This is just a few of the events coming up in October. Please look on the ‘Events’ page for many more. Enjoy October.
🎻 Folk & Ale Weekend Returns to The Royal Esplanade Hotel 🍻 📅 October 11th & 12th | 🎶 Free Entry | 🍺 Exclusive Ales
Join us at Harry’s Bar & Brasserie inside the Royal Esplanade Hotel for our much-loved Folk & Ale Weekend, back this October for two days of live music, local talent, and top-notch brews.
🎶 Set List
Saturday, October 11th 1:00 PM – Amy Joliffe 2:15 PM – Richard Nicholson – A Tribute to Johnny Cash 3:45 PM – Purpling Thorns 5:15 PM – Razorjake 6:30 PM – Second Time Around 8:00 PM- Sing Around & Tunes Session (anyone welcome to perform)
Sunday, October 12th 1:00 PM – Sophie Kate (fiddle & guitar duo) 2:15 PM – Greg Barnes Music 3:45 PM – The Watch 5:15 PM – East Cowes Shanty 6:30 PM – The Anywhens 7:30 PM- Sing Around & Tunes Session (anyone welcome to perform)
📍 Harry’s Bar & Brasserie, The Royal Esplanade Hotel
Fri 4 Under the Tree storytelling in Northwood Park for the Biosphere Festival. Tickets
Fri 4 Care in the Garden Music and Food Social 18.00-21.00 with Second Time Around playing. Booking essential Tickets £12.95 eventbrite.com
Sat 5 Folk themed Mardi Gras ‘Our Folktastic Isle’ from 12.00 Ryde. Morris dancing 14.00 at St Thomas’s Square Ryde before procession arrives 15.20 approximately
Tue 22 Carnabys Fringe Folk Day at Carnaby’s Diner, Ventnor from 14.00 until 21.30. with Sea Gels Shanty Band, The Anywhens, Richard Hughes, Steve Love, The Crew, Second Time Around and Razorjake. Free entry but it is advisable to book a table for this event Tel 01983 629551.
Sat 26 2nd Time Around presents ‘Across the Pond’, exploring the origins and development of Appalacian music and wider American music genres. At Ventnor Arts Club for Ventnor Fringe 16.45 start Tickets £11.50 Tickets
This month, we focus on playalong and singaround sessions. There are five Irish sessions this month, two- one relocation and a bonus session – listed below. The rest are listed in Clubs/Sessions/Folk Nights. Add in the revived ‘Irishish’ session at Cowes and a slow session in Ventnor for less experienced players, opportunities for any instrument player to enjoy.
Those who like a good singaround are also spoilt for choice this month. The much-loved Downland Traditional Folk Club re-starts in at The Sun, Calbourne on Tuesday 9th. Wold Zong has temporarily migrated from March, so meets on Sunday 7th as well as Sunday 28th. Clubs/Session/Folk Nights also has details of evening sessions at the Dairyman’s Daughter every Tuesday, The Gallybagger on the last Thursday and afternoons at The Traveller’s Joy. Have fun.
Tue 2 ‘Irishish’ playalong session at Cowes Ale House, 19.30 for 20.00
Wed 3 Irish music monthly playalong session returns to the Woodman’s Arms, 20.30
Sun 7 Wold Zong Singaround at St Pauls Church Hall, Shanklin, 19.00. £2 for hall hire.
Tue 9 Relaunch of the Downland Traditional Folk Club at The Sun, Calbourne, 19.30 Contact: thepoetonline@gmail.com Food available to order on 722711
Tue 16 Jam and Tea @ Trinity. Slow music playalong session for beginners, improvers and anyone who finds other sessions too fast, any instrument. Audience and singalong welcome. 14.00 to 16.00, Holy Trinity Church Hall, Ventnor. Refreshments available. Donation to church welcome.
Fri 26 Irish music playalong session at the Wheatsheaf Inn, Yarmouth , 20.00
Apologies, no pictures today, wordpress has dropped the ‘add’ button!
December Highlights
The annual Christmas Reflections Concert in aid of Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. takes place on Saturday 9th at the Salvation Army Hall, Newport at 7pm. Performers: 2gether in Harmony, Maureen Shaw, Island Storytellers, Maturing Nicely, Sea Gels Shanty Band, Rodney Bean, Ruth Lockyer, Peter Ellis, The Watch. Always a lovely evening
Green & Matthews return to Quay Arts on Wednesday 13th with their Christmas show on Wednesday 13th, A Christmas Carol, with Victorian carols, mid-winter songs and lyrics set to traditional folk and carol tunes. Tickets.
On Saturday 16th, Bloodstone Border Morris dance to celebrate the solstice at Culver Down beacon, 15.45. This will be Bloodstone’s last performance. It is very sad to see the ending of this wonderful morris side, long admired for their vibrant style and showmanship.
Boxing Day has the annual morris dancing followed by a singaround at The Dairyman’s Daughter, Arreton, from noon. Enjoy!
Historically minded folkies might be interested in the book launch of ‘I’m Not Blessed Well Jokin’ an oral history of Bembridge, by Alan Phillips at Bembridge Village Hall on Saturday 9th from 10.00 to noon. The book costs £12 and is based on interviews from the 1970s with local ‘characters’ remembering stories from the 1800s onwards.
Galleybaggers Folk Club will meet at the earlier time of 7pm on December 28th. Guest spots from The Wandering Winkles, John Thorpe plus the usual come-all-ye sing around. Mince pies will be available!!
NOTE: THIS PAGE IS JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS. TO SEE FULL LISTS OF WHAT’S ON, RETURN TO MENU & CLICK ON EVENTS (OR ON CLUBS/SESSIONS/FOLK NIGHTS FOR REGULAR EVENTS).
At the time of writing, there are 15 one-off events listed on the folkonwight Events page, plus the usual clubs, folk nights and playalong sessions, of course.
Highlights
On Sunday 24th September, Ben & Dom, a folk duo and folk choir leaders from London, are running a harmony workshop at 2pm, followed by a concert at 5pm. All this takes place at the Freshwater Memorial Hall, PO40 9UU. There is a link for tickets on the Events page. Looks fun, but is that Ben or Dom?
Fingerpicking guitarist Jon Wilks is visiting Quay Arts Centre, Newport on Friday 29th. Jon specialises in traditional songs and ballads. A link for tickets is on the Events page.
Sun 17 Quay Folk Club at Quay Arts Centre, Newport, 19.00. Guests: The Mistakings trio and Wild Roses, also spots from Tina Goode and Phil Washington
Aggiefest is in full swing, enjoy! Well done to Maureen Forster and team for all their hard work.
A Star is Reborn
Glenn Koppany has at last been able to revive his successful folk night at the Star Ale and Coffee House in Ryde. This charming little venue will now play host to a Folk and Music session on the second Sunday each month, from noon. Well worth delaying your Sunday lunch for!
Get your dancing shoes on
It must be Spring, there are two barn dances in April! The first is on Saturday 8th at Bluebells, Briddlesford, and the second on Friday 21st in Ryde. Full details are on the Events page.
Music all the way
Last year’s Irish and Traditional music weekend was so successful that they plan to do it all again this year!
Dave Harris
It was very sad to learn of the death of Dave Harris, recently. Dave and his wife, Caroline, performed at folk clubs as The Bilge Rats. The couple lived on a houseboat for a number of years until the structure eventually succumbed to old age. Later on, the couple lived in Somerset.
The Crew, along with caller Steve Taverner, performed at a fundraising barn dance in aid of the Isle of Wight Motor Neurone Disease Association. This association provides help and support to local people who are suffering from the disease. Hearing that the organisers had not sold as many tickets as they had hoped (due to lingering pandemic concerns), the generous band decided to donate their fee to this good cause.
The Crew
Stunning SeptemberLine-up
A number of interesting acts are visiting the Island next month. Full details can be found on the Events page.
Vaguely Sunny has booked singer songwriter Deborah Rose from Ludlow. Her pure voice and musicality enhance thoughtful songs, often with a social conscience. Deborah’s performance takes place on September 3rd at Freshwater.
Deborah Rose
The often-amusing songs of Jake Thackeray are to be presented on Monday 5th September in a celebration of his life and work by John Watterson aka ‘Fake Thackeray’. The Medina Bookshop in Cowes is the venue for this interesting event.
The cosy and comfortable Ventnor Arts Club is the location for a visit from Friction Farm, the husband and wife duo of Aidan Quinn and Christine Stay who live in South Carolina. Their act combines quirky humour, storytelling and social commentary with infectious tunes and intricate harmonies. Catch up with them on 10th September.
Friction Farm
Wildwood Jack, another husband and wife duo, are visiting Ventnor Arts Club on 15th September. Adam Piggott and Jayne Freeman offer accomplished contemporary folk music on guitar and ukulele with seasonings of bluegrass and world music.
Madge first got involved in folk music, song and particularly dance early in the 1990’s, by joining the Island Cloggies, where she first met husband Brian, the Cloggie’s main musician. She afterwards became a member of the Isle of Wight Appalachian Stompers, then Appletaps, a group which performed Appalachian and Tap stepping. Madge took up North West morris dancing, first with Wight Bells, then, when Brian taught morris dance at the newly created Carnival Centre, she joined him in the group which became Guith Morrris. When the group divided, Madge moved to the Whitgar half. So, Madge’s dancing career spanned a wide variety of styles over 30 years or more, including stepping, North West, Cotswold & Border Morris and country dancing.
From 1994, Madge became an honorary member of Caulkheads Ceilidh Band, helping with equipment, on the door and demonstrating dance moves when needed. At the New Year’s Ceilidhs at the Dairyman’s Daughter, too, her dance demo skills were always much in demand.
Madge and Brian married in 1996, on her birthday 24th May. They both enjoyed the many folk clubs and sessions here on the Island, plus folk festivals all over the country. Despite constantly saying to Brian; ” What have you done to me!!” Madge found she enjoyed immersion in folk music, made many friends and became quite knowledgeable on the traditions.
Condolences go to Brian and family on their sad loss. For friends and family, the funeral will be held at the Crematorium at 13:30, followed by a wake at Bluebells, Briddlesford Lodge Farm. Dress informal. Madge loved pastel shades.
Charitable Folk
Well done to the Howling Wolf Folk and Blues Club, they raised £40 at their Pete Holden Memorial Gig at Dimbola Lodge. Congratulations, too, to Monkton Arts, an evening event organised by them and featuring The Dance Preachers raised a whopping £1,329 for those in need in Ukraine.
The Dance Preachers at the Depozitory, Ryde
Coming up in August
Folk bands are represented in both Shanklin and Sandown Regattas. Brown’s Golf Course Cafe, a lovely venue, has an evening on Saturday 13th with both The Crew and Sheshells performing, 5pm start. At the end of the month, Sunday 28th sees Second Time Around return to The Hideaway on Shanklin clifftop for two hours of music starting at 3pm.
The Crew at Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties Festival
This year’s Wolverton Folk and Blues Fair raised a magnificent £11,000 for Leukaemia and Teenage and Young Adult charities plus nearly £2000 for Brighstone Primary School. What a wonderful result from a terrific day of beautiful music. Well done to all the organisers and performers!
Ventnor is buzzingthis July
Quite a host of folk events are on offer in Ventnor this summer, both musical and storytelling. Some are part of Ventnor Fringe, of course, but others are happening later on at Ventnor Arts Club. The Arts Club is a very pleasant, cosy and comfortable venue, ideal for a concert. Look out for visitors Casio Moon, Chris Milner and Elizabeth & Jameson, also our very own Paul Armfield, Andy Roberts and Coppersmith. See Events page for booking links.
Catch Coppersmith at Ventnor Arts Centre on Friday 29 July
Fingers crossed
Martin Carthy’s concert at Quay Arts in Newport has sadly had to be postponed again. It is now scheduled for Saturday 13th August. A few tickets are still available.
Coppersmith busking for Ukraine as part of Ukrainian Support Day – Ryde
So much happening
April was absolutely packed with folk events. One evening hosted four events, two of them in aid of Ukraine. The Ukranian Support Day in Ryde raised over £3000 and The Caulkheads, JC, Ian Watterson and friends took donations of £350 at their barn dance. Well done to all concerned!
Sheshells at The Ukranian Support Day
St George’s Day was suitably filled with the jangle of morris bells and songs about the patron saint.
Oyster Girls dancing on St George’s Day
Magical May
May is shaping up to be equally busy. The Longstones saw a sizeable crowd gather to welcome the rising sun.
Men of Wight dancing the sun up.
Currently, 31 one-off events in May 2022 are listed on the Events page, and that does not include regular clubs and folk nights. Highlights: Bob’s Basement 20th Anniversary Celebrations at the start of the month; Wolverton Folk and Blues Fair on Saturday 14th and the expanded Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties starting on Friday 27th May.
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