Folk Festivals in France

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: GUEST,Dave Ball
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 07:06 AM

Les

You could of course come to Northwich Folk Club on Friday September 19th and talk to the Churchfitters in person! (See suggestion on 8 Sept above)

Tickets £10 (£8 for concessions)
Tel: [phone]    for details.

Dave

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Fidjit
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 06:18 AM

Oooh! Le Vent Du Nord are defiantly worth seeing.

Chas

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 03:53 AM

A French magazine

Looks interesting - but in French - I Know, I should try harder with my French!

L in C

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: JHW
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 03:38 PM

Spleen Cringe list of guys are just why to go to St Chartier though Greg Jolivet was on Blowzabella's last album. I preferred his own band (much as I revered earlier Blowzabella)

There's lots of stuff in Trad magazine www.tradmagazine.com but its subscription. Some tiny events we used to find about only when we were there

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Fidjit
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 02:52 PM

I think it's time that Mudcat had it's own Festival listing.
I don't mean all the BIG ones . Although they can be included.
I mean all the nice little ones that we know about and enjoy. The ones with nice fringe events.

All countries to be included.

How about that?

I'll start a new post with that in mind.
Chas

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Jack Campin
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 02:45 PM

There is an annual accordion festival in Tulle in September that looks good - anybody been?

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Fidjit
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 02:26 PM

Les

Report back on what you find. Dates and areas.
Sure there are a lot of others interested

Chas

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 04:09 AM

Thanks Rockhen and thanks to all. We found the small one off events in Brittany in the 80s. Fest Noz I believe. They were great fun - great small scale village music - often put on for tourist but great just the same.

I think we may be pushed to find festivals in May - June but I will trawl the above and see what happens

Thanks again

L in C

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Rockhen
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 07:28 PM

I haven't read all the posts in this thread in detail, sorry, but I saw that melodeonboy put "In which case you could try Quimper/Kemper. Much smaller than Lorient and with a higher proportion of Breton music. And the town's beautiful! "

May I add, it would be worth considering the time you are going within those months you mentioned...we stayed just south of Quimper, at Plobannalec for the last two weeks of August. When we stayed there in previous holidays at the beginning of August, we went to a few different music events but this time we couldn't find anything on at all which was disappointing. I meant to put a thread, asking, on here before I went and didn't get round to it, so it probably serves us right! I think certain times of year are much better than others, like in Britain.
We went to a wonderful music festival and parade one year, up near Pointe de Raz (please excuse spelling, too idle to check map, tonight!)
It is a beautiful area, though. Give me a shout nearer the time if you go there and want info on some of the places.

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 06:50 PM

Take a deek at these...

http://www.myspace.com/gilleschabenat

http://www.myspace.com/gregoryjolivet

http://www.myspace.com/patrickbouffard

http://www.myspace.com/marcanthonyviellearoue

I was going to add more but Myspace is playing silly buggers tonight

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: JHW
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 05:49 PM

I've done Saint Chartier a dozen times. If I had someone new to take I would go again because I still thought it great on last visit (98) but it has been gratuitously made bigger and bigger and the earlier years for me (80s) were much more fun, more relaxed, more space. They have cracking bands on the concerts you might otherwise not even hear of albeit the seats are now too far from the stage. But then the dancing starts, at midnight after the concerts. Half a dozen dance floors or more in the village square each with their own acoustic band, no caller, pretty well always couple dances and it is magic. Its a tiny village with a château and square. Yes it was better back when - that's folk isn't it, when the portable dance floor with fairy lights was there like a dodgems though with bourrées instead but there's still fairy lights on the floors under the trees and they still dance right through till next days breakfast...then café and so fresh bread...I will have to get that passport renewed.

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Fidjit
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 03:14 PM

try Paddy Butcher

They visit and know a few players over there.

Chas

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Rasener
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 03:11 PM

That sounds a bit like Churchfitters that you saw.

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: GUEST,Spleen Cringe
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 11:12 AM

Hi Les - definitely a good idea to plan in advance... just spent a month in France in areas that are alledgedly stiff with folk music (Auvergne, High Languedoc, Midi Pyranees, Upper Loire... need I go on - ha!) and found nowt. I assumed I would just come across stuff. Didn't even find any shops selling folk music CDs let alone live music. I narrowly missed a concert by a French folk band who played Irish, American and Scottish (but strangely, not French) folk, but that was it.

Got some fantastic CDs of ecstatic hurdy gurdy & bagpipe grooving from Cuberoots on my return, though. And there's lots of fab French folk on Myspace. I'll post some links when I get home if you like...

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Rasener
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 10:47 AM

Les
You might like to make contact with Churchfitters who are based in Brittany and tour France all the time and will be well up on folk festivals.

http://www.churchfitters.com/econtact.php

Cheers
Les in Faldingworth :-)

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Folkiedave
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 08:55 AM

Sheffield City Morris did a number when they were younger and fitter.

But they were all dance festivals - think Billingham.

Great fun for particpants - and great if you like watching dancing.

Saint Chartier and Lorient come to mind.

Let's hope @catter Dave Higham (ex-Sheffield City and living in France for many years) knows owt......

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 08:40 AM

Sounds good, we once went on a boat trip from Benodet to Quimper amazing trip amazing cathedral too!

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: melodeonboy
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 08:13 AM

"We went to Lorient a long time ago and probably wont go there. Lots of music but a bit big."

In which case you could try Quimper/Kemper. Much smaller than Lorient and with a higher proportion of Breton music. And the town's beautiful!

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 08:05 AM

Careful now.................. You can have too much of wet T Shirts

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 07:45 AM

It's a mecca for hurdy-gurdies & bagpipes & all good things; never been myself, but I've got friends who go all the time & swear by it... Sensible types, though I believe anything goes - check YouTube!

We are well & missed it too! The Beech is such an important part of our lives, feels incomplete without it. Next time...

We'll be at The Chopin Bar next Friday for the storytelling - worth a look I'd say, and you get a lot of Ingrid too...

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 07:10 AM

Thanks a lot Sean,

French Folk Festival

It looks like a great festival but I am finding detailed information a bit hard to come by.

Missed you both last week. trust you are well?

Cheers

L in C

Subject: RE: Folk Festivals in France
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 06:33 AM

One hears such tales about Saint-Chartier...

Subject: Folk Festivals in France
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 06:23 AM

Any have experience of Folk Festivals in France? We are thinking of going next May / June /July. Any recommendations? We went to Lorient a long time ago and probably wont go there. Lots of music but a bit big.

Cheers

L in C