Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall

Subject: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Wotcha
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 11:43 AM

I'll be visiting the Penzance area of Cornwall, between about 22 Oct thru 31 Oct. Are there any folk sings/circles/pubs anyone can recommend? Appreciate the help.

Cheers, Brian

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Kernow John
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 01:37 PM

Brian
If you like to sing/play and join in then ring me I've posted the number to you.
1 session at The Fountain, Newbridge (Thursday) about 3 miles from Penzance.
1 session at Cadgwith (Tuesday)on the Lizard so a little further from Penzance but worth a visit.
Gurnards Head, Nr. Morvah (Wednesday.
I go to the first two regularly and can vouch for the welcome you will get at both. Let me know if your going and I'll arrange to meet and introduce you.
Regards Baz

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: John Wood
Date: 05 Oct 99 - 01:49 PM

Hi Baz.
Were you at the one day festival at Cadgewith in the summer?
If you were, then maybe we've met.

Greetings John(oslo).

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Kernow John
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 07:17 PM

John
Yes I have been lucky enough to be at all of them so far.
I was the tall guy with the beard and ponytail playing Bazouki. Guitar and Low D whistle. My wife Marion was there also playing concertina and a recorder(not at the same time).
It was a great day all round wasn't it? The shanty group that were there 'Hanging Johnny' have just been 'discoverd' by the French and have been on tour there with bookings following to some big festival bookings for next year.
If you picked up one of the Cadgwith tapes while you were there Marion was the one singing Fir an Bhata and The Farewell Shanty.
Regards John (Known as Baz)

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Wotcha
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 07:18 AM

BAZ,

Thanks for your info. I will call when I arrive. I'll be splashing for some local tapes if you can direct me to the local folk store. I will not be bringing my concertina, I am still figuring it out and trying to keep the sand out!

Looking forward to the sings! Cheers, Brian

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: poet
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 07:38 PM

Be carefull ive only been to one f/club in Cornwall (Nr St Ives) it was Dry.

Graham

mind you that was thirty years ago.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: the button
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 07:48 AM

Bumping this thread from yrs ago, because I'm coming to Cornwall for the weekend of Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th February. Would be nice to go to a local session/singaround/club while I'm about. We'll be staying in Penzance.

Cheers.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: GUEST,Suegorgeous
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 10:09 AM

I'd be interested in this too, as I usually go to Penwith once a year or so. The only one I'm sure is still happening is the session at the Star in St Just on Mondays. I'm pretty certain the Gurnard's Head doesn't do music at all any more? would be great to know of the current places for sings/sessions/open mics.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Hawker
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 01:42 PM

Cadgwith Inn Singarounds Tuesdays contact Dave Hearn 01326 240603
Bodmin Folk Club Feb 8th Andy Clark guest Barley Sheaf contact Vic Legg 01208 75261
Lee Mill, Westward Inn, Sundays 8pm Feb 10 Martin Simpson guest contact Anton Horwich 01822 853620
Helston - Wheal Dream Folk Club Wendron Sundays 8 pm contact Niall Timmins 01736 850630
Helston Blue Anchor Thursdays 8pm contact Bob Love 01326 314796
Penzance Pirate Inn Alverton Tuesdays 8.30 contact Bernard Evans 01736 366284
Bude Folk Club Sunday 10th Falcon Inn, in The Carriage Room. Contact Lucy Burrow 01288 341582
There are probably more but these are the better known gatherings which are appropriate to wehn you will be there.
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: kimsky
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 02:00 PM

There's also a weekly wednesday session at the Earl of Chatham in Lostwithiel - kicks off around 8.30 and ends when the landlord's had enough of us!(generally 12.30ish)....

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 02:50 PM

Thanks for that, Hawker & kimsky. Possibly looking good for the Blue Anchor. Nice one.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: GUEST,the button
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 03:34 AM

^ That post was from me, the button, btw. I'm on somebody else's pooter.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: GUEST,the button
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 08:00 AM

OK, got one in Zennor on Thursday night. Don't know all the details -- we're meeting a friend who'll be taking us along. Will feedback what is was like on my return.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 05:06 PM

Does anyone know if the Boscastale folk session is still on, is it at The Wellington?

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Cats
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 02:03 PM

Yes, but ring first as sometimes it starts quite late.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 01:14 PM

What day is it on? Monday or Tuesaday? Or has it changed altogether?

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Cats
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 01:35 PM

Hi Unicorn Man, it is usually on a Wednesday.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 02:05 PM

Arrrrrrhhh. Thanks for that Cats you are a life saver. I would have gone Mon or Tues. Still the bloke at the post office in Port Isacc is in a sea shanty group, he will know. Cheers TTFN

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: kimsky
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 02:07 PM

hiya - I should also add that a Brand New Venture has started at the YHA Golant (near Fowey) on the last Sunday of the month...8-11, the second one being on 24th Feb

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 09 Feb 08 - 08:20 AM

What sort of thing will it be?

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: kimsky
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 06:59 AM

it will be a session. The manager of the YHA is very reluctant for people to pay...so I'm not going to be as involved as I'd initially thought. My idea had it running along the lines of the Troyl Club in Truro, where not only do you have floor spots, a bit of a session AND guests - and people don't seem to mind paying a few pounds for all that. There seem to be very few venues in Cornwall for folk where you can get paid spots (even if just 'costs')(I'm not talking about the pubs who want endless renditions of Black Velvet Band and Irish Rover- good tunes they may be...) and my particular beef (if I may air it here and risk excommunication) is that my local folk club, which has been around since the end of the 60's, has a 'policy' of not booking 'local' acts...which is why I thought a brand new venture offering local and other performers those opportunities from the off might be such a good thing round these parts!
sorry for the rant- I don't know where that came from (frustrated-lack of local opportunity- performer...)

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: kimsky
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 07:07 AM

in my raving I forgot to mention that there is also a stunning session at the St Day Inn on Thursdays - Neil Davey and Hilary Coleman preside (they of 'Dalla' fame)...more music than singing, generally, and well worth a visit!

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: GUEST,the button
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 03:46 PM

OK, I'm back. Had a lovely time in The Tinner's Arms in Zennor on Thursday. It's a "tunes" session, playing a mix of Irish, English & European tunes -- and not at 100mph. The session is led (informally) by a very talented fiddler, who's clearly doing his bit to bring on some younger players.

I took my concertina along just in case, but ended up just listening for most of the evening, which was fine. I'm mostly a song accompanist, but struck up a couple during a lull in proceedings when a couple of the regular session players expressed an interest in hearing the wee beastie.

Anyway, recommended as an evening out in a lovely pub and a chance to hear a good mix of tunes. In terms of the instruments there, there was fiddle or three, a double bass, some mandolins, a couple of guitars and a very talented whistle player (standard & low D whistles).

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 03:55 PM

Button

Would they be open to singers, do you reckon?

Sue

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 04:15 PM

Guess I'll just have to go along and find out next time I'm down there! :) I used to go the Gurnard's Head one before it shut down, and that was just musicians, but they welcomed me singing there.

Also - no one has mentioned the session on Mondays at the Star in St Just, it's been going for decades I think. Very good sesh.

Sue

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: GUEST,the button
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 06:35 PM

Hi Sue -- I did reply, but my post got deleted. Probably because I didn't identify myself.

The gist of what I posted was.... "I dunno, really." As you say yourself, might be worth a try. Lovely pub, anyway.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 10 Feb 08 - 06:46 PM

Button

No, I was replying to that other post! I thought your "dunno" was expressing "probably not", so I thought, I'll just have to go along and try.... (wonder where it went, why would it have got deleted?!)

Yes, isn't it just.....very few of that kind of pub left....

sue

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: GUEST,the button
Date: 11 Feb 08 - 03:07 PM

Great pub for the dog-lover, as well -- there were about 4 at the session. Amazingly, none of them started howling when I struck up the concertina, either.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: Phil the Apseudonymous
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 05:40 PM

Evening all.
It might be appropriate, and certainly expedient, to mention on this thread that the popular weekly Wednesday session at the Earl of Chatham in Lostwithiel has now changed nights (to a Tuesday) and venues, to a much more hospitable pub, the King's Arms, which is busier, cheerier, snugger (if that's a word) and more central. The first sesh in our new home was last night and a good time was had by all, with a splendid turn-out from the regulars. We'd be happy to see more newcomers; singers and players (and listeners, for that matter) most welcome. It's a St Austell pub, so Tribute is available, and informality is the keynote. About 8.30-ish for 9 every Tuesday, so put a note in your diaries, or upload an applet to your Blackberry, or whatever it is you young people do to organise your busy lives these days.

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 13 Oct 11 - 02:32 AM

I'll be in Cornwall near Mevagissey 15th - 21st October, anywhere to sing?

Sal

Subject: RE: Folk Sings/Circles in Cornwall
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Oct 11 - 05:08 AM

Thought this clip, might be of interest to you Kernow folkies. Present, and past.