Barnsley Youth Folk Festival

Subject: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: chizzer
Date: 02 Mar 04 - 06:19 PM

Barnsley Youth Folk Festival


The third annual Youth Folk Festival takes place in Barnsley from 19 to 21 March 2004, once again the festival will feature the cream of young folk musicians from the town.

This year the headline act are Rachael McShane and Damien O'Kane - a duo who are destined to make a big impact upon the folk festival circuit this year.

The festival kicks of with a ceilidh at The Fleets in Barnsley on 19 March 2004 at 7.30. Swing Yer Granny will ensure everyone, both young and old, have a great evening. Tickets are available on the door at £3.00 each and £10.00 for a family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children).


On Saturday and Sunday there will be a folk workshop at Penistone Grammar School for students aged from 9 to 14. The Tender Roots project is part of the South Yorkshire Youth Music Action Zone - Music Mine, and thanks to the support of Youth Music this workshop is free to participants.

Young musicians of any standard are welcome to attend but places are limited to 40 - more information about the workshops can be obtained by ringing 01226 790430 (evenings), or visiting the web site www.creativebarnsley.co.uk/minisite/tenderroots .

On Sunday at 2.00pm the workshop will end with a free concert at Penistone Grammar School, at which the students will showcase their weekend's work.


The main festival concert will take place on Saturday 20 March 2004 at 7.30 at The Fleets.

The concert will start with the young musicians of the Barnsley Guitar & Folk Ensembles. These young people meet every Wednesday to practice both classical guitar and folk dance tunes – for some students this will be their first appearance at the festival.

Three young folk groups will then take the stage – The Merry Sisters, Slipnote and Kokopelli. These groups have been formed within the last twelve months, as part of the Tender Roots Project. They have already gained critical acclaim, and most recently supported Sam Pirt, a previous winner of Radio 2's Young Folk Award, when he visited Barnsley last November.

Rachael McShane and Damien O'Kane, two musicians studying folk and traditional music at Newcastle University, complete the line up. The pair are at the forefront of a new generation of talented young folk performers. Super instrumental sets combined with sublime song arrangements, they combine traditional and self-penned material effortlessly. Both they and their music will be around for many years to come.

For Rachael, this will be a homecoming. Having been raised in Barnsley, she won the Barnsley Young Musician of the Year Award in 2001, before heading off to university. An extraordinary fiddle player and singer, Rachael will be joined on banjo by Damien. Rachael and Damien have recently recorded their first CD, and this will be an opportunity for Rachael's hometown to hear the new material.

Rachael and Damien have performed alongside a number of folk veterans, including Kathryn Tickell, Karen Tweed, Joe Broughton and recently, Jon Boden and John Spiers - winners at the 2004 BBC Folk Awards.

Tickets for the concert at The Fleets are available on the door at £3.00 each and £10.00 for a family ticket.



The Barnsley Youth Folk Festival is being organised by the Barnsley Guitar and Folk Ensemble, with support from the Performing Arts Development Service. Proceeds from the festival will help support the activities of the Ensembles, in particular their planned 2004 tour to Whitby Folk Festival.

For further information about the Guitar & Folk Ensembles please ring 01226 291525 and ask for Chris Mc Shane.

For further information about the Tender Roots Project, which aim to introduce traditional music to a wider youth audience, please ring 01226 790430 (evenings) and ask for Stephen Dolman.

For further information about Rachael & Damien, please ring 0798 608 2765 or email [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 11:30 AM

Congratulations to everyone concerned with such a wonderful initiative in Barnsley. It would be great to see this example taken up throughout the country. Burl

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 11:43 AM

Indeed. I have posted a link to this in the gloom-ridden 'Future of Folk Clubs' thread to show how young musicians really are getting on and doing it for themselves.

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: Sonnet
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 03:38 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 10:41 AM

I inadvertently posted the following to the Wickersley Festival thread instead of this one. There is only a limited web presence for the event and related projects:

http://www.creativebarnsley.co.uk/minisite/tenderroots.htm

http://www.creativebarnsley.co.uk/minisite/barnsleyguitar.htm

There is more background information at the Yorkshire Folk Arts website, and details of the festival (though not the full text of the press release quoted above) are due to be added shortly:

http://www.yorkshire-folk-arts.com/info/archive/tenderroots.html

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: Sonnet
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 05:17 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: JulieF
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 12:01 PM

Hi Sonnet

Give my best to Rachel for the concert. It seems a long time since we sat at a feis commenting on the satorial elegance or otherwise of the dresses.

Julie

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: Sonnet
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 02:45 PM

I think the phrase was often 'Christmas trees'! Did you see the piece in the Barnsley Chronicle this week about the Folk Festival and the picture of Rachael and Damien with the article about them?

JMcS

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: JulieF
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 11:19 AM

Not my usual reading matter but I will try and get a copy this week and show it to Cat.

J

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: Sonnet
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 06:45 PM

Hope lots of Mudcat people can support this event.
Chizzer

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 04 - 07:21 AM

Is there a yoof sesion on Sat or Sun afternoon?

Subject: RE: Barnsley Youth Folk Festival
From: JulieF
Date: 16 Mar 04 - 08:12 AM

refresh