|
03 Oct 13 - 04:54 AM (#3563856) Subject: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Rafflesbear Halsway Manor in Somerset is a charitable trust part funded by the Lottery and the Arts Council. Its aims are To promote and support the practice of the traditional folk arts, especially as practised in England. This includes traditional dance, music, song, folklore, storytelling, arts and crafts. conserve, maintain and develop the Halsway Manor as a hub for these activities. improve skills, knowledge and understanding of the folk arts amongst people of all ages and abilities. develop a wider pool of inspiring and competent course leaders. further raise the profile of Halsway Manor as a centre of excellence for the folk arts that is accessible for all. ensure that we have a sustainable business, aiming to balance the budget and reinvest surpluses in our charitable activities. continue to be a well governed and transparent organisation. Any opinions on its relevance to folk music in the UK? Halsway Manor Website |
|
03 Oct 13 - 05:24 AM (#3563867) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: G-Force Well, it's certainly a lovely old (in parts very old) building, and we've had good times there. But if it didn't exist any more, I don't suppose the folk scene would miss it much. |
|
03 Oct 13 - 05:26 AM (#3563868) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,FloraG I went on a course at Bensow music trust at Hitcham. It is run on the same lines but a wider range of music. Nice accomodation and food. It was good to meet some people of a similar interest and be catered for for the course duration. For people who live in small towns its nice to have a venue like that. FloraG |
|
03 Oct 13 - 06:11 AM (#3563878) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Waddon Pete History is littered with places that were closed through perceived lack of use/enthusiasm/will only to be re-opened by enterprising people who went on to make a great success of the enterprise! Careful management is needed..... Peter |
|
03 Oct 13 - 02:53 PM (#3564023) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Paul Davenport Its relevant because its run for and by enthusiasts for the music. It be otherwise it would have to be run by a business for people who didn't want it. I have some experience of the late, National Centre for Popular Music and so that's my yardstick. Halsway Manor? Fantastic idea (and I've never been there!) |
|
03 Oct 13 - 03:17 PM (#3564028) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: selby Is it of National relevance no, is it locally relevant I would say emphatically yes as long as it sticks to its stated aims the hard bit is once its up and running is maintaining it financially so it should be supported. Keith |
|
03 Oct 13 - 03:20 PM (#3564030) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST Peter Kennedy's archive of recordings is housed there. |
|
03 Oct 13 - 05:33 PM (#3564056) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler Lovely people, great courses and lovely (again!) ambience. The only thing we dislike is that it is too far from North Yorkshire. |
|
03 Oct 13 - 05:43 PM (#3564057) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Derek Schofield Peter Kennedy's archival recordings are not housed there, they are in the British Library sound archive. His books and perhaps his commercial discs collection are there. Derek |
|
03 Oct 13 - 06:17 PM (#3564064) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Howard Jones It seems to have a busy programme of folk-related activities. In what way isn't it relevant to folk music in the UK? |
|
04 Oct 13 - 01:55 AM (#3564123) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: SteveMansfield Interesting that various questions have been raised about the motivation behind the original post, but answer comes there none. I'm with Howard and others - in what way might it *not* be thought relevant, and to be honest what does the OP mean by 'relevant' anyway? I have no vested interest in Halsway Manor, just curiosity as to what prompted the question. |
|
04 Oct 13 - 06:17 AM (#3564166) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Rafflesbear The question was prompted by the fact that I have quite recently moved to Somerset and now find this place nearby. I came from SE England where there is a lively and well supported folk scene and in over 40 years there I cannot recall hearing of Halsway Manor and now that I am in Somerset I find a very different but equally lively folk scene around the local pubs. Halsway Manor sets itself up as a National Centre of Excellence and as I said before receives funding from the Arts Council and the Lottery. The question is raised to see whether others think that Halsway Manor has had any effect on the folk music scene as they know it, indeed is a national centre of excellence relevant for this particular art form? |
|
04 Oct 13 - 06:55 AM (#3564171) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Square The Circle I can only say I wish such an establishment existed in South Wales to promote and sustain the folk traditions of the British Isles not just the local ones. |
|
04 Oct 13 - 07:14 AM (#3564178) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Mo the caller I don't know about song, story-telling, or other forms of dancing (e.g.display or celidh). I do know that even up here in the NW the Social dance community think a lot of it. Clubs organise holidays there. As far as Centre of Excellence I can see that while in the normal pub / club scene you have what you get, the people who go to Halsway are probably more committed to improving, and because you are mixing with experts you learn a lot. A little oasis away from 'real life', which you go back to inspired. I've never been to Halsway (or to Burton Manor which also used to run weeks). But for me Whitby festival does the same thing. |
|
04 Oct 13 - 07:35 AM (#3564188) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Derek Schofield Halsway Manor has always promoted the social dance side of the folk scene, and was originally set up by such leading lights in the folk and EFDSS scene as Bill Rutter (who was responsible for the growth of Sidmouth through the 60s and 70s), Geoff and Bessie Rye, The Yetties and others. In recent years they have broadening their range of activity, under chief executive Paul James (Blowzabella), with weekends and residential courses for young folk musicians, song weekends, story telling weekends (with Taffy Thomas) as well as dance weekends (one featured Polkaworks so it's not all social dance as seen in folk dance clubs). The late July youth residential week has ended with showcase events at Sidmouth in the last year or so. In addition, it has to maintain the building and improve facilities for residents. I am not involved with Halsway and surprisingly have never visited. The folk scene is not a single entity - it has a range of activities of which pub sessions and Halsway Manor are just two. I suggest Rafflesbear goes and has a look - if it's not for him, then fine, stick to the pub sessions. Others may think differently. Derek |
|
04 Oct 13 - 07:43 AM (#3564192) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Brian Peters Under Paul James' directorship, Halsway is very clearly setting out to be a national resource. I have a slight vested interest, as I'm tutoring there in late November, with Martin and Shan Graebe, on a traditional song weekend. One of the areas Martin will cover is the exploration of the Kennedy archive, details of which you can find in this thread. There seem to be a lot of very interesting courses booked there, and I'm told it's a lovely spot, so it seems to me it would be well worth travelling the distance. Here's the weekend I'm involved with: Singing the folk tradition |
|
04 Oct 13 - 07:43 AM (#3564194) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Les in Chorlton I see vultures gathering |
|
04 Oct 13 - 07:59 AM (#3564199) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Brian Peters Vultures? Why on earth....? |
|
04 Oct 13 - 08:10 AM (#3564202) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Marje I'm booked to go on the course Brian mentioned, along with a friend of mine who sings with me. I can see no reason why it won't be "relevant" to the folk scene and to our participation in our local clubs and sessions. Festivals are great too, but a purposeful weekend with a defined programme, shared with others of similar interests, is something a bit different - and this one's in winter, which is outside the festival season. It will be my first visit to Halsway but if I enjoy it I may go again. And I'm delighted to hear of Arts Council and Lottery money going in this direction - what's not to like? Marje |
|
04 Oct 13 - 10:00 AM (#3564228) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Les in Chorlton Sorry Brian, it's just that on many of these threads it is around this point where things get tricky and people sometimes say things that sound a bit confrontational. |
|
04 Oct 13 - 03:03 PM (#3564303) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Howard Jones Rafflesbear, I'm just astonished that you could have spent 40 years on the folk scene without even hearing of Halsway Manor. It's been around for a long time. As Derek said, for a long time its emphasis was towards the social dance/EFDSS side, and there was quite a gulf between that world and other areas of the folk scene, but it was widely advertised (even in the south east) and, I thought, was very well known. Any organisation which has been providing folk education for nearly 50 years cannot fail to have had a significant impact on the folk scene, even if that may perhaps not have been in the areas you are interested in. |
|
04 Oct 13 - 06:22 PM (#3564339) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,John Routledge Halsway Manor hosts a weekend course every year on Northumbrian Small Pipes and it usually sells out.This seems quite diverse for a venue in Somerset. I have been to three and confirm that they are excellent so they are certainly doing this right. |
|
05 Oct 13 - 04:51 AM (#3564387) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: doc.tom And it aint all education, education, education either. Carolyn Robson, Tom & Barbara |
|
05 Oct 13 - 05:28 AM (#3564394) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Eldergirl I'd never heard of it till earlier this year when my other half and I discovered we couldn't go to the Just Sing weekend as it clashes with a local event we've been part of for past 3 years, but Brian, Shan and Martin's course sounds worth a punt. Costs not too awful either! Why would it not be relevant? Obviously it's been working away in its own corner for some time, so more power to it. Let's all improve ourselves. :-) |
|
05 Oct 13 - 07:13 AM (#3564416) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,John Routledge Following on from doc.tom on Saturday evening of the piping weekend a concert is held which is open to the public providing revenue and contact with the local community. |
|
05 Oct 13 - 04:19 PM (#3564535) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: Rafflesbear Looks like the answer is "Yes". My own thoughts were that it was relevant like the Olympics are relevant to football on the rec. Seems it's more than that. |
|
06 Oct 13 - 10:06 AM (#3564679) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,surreysinger sans cookie I've never been to Halsway Manor, but I've certainly been aware of its existence for over 40 years even living down here in the South East. For most of the time it wasn't relevant to me personally as the concentration on dance in early years didn't interest me at the time, but things change (both my interests and the programming at Halsway as well!) I too am somewhat astounded that Rafflesbear had never heard of it,although professing to have been involved in folk music for that length of time. I am also slightly mystified to hear the South East being described as having a lively and well supported folk music scene. In my experience that isn't a universal given! Perceptions may vary according to where one lives/lived - for instance the Lewes/Seaford area provides a certain little hotbed of activity on the coast.Distances between folk "nodes" though are often not insubstantial.(I am lucky enough to live in a town that certainly does have a fairly lively folk presence both on the song, music and dance sides, but support for it is something that always has to be fought for despite that.) |
|
06 Oct 13 - 10:24 AM (#3564684) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,surreysinger sans cookie Out of interest, having just revisited their website,I cannot find anywhere on the particular pages which I have perused any statement that Halsway Manor is claiming to be "a National Centre of Excellence".They do,however, state that their aims are to "further raise the profile of Halsway Manor as a centre of excellence for the folk arts that is accessible for all". That's a slightly different thing IMHO, and indicates that that is what they are striving for. All power to their joint elbows! And for anyone who hasn't seen details of what they get up to, it might perhaps be worth putting up this link to the Halsway Manor website |
|
07 Oct 13 - 04:32 AM (#3564855) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,Peter Apart from changing a couple of place names Surreysinger has said exactly what I was thinking of posting. |
|
07 Oct 13 - 12:16 PM (#3564952) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: GUEST,geoff woolfe Like many on like chat forums, this one includes a lot of comments based on prejudice, not knowledge.... I have an interest as a supporter and editor of the William Winter Quantocks tune book ( the original manuscript is in the HM library) I have attended many events, both a mixture of song, music and dance as participant and performer. As Derek S and others have said, since Paul James became CEO it has broadened its outlook ;there are ambitious plans for expansion. Let's hope it goes from strength to strength We need HM in the West Country! |
|
07 Oct 13 - 02:25 PM (#3564979) Subject: RE: Is Halsway Manor relevant? From: doc.tom Oh dear! Half my post above disappeared. What I was trying to say was: Give Voice! - Oct 18-20. Carolyn Robson, Tom & Barbara Brown, Bonnie & Cynthia Sartin and Bob Kenward will be having some great singing in the bar at Halsway - Carolyn will also be doing some finding your voice stuff, T&B will be listening to how traditional singers create their own versions, Bonnie & Cynthia will be helping people explore the library (including Peter Kennedy material), and Bob Kenward will be song writing stuff other people want to sing. Relevant? Well I've thought so for the last 40-odd years - anyway, we're all going to enjoy sharing some songs - all weekend - why not join us? TomB |