The festival season is back in full swing and plans are well under way for the 20th Cleckheaton Folk Festival, always a popular choice and not just with Yorkshire folkies. Things just keep getting better year after year and this year will be no exception.
Right from the start there will be plenty for everybody. Singer-songwriter extraordinaire Vin Garbutt, whose pedigree is even longer than the festivals, will be holding a meet in the Town Hall as well as headlining the Friday evening concert at the Town Hall but there will be plenty of other good acts around. These include the up and coming folk rock band "Something Nasty in the Woodshed", The fine acapela trio of "Craig, Morgan & Robson" as well as many local artistes such as "Whitney Gin"

After the Parade, Saturday sees the start of street entertainment with a mediaeval feel that culminates in competition for the Whickham Trophy amongst a host of dance sides. For the shoppers there is a French market and a craft market as well as all the usual Cleckeaton shops and stalls. With half-a-dozen concerts, 4 workshops, numerous specials and 2 meets as well as sessions and singarounds; all ages and tastes should be catered for. Fine artistes abound but Real Time and local group the Duncan McFarlane Band in the afternoon and Something Nasty and Craig, Morgan & Robson in the evening are the Town hall concert stars with The Demon Barber Roadshow rounding things off with their own late night concert.

Sunday promises more of the same well tried mixture of meets, specials, singarounds and concerts with Ruth Fuga and Keith Powell and others at the Town Hall concert which ends with an extended piece from the best female Celtic group around, Cherish the Ladies. The finale of the weekend will be the concert in the Turnstile featuring a number of local artistes as well as the multi talented New-Zealand version of Eric Bogle better known as Martin Curtis, presided over by Joe Nicholson no mean singer himself and previous winner of the prestigious Traditional folk singer competition at Saltburne.

For those who wish to take a more active part there will be the usual singaround and musicians sessions and, a new venture this year, a Poems and Pints session with a focus on the words rather than the music.
Adding to the entertainment over the weekend will be amongst other items, Tai Chi sessions with Barry Lonsdale on Saturday and Sunday, a new guided walk on Sunday, Sylvia Needham on the life and works of Sydney Carter, and a series of special workshops in the new Music Room plus a variety of street performers including the mighty Zulu Nation.

Of course I could not mention everyone who will be performing but a visit to the festival website at WWW.CLECKHEATONFOLKFESTIVAL.ORG will give you a full run down.

ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION
There is still chance up to the 31st of May to get reduced price tickets. Contact the website, or email info@cleckheatonfolkfestival.org
Or write to Cleckheaton Folk Festival Office, 7 Listerdale, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, WF15 6EN.
Jim Saville