completion of the song and tune written by Martin Taylor for his son and a blistering LAkes of Ponchartrain from the playing of the Louisiana Honeydrippers who i shall have to research, (a bluegrass cajun band!). Would have been better with the bull bass, but the neck had snapped so an electric bass guitar sufficed. Andy Cutting woke up tastefully a couple of times during the evening but that aside his expertise was wasted. 25th May 2009: ESMM Wool Towns Tour: I enjoyed Long Melford, 3 stops and Kentwell , I came home but the sides went on to dance at Lavenham and Monks Eleigh. Blackmore Morris also shared the day with us. A short video of Blackmore at Kentwell Hall is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKKd_zqldJw 29th MAy 2009 Everyman Folk Club Emily Portman, Lucy Farrell & Hinny PawseyPawsey: Rubus on holidy so Emily brought Lucy and Hinny for their world premiere! A very good night, all graduates of the Newcastle Folk Degree, so solo bits, group bits and duo bits some of which derive from the course. Girls with a future in store. 30th MAy 2009 Bill at Thaxsted Ring Meeting, 75th Thaxted Ring Meet. Bill was not intending to stay for the feast and the show spot but relented and quite enjoyed the feats in the Church as an experience, (not necessarily to be repeated). East Suffolk had been specifically asked to perform a couple of border dances, (which we usually do at Christmas). I think I should have gone home at that point, I felt that we were one of the low points in what was admittedly a very strong show, but an environment in which we usually excel, not on this occasion, ce la vie. I enjoyed seeing the Bacup Coconut Dancers, and the Great Yorkshire Morris put on some terrific shows during the day and in the set piece, (this was their dancing into the ring). I prticularly enjoyed their Bidford DAnces. Westminster MM were excellent as ever and I hope to be in receipt of the tune for Loveless shortly. 31st May 2009 Fiddle Workshop, Pickerel Stowmarket followed by band practice for Uncle Tom Cobbleigh band for Children's Festival. Michael Feather led a very constructive workshop suitable for all levels, including beginners like me. The practice was fun too, (and a very enjoyable tea followed). 1st June 2009 ESMM Ladies Night: thin on attendance but an enjoyable evening 2nd June 2009 Hadleigh George Bluegrass usual suspects and as usual the post open mic playaround for 20 mins was the best bit! 5th June 2009 Lo Jo IpswIpswichich Carribean Club Peppery Productions : enough said, the legendary band from France. Various instrumentation, wonderful playing and great material except on the occasions when it osunded a bit like a 70's prog rock revival and I felt we'd all been here before, just that the bricks are piled up slightly differently. A great night out though. I may YouTube a couple of the captured songs. Thanks Martin & Hugh. 6th June 2009 The Shee at Sproughton Church Hall: another graduate band from the Newcastle University Folk Music Course, but this band works in a way that the others which we have seen this year strive to. Great music, cohesive arrangements and musical and personal dynamics which lend a positive musical tension to the performance. A great unplugged set from a band which will be gracing festival stages with serious amplification in the future. THis way was good. 9th June 2009: Bluegrass Tattingstone: a good evening, more songs than thrash which was good and a few good tunes with fiddle and melodeon, (Blugrass, yes. Bill Monroe played a melodeon). 12th June 2009 Instep Honington Village Hall: second booking of the year at this venue and a great night playing for the Honington Band Social, Phil PArham calling on excellent form. 13th June 2009: dropped in at SSteamboatteamboat Riverside WeekendWeekend for a short while at lunchtime and watched the dancing. 14th June 2009: as above but as participant with ESMM, and watched Pretty Grim and the Priory Morris for a while. 16th June 2009 Bluegrass Stratford St Mary: the usual supects in good form. All getting excited about Steeple Morden this weekend, we are otherwise engaged playing the Wolsey THeatre so can't complain. 19th June 2009: Technical rehearsal for Wolsey show tomorrow: a real variety show of the old fashioned sort. now we know what it entails easier to see how we fit in. Great fun, bumped into Glenn on drums, (plays with Bernie Holloway), and Tony Coe the MC is a trouper of the old school, a song and dance man and jazz musician. Should be a good day and an interesting experience. 20th June 2009 Summer Variety at Wolsey Theatre in aid of Victim Support once things settled down, we found out what we were doing this all went very well, we played as people came in and waited for showtime, and played during the interval. Caught up with some old friends and made some new ones. A bit disappointed not to be name checked in the programme or publicity given we were asked a couple of years ago to be a part of this, but hey ho, one less souveneir programme to clutter the place up. Received positive feedback. 22nd June 2009: ESMM Orford & BlaxhallBlaxhall: Good to go out with the Morris, 2 good stands. 24th June 2009: Dog & Duck Campsea Ashe a long time since we have been to this session, good music, good friends, a good night. 27th June 2009 ESMM Framlingham SquareSquare: a couple of good stands if a bit thin on the ground 28th June 2009: McGinty's Ipswich: SessionSession; We just popped in for a drink, we hadn't been to this session before so sat in the corner. Faces who are not present at other sessions we attend and some very good playing and singing, a couple of excellent songwriters. 29th June ESMM The Dickie at East End and Tattingstone White Horse: a sunny evening and an excellent turnout. I had recommended the TAttingstone White Horse and it seemd to go well, good beer and a genuine welcome. 30th June 2009 Bluegrass at The Crown CattawadeCattawade: second visit to this venue and we were made very welcome and fed half way through. 3rd July 2009 Martin Taylor & Alison Burns Fleece JAzz Club Stoke By NaylandNayland:::: a superb evening of world class guitar playing and excellent singing from Martin and Alison, reminds me why I remain a parlour player. (Martin has been playing since the age of 8 and gigging professionally since he was 15 so I am doing ok to just be out there on a couple of hours a week!) 4th July 2009: Instep Wedding Thornham Suffolk: an interesting evening at which our blend of barn dance, blues, jazz and all things musical seemed to go down well despite technical glitches with kit and that half the band were in the tent and half out of it, (the tent that is!) Met Debbie Moorre who was part of the catering squad aside from having just graduated in performing arts and being a (past) member of Suffolk Songwriters. If you see this Debbie leave a message in the guestbook.. 7th July 2009 ESMM/Billy's Trust Childrens Festival: We spent the morning at the Spiegeltent in Christchurch Park teaching Morris to about 130 Primary Schoolchildren, and in the afternoon providing a Celidh for about 140 children at Ipswich Corn Exchange. A pretty good show, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ej9sllKGwk for a video of the Circassian Circle which ended the event. The oldies among us were bemoaning the loss of traditional music and song from the general school curriculum and thinking back fondly to 'Singing Together' and 'Music and Movement'. I had the privelige to play for Jenny Everett's children's Rapper Sword Team, and was delighted to renew acquaintance with an old friend from the criminal justice world, now more gainfully employed as a Primary School Head Teacher, (hi Christine).