Subject: RE: UK: Barrow on Humber Eurogather April 30
From:
Skipjack K8
Date: 03 May 04 - 10:59 AM
Wolfgang, my friend, I am so sorry that you both had to endure a night in Stansted. I know of what you speak, and my stay there with Bill and Eric (on our way to Mooman's Brussels Eurgather) was scheduled, and still unutterably awful. Your beration of the railway system here is rather mild. I like your theory on jOhn. We met someone answering his description, but perhaps he doesn't exist in his own head?
Thank you for all the kind comments, everyone. I was just glad to have kept the standard up, as set by Wolfgang, Mooman and Letty, and enviably high at that. I would like to make a few ramblings, firstly about what I can't remember. Apparently sometime in the dark hours on Saturday morning, I led an expeditionary tour down into the cellar here to find the long lost tunnel to Thornton Priory, four miles hence. Did we find it? Apparently, Eric came armed and composed a blues called 'Get Me Out of Here', which was performed to the delight of the adjoining three streets.
Of that that I can remember, the quality of the performances (apart from my own!!) at the Saturday night concert was absolutely stonking. Cara topped and tailed the evening with superb execution and were rightly lauded with great praise from all present, even the curious who wandered in off the street. Concert organisers take note, as that idea of starting and finishing with the star act (which came in a fleeting cohesive moment when writing the set list two minutes before the start) set the tone for the entire evening, and there was magic there. The few names my addled mind can remember are Linda and Hazel, whose harmonies enthralled everyone present (and Mooman, who is good at counting, said we topped out at 46, although it felt like 57) and Colin and Karen, who closed the first half to rapturous applause. Bill Sables did his customarily excellent job of compering the evening (Bill calls for our ceilidh band, and he really a consumate showman)and other massive thanks go to dear Susanne (skw) for anchoring all things raffle, and Wilfried, who savaged all entrants for the door cost, although he did stop short of adopting my idea of charging perfomers extra! And everyone else who set the hall out and put it away again. I crawled back into the hall before 9am to collect the PA, to find it completely as it was found, apart from a wonderfully pungent aroma of recently enjoyed beer!
On the subject of raffle, and door costs, the good news is that we raised the sum of £115.55 for 'Friends of Mudcat', and when I can get my arse in gear, a cheque favouring that name and amount will be winged to Bill Sables.
Yorkshire Yankee Vikki was a stalwart performer, and closed Friday's wonderful session at the Haven with 'Rolling Home', and did such a great job that we made her close the weekend with it too. Noreen, also, must be mentioned for her superb vocal contributions.
The Mexican Village Hall had such wonderful acoustics and a rapt audience, that the PA we lugged down there was only needed to lift the odd voice, but the downside is that because so little data was going through the desk, a CD is unlikely to be possible (and special thanks go to the Viking for doing such an uncharacteristically sensitive job of mixing all night). However, the divine Kate has much of it captured on professional BBC video recording kit that all is not lost, and she promises to splice a tape together, which will hopefully further boost the £115.55, so good on you, Kate.
Other thanks go to Jo, our landlady at the Six Bells, who not only laid on two massive spreads for the eleven hour survivors' session on the Sunday, but actively encouraged our guests to consume the Chinese Takeaway carryouts on her premises. Everyone really appreciated that, Jo, so thanks again!
Whoever I have missed in errata, I apologise, but my sincerest possible thanks go to everyone for coming and creating the group dynamic that I enjoyed more than anyone, and I will single out Ken and Elizabeth for coming all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Ken individually for being a musical bedrock under every session tune and song with some of the best mandolin I've heard. Also our mate Les, who did a marvellous job of instructing an uncontrollable crocodile of 20 culture vultures on the tour of Hull9. Sorry you couldn't make it over for the Sunday session, Les, but I know there were transport difficulties.
The highest point of a pretty high weekend for me was, however, hearing my favourite song of all time, Exile's Son, performed by its author.
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sj