Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 13 May 11 - 04:18 AM

Deckman, Anchorage would be wonderful -- if it weren't thousands of miles away! And Cornwall is also quite distant (I'm near Glasgow, Scotland), but thanks for the suggestion, Leadfingers.
And thank you, Gargoyle, for raising a smile and fond memories of listening to the radio when I was wee, hearing Wild Bill (?) and his Mountaineers (?) -- lots of energy and enjoyment in the performance of 'Cigareets ... etc.'

Hope I'm not coming over as an old miseryguts, Nick! I've been to clubs and heard some fine singing over the past several years, but I suppose my regret is what I perceive as the infrequency of the TOTAL EXPERIENCE as provided by the kind of performers that I named. Could it perhaps be that these singers have had years of involvement to hone their craft, and that it's therefore more likely to be a skill that comes with age? And the more I think about it, the more I'm certain that -- for me -- how a singer engages with/talks to an audience is very important. It's not telling a string of jokes, but a fine sharing of insight and personal passions.
Perhaps the most recent example would be of hearing Tich Frier compere a charity concert last December -- energy, commitment, wide choice of material, great links AND (an organiser's dream) he finished dead on the dot in a venue where good time-keeping was very necessary.

Now that I'm thinking about Tich's performance, it's also dawned on me that another necessary ingredient in a successful singer/audience relationship is trust. Going way back to when I was still at secondary school, I count myself fortunate to have seen Pete Seeger in solo concert in Glasgow (c1960?) -- masterful! Maybe that became my template? There was total musicianship and control, great variety (of mood, style, pace etc,), social comment, education, audience involvement -- the complete package. And if he'd decided to lead us all Pied Piper-style down Sauchiehall Street at the end of the concert, I think we might all just have gone!

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: GUEST,Sarah W.
Date: 12 May 11 - 08:21 PM

I don't believe I know what a folk club is!

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 May 11 - 07:54 PM

entice me out???

Cigars, cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Puffter Brit

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: Deckman
Date: 12 May 11 - 07:48 PM

Come on up to Anchorage, Alaska, next week. That's EXACTLY the performances I'm planning right now!

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: Nick
Date: 12 May 11 - 07:20 PM

How long have you been disappointed for?

Do you go to them much now?

What was the last good one you went to?

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 May 11 - 07:17 PM

You appear to be UK - Look out for Mike O Connor and Barbara Griggs - A Tad Cornish . but excellent .

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 12 May 11 - 06:51 PM

Thinking of 'rounded' performers like Pete Coe, Brian Peters, Adam McNaughtan etc.
Commitment is obviously part of it, but probably curiosity too -- pursuing personal interests into all sorts of places.
And I do love it when a singer can introduce a song with more than "This is X's version of song Y"!

And finally, for the moment at least, the occasional chorus song is a definite plus.

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 12 May 11 - 06:37 PM

What works for you, EK.

Subject: RE: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: Deckman
Date: 12 May 11 - 06:15 PM

Sounds like a perfect plan to me! bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: Performers' responsibilities/repertoire?
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 12 May 11 - 06:01 PM

Just thinking about the kind of singing performance that would entice me out to a folk club nowadays, and wondering if I'm being overly optimistic.
Here are my requirements -- a well-balanced programme, varied for pace, mood, rhythm.
                                              -- some unfamiliar songs that the performer has made effort to
                                                    unearth (but good ones, not just obscure).
                                              -- a bit of humour somewhere (in a song or an intro.).
                                              -- true engagement with the audience, conveying the singer's real
                                                    passion for the material in a natural way.
                                              -- a personal performance rather than a "cover version".
                                              -- a sense that the singer has more songs in the repertoire than
                                                    just the 20 or so from the last two CDs.
                                              -- a programme that can adjust to the needs of the audience.

I have found such gigs in the past, but less frequently recently.