PRESS RELEASE THAT KATE HAS JUST WRITTEN:-
WHITE HORSE FOLK FESTIVAL, GROVE - 12th – 14TH AUGUST 2011

This year's festival will mark 25 years since the first Stanford in the Vale Folk Festival in 1986 which in 1997 moved to Grove and became the White Horse Folk Festival. WHFF is a small, intimate, friendly festival where there is an emphasis on creating an inclusive atmosphere and encouraging everyone to play a part in the weekend's events. There is plenty of opportunity to sing, play or tell a story with singarounds and music sessions every day.

Invited performers are encouraged to be part of the general goings-on over the weekend and will host workshops, mini-concerts or give special presentations as well as performing in the Saturday evening concert in Grove Village Hall. This year's guests include JEZ LOWE, one of the finest folk songwriters in the world, a superb singer, guitar & cittern player and musical ambassador for his native North-East England; GEOFF HIGGINBOTTOM whose big voice, big songs and a big sense of fun have won friends up and down the country; and VICKI SWAN & JONNY DYER, great singers & musicians with smallpipes, accordion & swedish nyckelharpa.

Local and visiting dance sides add colour and variety on the Saturday, dancing out around Wantage and Grove during the day. Dancers will include ICKNIELD WAY MORRIS MEN, Cotswold morris at its finest, light & lively!; FERRETTE MORRIS, our visitors from Alsace, France; CORNUCOPIA, energetic Appalachian & British Clogging and ROSE HIPS BELLY DANCERS, graceful & alluring dancers from Wantage.

Then on Saturday evening in The Old Mill Hall, Grove, WHFF joins forces with White Horse Ceilidhs for a stomping English Ceilidh. POLKAWORKS provide the music guaranteed to keep the dance floor bouncing; energetic and lively, this ceilidh supergroup will have everyone dancing their socks off! Caller Barry Goodman will guide the room through each dance so no experience needed, just comfy shoes and a sense of fun!

Many of the weekend's events are free including the dance displays, music sessions and "Big Sings" . Tickets for the concert in Grove Village Hall are £10 and for the ceilidh in the Old Mill Hall are £8. Individual tickets for other events are available on the door. Best value is a Weekend ticket, which at only £25 covers all events and allows camping on Friday and Saturday night.

Full details of all events and how to get tickets are available on the website www.WhiteHorseFolkFestival.co.uk. If you enjoy live traditional music and dancing then go along and enjoy the atmosphere at the White Horse Folk Festival Silver Jubilee.


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