Anyone going to The National?(UK)

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: English Jon
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 11:35 AM

Only if you bring lots of tinz of caffoo.

EJC

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: GUEST,Rich A
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 12:17 PM

I'll be there for the first time. Excellent, as I started typing the rain stopped and the sun came out.
I'll be the one behind a couple of melodeons and a bottle of port!

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Noreen
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 12:37 PM

Will Co-op MeatyChunx do, EJC, or do I have to splash out on Whiskas?? You might have to make do with a stroke behind the ears...

I'll look out my Mudcat t-shirt then- or at least wear my Mudcat badge at some time. Do say hello, Mudcatters not yet met! I'll say hello to you Mary and Anahata- I was at the Unicorn when you came up to Manchester before Christmas.

Managed to get off work early tomorrow- looking forward to this very much!!

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: My guru always said
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 04:40 AM

Don't think I can make - have a Brill time everyone :-)

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: GUEST,Gav Dav
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 11:05 AM

2 melodeons...and only one bottle of Port...!!!!

sounds a little imbalanced. I'll bring a bottle of LBV for stabilising use, see you there. :)

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Noreen
Date: 13 Apr 03 - 07:59 PM

Port was lovely thanks, Rich- I'll have to return the favour sometime. And I didn't get to show you my Crabb :0(

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: treewind
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 08:28 AM

Hey, what a party!
Did we all have a good time or what?

Thanks to Noreen and Sue for wearing Mudcat T shirts and thus being identified, and Julie B for identifying herself too... and congrats to Sue on winning the singing competition!

Anahata

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: GUEST,Rich A
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 08:34 AM

Noreen, I'm still recovering from that port, the second bottle was a bit excessive. :O
Oh well, I'm sure we'll bump into each other somewhere, if the Crab is anything like the one on the music stall I'm soooooooooo jealous.

Rich

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Noreen
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 09:00 AM

It was excellent lubrication for singing though, Rich. As was the (Lord)Batemans and the Tir Conaill single malt and...

I came back here to tell everyone that our own Sue vG won the NATIONAL SONG COMPETITION at the festival with a masterful delivery of Lady Diamond, and so is now the Singer of the National 2003. But since treewind beat me to it, I don't need to mention it. You can rest assured that Sue won't be mentioning it... she's far too busy floating around somewhere near the ceiling :0)

Was a wonderful weekend. Great to meet friends old and new- and I am SO glad, Mary, that I didnt match Leadfingers's description of me- that still tickles me, thank you!

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Noreen
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 09:32 AM

Oh, I forgot.... Eliza, do you really want copies of those Twister photos for your publicity? *grin*

Shame English Jon's Cat couldn't make it- so EJ got the stroke behind the ears instead.

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: My guru always said
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 09:37 AM

Well Noreen, if everyone had half as much fun as you seemed to, this is obviously THE festival to go to *grin* see you next year!!

Congrats on doing so well yourself in the singing competition BTW :-)

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Surreysinger
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 12:28 PM

I had a good time too! Thanks to the t-shirts I've now signed up here too. Best part of the weekend for me, among many really good moments, was the 7.5 hour very informal session in the Octagon room on Saturday night (particularly the first bit with the winners of the last 4 competitions at the National song competitions, and other competitors comparing versions of songs, and having a lovely laid back time. It was a great, if tiring evening!!) Thanks for your company if you attended it! Has anyone mentioned that the winners of the last 5 competitions have all been women, even though the majority of the competitors every year have been men??
Roll on next year.

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 12:41 PM

Hi there!
Just to add my congratulations to Sue for winning! And to say that it was great fun all weekend. Guru - you really MUST try it next year - it's not to be missed. For those of us who are addicted to tune session - we had a great time with Flos Headford, Rees Wesson, Mick Brookes and Dave Hunt and all the usual suspects. Wonderful stuff. Good to speak to other Mudcatters. Especially Noreen, as a new acquaintance. See you there next year. Will bring Port too - good for bad heads. ( Making them, that is!)

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: 8_Pints
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 12:59 PM

We agree, one of the highlights for us was the fantastic Octagon room singaround. After it eventually broke up, a few of us continued in our campervan - until 5-30 am! There were also quite a few drinks and cheese involved. Great to meet you Surreysinger and welcome to Mudcat - glad the T shirts worked!

Thanks for the congrats Treewind - much appreciated. Noreen is right, I haven't come down off the ceiling yet! I can't quite believe it, but it feels great all the same to have won - especially in such a strong field.

Anyone who wasn't at the festival missed a real treat. The atmosphere was brilliant all weekend. The main problem was not being able to be in three places at once! We knew we were missing other superb events each time we went somewhere.

Sue vG and 8 Pints xxxx

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: John Routledge
Date: 14 Apr 03 - 02:23 PM

I must be getting old - agree with everything that has been said about the weekend!!

The main component of the festival was song but there was ample opportunity for musicians to play. So everyone was happy.

The venue lends itself very well to this festival and I am already ready for 2004 - Last weekend in MARCH 2004.

Having listened to the singing competition I am almost ready to have a go myself as even if you don't win you get constructive critcism on your performance :0) Congratulations are due to Sue vG for winning with a real ballad!!

Don't believe anything negative about this festival just go and experience it yourself. See you March 2004 if not before.

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Surreysinger
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 06:34 AM

Hi John! Having sat in on a number of competitions myself before having a go, I agree - the crits are the thing about it. They are honest, and given in a kindly and helpful fashion. I eventually decided to have a go just for the sake of having reliable and unbiassed feedback. However nice friends and family (? did I really say that? they were usually the worst critics to begin with!) may be, it's really useful to have unbiassed and knowledgeable feedback about your singing that you know you can trust. Look forward to seeing you having a go next year!

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Willa
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 03:59 PM

I just got back from a great w/e; my first visit to the National, but I'm planning to be there next year. I'm only sorry I couldn't stay for the late night singarounds, they were obviously the highlight of the w/e.
Congrats, Sue, on a well-deserved win.
Surreysinger. Welcome. Since you're now a member that means that more than 50% of the singing contestants were/are 'catters (as were several of the audience.)I forgot my t-shirt, but did get to know some more 'catters.Hope to see some of you again at Whitby Moor and Coast FF.

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 05:45 PM

I'm glad to hear that the National virgins had a good time and want to come back next year. The Octagon room was a new addition last year (in the sense that it was only built after the previous festival), and has the great advantage of being close to the bar, so you can easily alternate between the quiet singarounds and the noisy sessions. Or even walk a few yards to a formal concert.

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Apr 03 - 06:23 PM

In some ways it seems to me that the National is the folk festival which is most like the Mudcat. It's got the same weird combination of scholarship, gossip, fun and craziness. And music.

So I'm glad that the Mudcat component seems to have taken off this year.

I wish I could have made it. Next year I'll be there, I promise myself.

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: GUEST,Eliza C,arse in the air
Date: 16 Apr 03 - 09:44 AM

Cheers Noreen, I think I can do without them!! x

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Julie B
Date: 16 Apr 03 - 11:56 AM

Good weekend. Only difficulty is, as always, not being able to do everything at once! But, thanks to the workshop, I do now know that I can play "Amazing Grace" on the smallpipes!!
Julie B

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Abuwood
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 01:58 PM

Refresh -Any info for 2004?

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: Noreen
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 03:34 PM

26-28 March 04.

Subject: RE: Anyone going to The National?
From: GUEST,surreysinger
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 06:47 AM

Oh Bugsy - you rat! I thought this was about the English National (since, if you look at the original posting on the thread, it originally was, all those years ago!)and was under the impression that I'd missed some crucial bit of information. I've been suffering withdrawal symptoms since the very last one at Sutton Bonington.

bigJ, as far as I know, nothing as yet (if ever). The last I heard about it was from John Heydon, in answer to a direct question at Whitby in August last year, when they were still actively looking for somewhere that fulfilled all the requirements for the National. Since then , nothing further heard.

As to anything that compares favourably with it - there IS nothing like it, or even comes close as far as I'm aware - hence the withdrawal symptoms. Add to that the fact that there's a couple of friends who I've made over the years, that I only got to see at the National, and don't have any address (or even, come to that, I've realised, a surname for), and I miss it desperately!!

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I separated the threads. Here is the thread about the Oz National