G'day,

I can onlt be slightly consoled by the fact that Wayne Richmond (Sydney music and IT fanatic) really worked hard to dig out video and (separate DAT) soundtrack of The Bushwhackers Band's 50 anniversary Reunion at the 2002 (Australian) National Folk Festival. This was an utterly packed event before a new performance of Reedy River - an iconic musical play that first let the Australian public see what a treasurehouse of songs we had been ignoring.

The Bushwhackers provided the songs and music in the 1953/4 Sydney production (after Melbourne's New Theatre had used a small pit orchestra and a choir!) ... and thus created the prototype "Bush Band" of the folk revival ... and, for a while, the copies all called themselves "Bushwhacker Bands"! The enthusiasm they created launched the Bush Music Club and the (shorter-lived) original Australian Folklore Society.

I'm glad that we were able to get Chris - and his family and friends - together to see the video ... before we lost Chris. Damn - the Biblical three score and ten was not enough Chris for us .. or Chris! The sure knowledge that Chris was dying before our eyes was far worse than the single shock of an unexpected death can be.

Regards to all you who loved Chris and what he gave us,

Bob Bolton