From: Vic & Tina Smith [tinvic_at_globalnet_dot_co_dot_uk]
Sent: 04 April 2006 14:29
Subject: Seven Items of Folk Music News from Sussex


1] FOLK AT THE ROYAL OAK, LEWES EAST SUSSEX.
Thursdays at 8.00 pm
Contact tinvic_at_globalnet_dot_co_dot_uk or 01273 478124 Website www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic Our programme for April and May 2006 is as follows:-

Apl 6th * £4.00 * KEVIN BARBER & MARK TAYLOR Two popular regular visitors who will present their tight arrangements of varied Americana. Fine singers and multi-instrumentalists. Apl 13th * £5.00 * ANDY IRVINE
A truly outstanding singer and a great and fascinating performer of his own and traditional songs. Apl 20th * £5.00 * THE COPPER FAMILY
The first family of English traditional song are great favourites at the Royal Oak and their regular visits are a delight. Apl 27th * £4.00 * JIMMY CROWLEY
The bard from Cork. Jimmy is a great wizard with his song words written about a great range of subjects May 4th * £4.00 * ZOOX A very fine trio consisting of Becky Menday, Jo May and Linda Game. Fiddle, percussion and a variety of wind instruments. May 11th * £5.00 * NANCY KERR & JAMES FAGAN Nancy and James have risen quickly to the top of the folk scene with their high energy, great instrumental playing and superb singing May 18th * £4.00 * CHRIS BARTRAM & REES WESSON The first visit by this great duo from Shropshire. English tunes on the melodeon from Rees and percussion and songs from Chris May 25th * £5.00 * SARA GREY & KIERON MEANS Two of the finest performers on the folk scene just happen to be mother and son. Great individually, together they are unmissable. June 1st * £5.00 * BAYOU SECO
Ken and Jeanie, on tour from New Mexico, are the finest exponents of the traditional music and song of the southern USA that you are ever likely to hear Other guests in 2006 will include:- June 22nd ED RENNIE & JACKIE OATES June 29th JIM BAINBRIDGE July 6th ADRIAN MAY Sept 7th JEFF DAVIS Sept 14th JEFF WARNER Sept 28th STANLEY ROBERTSON Our website is at www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic Those of you with listings/ gig guides etc. are asked kindly to include these dates amongst them. ***********
2] SUSSEX FOLK GUIDE WEBSITE - UPDATED
For all the listings of folk music, song club, dances, festivals in and around Sussex, have a look at whatson.brighton.co.uk/folk This site all always kept updated with the latest events and those currently listed cover the month of April 2006 **********
3] THE FOLK DIARY
Most of the listings on the Sussex Folk Guide website are taken from the paper magazine, THE FOLK DIARY Issue no 218 covers the months of April and May and this is now available. It is packed with adverts for various folk festivals, folk music record companies, specialist shops, instrument makers and other services as well as details of all the folk song and dance events in our area. To obtain copies of this free magazine as it is published, please send A4 SAE's to Vic Smith at the address below. It is also the address to send album review copies to. The copy date for the February/March issue has just passed. The copy date for the June/July issue will be April 29th. Potential advertisers are also asked to contact Vic for a statement of our advertising rates. **********
4] THE FOLK DIARY ON LINE
THE FOLK DIARY is now available on-line. For some years now, all the listings which THE FOLK DIARY gives has been given in date order on THE SUSSEX FOLK GUIDE WEBSITE but now, the entire magazine is available on-line; go to the website for the FOLK AT THE ROYAL OAK, LEWES www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic and then click on the "Folk Diary" symbol.
You will need Adobe ACROBAT READER to read the pages and, frankly, unless you are on broadband, the page will take too long to download. The size of each page is given by each page link and the content of each page is indicated. Issue no 218 (April/May 2006) is the issue that are currently on-line. The web counter shows that it is a service that is already being widely used. **********
5] MULTI-MEDIA SHOWS.
The various multimedia shows that we have been involved in have grown enormously in popularity over this year and they have been seen at leading festivals such as Sidmouth, Whitby, Fylde, Festival At the Edge, Tenterden and Bradfield - mostly with more than one of the shows being presented during the festival. The titles of the shows are as follows:- A) SHIRLEY COLLINS PRESENTS "AMERICA OVER THE WATER"
B) SHIRLEY COLLINS PRESENTS "A MOST SUNSHINY DAY"
C) BOB LEWIS PRESENTS "SONGS WE USED TO SING"
D) JOHNNY DOUGHTY
E) GORDON HALL
F) BOB COPPER
G) SHIRLEY COLLINS - "I'M A ROMANY RAI" - ENGLISH GYPSIES & THEIR SONGS AND MUSIC The most frequently requested show has been the one associated with Shirley' s book, "America Over The Water" which has been performed extensively in folk and storytelling festivals, folk clubs, bookshops, literary festivals and general Arts Festivals. With the publication of a paperback edition in 2006, and the strong possibility of an Arts Council supported tour to support it, the show is likely to be in great demand again next year, so act quickly if you want to secure a date for your event. Details on the seven shows on offer can be seen on the web at www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic/shows.htm Anyone interested in more details of these shows or of booking one for their own event should contact Tina at 01273 478124 or email her at tina_at_twistle_dot_freeserve_dot_co_dot_uk ********
6] INSTRUMENTAL & VOCAL WORKSHOPS IN LEWES The Saturday daytime instrumental workshops in Lewes organised by Valmai Goodyear - valmaigoodyear_at_aol_dot_com (01273) 476757 - continue to attract increasing support.. The news of these is as follows: -
GAVIN BIRD: MELODEON WORKSHOP, LEWES ARMS, SATURDAY 3RD. JUNE, £15 (replacing Gina Le Faux's advertised fiddle workshop) Gavin graduated from the University of Newcastle's first folk music degree course last year. He is an excellent melodeon player and singer. One of the topics workshop will cover is ways of applying unusual chords and progressions to tunes. Gavin performs at the Lewes Arms Folk Club in the evening (£4). THE PROGRAMME OF WORKSHOPS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR IS:- Martin Carthy - Guitar & song, 10th. June Sandra Kerr - Concertinas & song, 8th. July John Kirkpatrick - Anglo concertina, 16th. September Nancy Kerr - Fiddle, 7th. October James Fagan - Bouzouki & cittern, 7th. October Concertinas - tutor to be confirmed - 28th. October (a.m.) Dave Townsend & Phil Humphries - West Gallery Carols, Saturday 18th. November
Dave Townsend - Sacred Harp, Sunday 19th. November Phil Humphries - Early Music for Folk Musicians, Sunday 19th. November Brian Peters - Melodeon, 2nd. December Gordon Tyrrall - Whistle & Flute, 2nd. December
Workshops last a full Saturday and the tutor performs at the club in the evening. Booking forms are available from the club and can be printed from the website. 7] MICHAEL BLANN - "SHEPHERD OF THE DOWNS"
Former Sussex resident (and fine singer) Colin Andrews, now living in Devon, has been in touch - Hi Vic, I'm currently undertaking the revision of Shepherd of the Downs, my book of the life & songs of Michael Blann. The intention is that Forest Tracks will publish the book with accompanying CD sometime this summer.
I've had quite a lot of new information, particularly about the songs, since the 2nd edition some twenty years ago. Gordon Hall was particularly helpful. There are still a couple of songs from the Blann notebook about which I have as yet no other positive information. These are 'A Hundred Years Ago' the hare hunting song of the Brookside Harriers which passed into the mastership of the Beard Family of Lewes back in the mid 19th century or earlier. First line is 'I will sing to you a good old song that you may not all know'. Also 'Live and Let Live' which may have been submitted as a competition entry to the West Sussex Gazette c.1904. I wonder if you could mention Michael Blann & these songs in your circular and ask for any information. You can put my email or phone 01363 877216. Cheers,
Colin Andrews
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AND A NUMBER OF OUR GAMBIAN INTERESTS HAVE NOW BEEN GATHERED TOGETHER UNDER THE NEW WEBSITE
**COMPOUND SOUNDS***
Have a look at it at www.compoundsounds.com This includes the work that we are doing to help to set up a new music school in Brikama, teaching kora, balafon, djembe and jali singing to European tourists to The Gambia. Some of the details of this appear in the article on the balafon player Suntou Kouyate written by Vic which appears in the December issue of "fRoots" magazine. We arrived back from The Gambia at the weekend with over 200 of the lovely batiks made by Buba Drammeh to sell through this site and as we photograph and catalogue these they will be available of this website at www.compoundsounds.com/batiks.html Tina has written a lavishly-illustrated article on Buba which appears in issue no. 40 of "Fabrications" magazine. The Compound Sounds website can now accept payment for batiks and for the two albums by the kora maestro Jali Sherrifo Konteh by Paypal and most major credit cards.

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...And if you are ever looking for a good barn dance band, look no further than THE SUSSEX PISTOLS - though you should get in quickly - available dates for 2006 are being snapped up quickly. It is the busiest year that we have had for quite a few years. Contact Tina on 01273 478124 or email her at tina_at_twistle_dot_freeserve_dot_co_dot_uk The band's website is at www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic/pistols.htm VIC & TINA SMITH

Vic Smith
26 Ferrers Road
LEWES
East Sussex
BN7 1PZ
England

Tel & Fax:- 01273 478124
Email:-
tinvic_at_globalnet_dot_co_dot_uk
folk_at_brighton_dot_co_dot_uk

ROYAL OAK WEBSITE:-
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic

SUSSEX FOLK GUIDE WEBSITE:-
whatson.brighton.co.uk/folk

SUSSEX PISTOLS BARN DANCE BAND WEBSITE:- www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic/pistols.htm
COMPOUND SOUNDS WEBSITE
www.compoundsounds.com
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