The morris sides are brushing up their dances ready for the long summer season. Clubs and Folk Nights are filling up as Covid recedes, it appears. More one-off events are being planned, like 2nd Time Around entertaining at the Lord Louis Library this month and a concert by Slainte Va at the Mountbatten Centre early in April.
Slainte Va
The omicron wave did result in one or two postponements so there is more to look forward to later on. Quay Arts put back the Cara Dillon date to April 30th and Outside Track to 29th June and they are bringing Rachel McShane and the Cartographers over for a return visit.
If comedy is your bag, don’t miss Steve Love’s Island Songs as you sip your morning coffee at Monkton Arts Cafe, Ryde. Steve performed there fortnightly last year and it looks like his ‘world tour’ is back on again.
See Events for details of all these happenings and many more.
Folkonwight wishes you all a happy and music-filled New Year!
Boxing Day at Arreton Barns was quieter than usual but there was plenty of dancing
Quiet start
Not surprisingly, recent uncertainty means fewer gatherings at the start of 2022, but there are plans under discussion for possible new clubs and folk nights later in the year……
Or perhaps not so quiet
Meanwhile, there are two major events at Quay Arts Centre to look forward to. Vibrant five-piece band The Outside Track visit on Friday 28th January. The Outside Track’s blend of Canadian, Scottish and Irish music and song has brought them an enthusiastic following. Expect an energy-packed mix of fiddle, accordion, harp, guitar and flute plus step dance and vocals delivered by virtuoso musicians. Not to be missed! https://www.quayarts.org/event/the-outside-track-2/
On Friday February 25th, Peter Knight and John Spires, two of the most gifted musicians on their chosen instruments, the violin and the melodeon. Together they create inspirational performances based on musical folk traditions, particularly the rich heritage of dance tunes. This will be a night to remember, well worth spending your Christmas present money on! https://www.quayarts.org/event/peter-knight-and-john-spiers/
Christmas went ahead
Tony Nicol in the ‘Christmas Boys’ Mummers Play at Arreton Barns, Boxing Day
Here are a couple of highlights…….
The Festive FolkiesMorris dancer Dilys at Arreton Barns, Boxing Day Men of Wight, Boxing Day, Arreton Barns
November is looking good. Peter Knight, formerly of Steeleeye Span and a superb fiddle player, is due to bring his trio, Gigspanner, to perform at Quay Arts Centre on Wednesday 3rd. The bargain ticket price is only £16. Also coming up this month – The Watch and Rug Band at Monkton Arts, the annual Playford Ball, Irish-themed songs and poetry in Ryde, ‘Classical meets Folk’ in Ventnor and a fundraiser for the Foodbank. See Events for details and links.
The Playford Ball
Helping a good cause
A fantastic result from a fantastic weekend. The organising committee of The Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties Weekend presented a cheque for £3000 to Needles Coastwatch Institute. The money was collected through car parking fees and donations. Also after much in-depth discussion, the date has been announced for 2022. Next May, the green at Yarmouth will resound with shanties and forebitters between 27th and 29th May, 2022.
Slainte Va at the Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties Festival
Good news
The Quay Folk Club Cabal met recently to discuss the feasibility of occasionally bringing over a top-quality band or performer from the Big Island. Watch out for announcements…..
It was very sad news to hear that Caroline Giles died recently, in mid September. Caroline was an accomplished musician who joined in at play along sessions on a variety of instruments, guitar, violin, banjo and, most frequently, flute, recorder and whistle. In the 90s, Caroline played in the local band ‘Well Oiled’. She regularly visited the Dairyman’s Daughter Folk Night and her tunes were always a highlight of the evening.
Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties, 2021
The ever-popular Brighstone Barnacles produced a humdinger of a set at Yarmouth
Here are some random comments from enthusiastic audience members at the Yarmouth shanty festival. “The best so far”, “When is the next one?”, “That was a really enjoyable weekend”, “Very well organised”, ” Amazing quality of musicianship”, “We are so glad we came along”.
Coppersmith rocking Yarmouth
Great Expectations
There has been so much interest about the future of the Tuesday weekly folk night at the Dairyman’s Daughter. Unfortunately, it is unable to restart at the moment. Keep watching for announcements, as soon as a date is set it will appear in Events and the Clubs etc. page.
Following the success of a one-off Cajun jam session at the Porter Club last month, there are hopes of a monthly Irish jam session at the same location. A meeting has taken place between a potential session leader and the club secretary. Watch out for further announcements.
Meanwhile, rumours are coming out of West Wight. The possibility is being explored of a new folk night at Dimbola. The previous folk night was very successful, full to capacity and more for a number of years. Perhaps there may be pent-up demand for a singaround with a guest spot.
Eremue Folk, Yarmouth locals
Andy Jackson Variety Concerts
So, after a year’s delay (side effect of Covid) and many, many changes of name, Ruth Lockyer’s series of concerts in aid of The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal for the Isle of Wight’s homeless will finally go ahead. The first concert is in Wellow on Saturday 2nd October, followed by Shalfleet at the end of the month, Ryde in November and finally the usual annual concert in Newport in December.
With the return of live music, most music Zoom sessions are closing down, but Open Mic Monday on Zoom is continuing as a permanent feature of the Island’s music calendar.
It is hosted from the Isle of Wight by Steve Love, pictured above with his latest CD all ready for launch. Steve’s Open Mic zoom welcomes all kinds of music, poetry and other performance, as well as watchers. Most of the participants are from the Island, but there are some from the North Island and around the world. Steve has decided to keep it going because he has noticed that a number of the participants like music but for medical or domestic reasons can’t go out to pub events, with or without a lockdown – while others (like himself) just have to have their extra fix of music every week.
The format will be familiar to Isolation Row and folk club participants – the host ‘goes round the room’ to give everyone a song/spot, then goes round again if there is time or if not draws names from a hat.
Open Mic Monday takes place every Monday from 8pm till 10.15pm on Zoom , Anyone is welcome, either regularly or as a drop-in, or bring-a-friend, to perform or watch. The links are all on the folkonwight Events page.
Zooming into the past
There have been 61 Isolation Row zoom sessions, run by John Hacker or, very occasionally, by John Bentley. These have now come to and end, but the Monday Open Mic zoom is continuing, see above. John Hacker’s contribution to the lockdown folk music scene has been immense. Apart from the regular committment of the zooms, he produced three days’ worth of festival and several Quay Folk Clubs too. What a star!
John Hacker, complete with halo!
Just a few
Some folk clubs have been able to restart whereas others are still waiting. The problem is space, of course. Those with suitable outdoor areas or a good sized indoor room are now up and running. All eyes are fixed on June 21st! Meanwhile, the morris sides are getting organized again. Men of Wight met in (almost) secret to dance in the May. Bloodstone Border Morris are about to resume their practice nights and Moonshine assembled outdoors for a dance and catch -up, see below.
Finally, live folk is able to start up again. The Travellers Joy Folk Club is in full swing fortnightly on Thursday afternoons. Their first performance resulted in a splash by the County Press, valuable publicity for the Island’s folk scene. Evenings in a marquee at the Waverley have started up. Folk at the Porter Club is planned to re-start on 10th June, with a possible earlier date at the end of May. Exciting news is expected soon about the Chillerton Folk Night, too.
On the gig scene, Second Time Around already have a number of dates listed on the Events page and Andy Roberts is offering live music plus refreshments most Saturdays in Freshwater (see Clubs etc.)
Second Time Around
Morris dancing activity may take longer to resume as a spectator sport, but the Men of Wight were rumoured in January to be discussing a possible programme for this summer!
May Day morning at the Longstone before the virus struck
New projects
Paul AT Wilson, a scriptwriter with BBC credits to his name, is starting a mumming and storytelling performance troupe on the Isle of Wight, called, appropriately enough, Wight Mummers.
Now that live outdoor practising is possible again, several new musical collaborations are rumoured in the pipeline…..
Isolation Row, John Hacker’s wonderful brainchild to get us through lockdown, was one year old in March. The Tuesday zoom to celebrate this anniversary featured cake, hats, cuddly toys and, of course, bubbly drinks. All the songs had to be happy and cheerful, much to John Bentley’s disgust. But, Bluebeard soon had his revenge!
On the following week, JB was in charge. Only songs about murder, death and disaster, heartbreak, loss and misery were permitted. By half time, the official death count had reached 209, including a mine disaster (168 men and boys lost), a massacre (30 McDonalds chopped up) plus an unspecified number of lambs and goldfish gone west, five broken hearted lovers, one flat broke feller who had to leave town and one singer claiming to be killed thoftly with a thong. John Bentley was in seventh heaven!
Andy Roberts at Quay Arts
New Releases
Andy Roberts’ album of thirteen of his folk club favourites, ‘The Rowan Tree’, will finally be released on 10 April 2021. The songs Andy writes are always interesting and melodic. This album has been enhanced by collaborations with other local musicians. A bookable online concert to celebrate the launch takes place on Saturday 10th April from 18.00 to 19.30. Album details: The Rowan Tree | Facebook To order tickets for the concert, £3, click here: https://andyroberts.bandcamp.com/merch/album-release-livestream
Vincent Scriver (far left) on stage with the Festive Folkies
Meanwhile, Vincent Scriver (of Double Hitch and Festive Folkies fame) has a new solo venture, called Eagre. His reflective instrumental release ‘Parting/Sweet Sorrow’ is free to stream and just £1 to download for keeping. eagre.bandcamp.com
Pubs Open
The Traveller’s Joy Folk Club is scheduled to meet in the pub garden on Thursday 15th April at 2pm.
A new cross-Solent folk night dedicated to sea-related songs is currently in the process of being launched. The plan is to meet alternately in Yarmouth and Lymington a short haul away from the ferry terminals. As casting off is impossible at the moment, there will be Zoom meetings, (probably fortnightly) to get everyone on deck.
The first Zoom cruise, earlier this week, was well-crewed with plenty of lusty sea shanties and a good range of forebitters and landlubber ditties. The voyage was a harmonious one. The captain, Steve West of Lymington, was most welcoming to all the sailors, whether singing or listening.
Exciting News 2
Planning is well underway for the Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties Festival 2021. The original date in June is impossible, of course, but a new date has been earmarked. Provisionally, the festival will now take place from Friday 3rd September to Sunday 5th September 2021 in Yarmouth, so pencil it in your diary.
Ace sound man, Mike Butler
While we wait
Those wonderful organisers, John Hacker, John Bentley and Mike Butler, are giving us another Quay Folk Club on Sunday 28th February at 7.30, (which is why this post is appearing a little earlier than usual). Guests are regular Zoom visitors, Steve and June Wigley from Derbyshire, plus our very own Keith Newnham. An enormous amount of work is involved in such a production and the team have put together quite a few club evenings since the virus took hold, as well as the Isolation Row Folk Festival. Watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZu8dbWsZ9Q or Facebook www.facebook.com/supportquayarts/posts/257849495917347 Club funds have been depleted in order to support Quay Arts through lockdowns, so contributions to boost the club’s coffers should be made to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/quayfolkclub
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