There were many treats yesterday.

My morning began bright and early with Ruth George and CaCe Borjeson doing a workshop in a capella techniques with demonstration of harmony, use of props and gestures, and humor; I got to lead "Evening Shadows Fall" my song about the dream flight back from a revisit to Ethiopia.

I then walked across the hall to John Millar's workshop on very old traditional sea songs; Millar's a folk music historian with an excellent voice and also played a major role in the reconstruction of the frigate HMS Rose, sloop USS Providence, and the Pacific Northwest exploration ship the Lady Washington.

Next there was the BBC Radio Ballads with Mike Kenneddy and Chris Satari who did a fine job of describing how this pioneer radio singing dramatisations were created and with demonstrations of some of the songs.

After lunch I sat in with Terje Vigan & North Sea Songs with Sonja Savig and Mike Kennedy focused on the compelling story as told in an Ipson play set in the Napoleonic wars.

Then I shifted over to back to back concert by Joy Bennett and Chris Koldway, as a duo and with Chris solo. Again a fine demonstation of muscianship and primarily sea songs.

After supper I shared Dave Coffin's dramatisation of a whaling voyage. I hadn't seen him in his school teaching mode and he is very creative and entertaining which should not be surprising.

Next was David Diamond with a selection of some of his off-the-wall songs, most of them his own special creations. He definately had a supportive audience.

Finally, Mike, Chris and I coordinated an open shanty sing which was well attended. Mike dedicated this session to our friend Barry Finn and I closed with "The Yangtse River Shanty" which I releaned from Barry after he learned it from me. I'm sure he heard the chorus.

Today, much much more!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, anchored at NEFFA