EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe

Subject: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Vic Smith
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 07:44 AM

Part of a press release just received from the EFDSS contains the very welcome news that Pete & Sue Coe are to be awarded the Society's Gold Badge. Here is the part of the press release that lists (some of) their achievements:-

Pete and Sue Coe

This year, Pete Coe has celebrated more than 50 years of music making on the English folk scene. His contributions include traditional song research, song writing in traditional style, the founding of several seminal bands, plus solo and duo performances, dance calling, recording, field research, local folk activism in Ryburn Three Step and teaching at various levels.

He was the founder member and visionary force behind three particularly ground breaking groups – The New Victory Band, Bandoggs and Red Shift – all of which brought something new to the folk scene.

As well as developing a wide range of traditional songs for performance, Pete has had an illustrious songwriting career with many songs covered by other artists. His collecting of a single verse of Marching Down through Rochester with its Waltzing Matilda tune, and its subsequent expansion to a full song has made him the focus of attention by various researchers in search of the roots of the famous Australian song. Most recently Mark Radcliffe featured his rather personal Rolling Down The Ryburn on his BBC Radio 2 programme, sung by Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar.

Pete has contributed a number of field recordings including Caleb Walker (musician for Manley Morris), travellers Charlotte & Betsy Renals and Sophie Legge, and Willy Taylor. He has carried out extensive research into the work of Frank Kidson, which resulted in a touring show and a CD under the title of Five Finger Frank.

Pete has also worked extensively in schools throughout the country as a visiting musician both on his own account and for the EFDSS on the Take 6 Project. He was also a founder member of Ryburn Three Step, along with wife Sue.

Sue Coe came to English folk music later in her husband Pete's career and added her enthusiastic contributions with huge administration efforts within Ryburn Three Step. Sue provided all the administration including early funding applications as well as teaching Appalachian dance and the longsword side for Ryburn Three Step.

Ryburn Three Step organises a range of regular activities for local people including clog and Appalachian step dance classes, a singing group, a longsword dance side plus an offshoot rapper side, a mummer's side, monthly folk club and dance, occasional workshop days plus weekly music sessions in the local pub.

She developed Ryburn Longsword over several years, recruiting youngsters from local schools and ultimately including their mothers in the dancing, resulting in a junior and a senior team. Along with team members she developed new dances with a local flavour and has presented the Ryburn team regularly at dance festivals.

Sue continues to run weekly workshops for disabled and wheelchair bound youngsters, developing dances suitable for their abilities and providing for them a very necessary inclusion.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 07:54 AM

wel deserved

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 07:57 AM

furthermore Pete once lent me his banjo, a veritable good egg

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: nickp
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 08:35 AM

Excellent and well deserved too.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 09:08 AM

Hearty congratulations - very well deserved indeed.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: johnadams
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 09:31 AM

.... and you gave it back Good Soldier Schweik????????

Now we have the culprit!

Huge congratulations to our colleagues in Ryburn 3 Step - Pete & Sue Coe. Probably a long overdue award but now arrived.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Vic Smith
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 09:39 AM

I watched this happening, John. It was at a fairly recent Tenterden festival. Pete was standing by the side of the stage; I tried to distract him but Dick came off-stage and straight up to Pete and handed it to him. Ah well.....

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: johnadams
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 09:41 AM

Pffffffffft!

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 09:47 AM

i chucked it down a well at the same time as a piano accordion[needless to say the PA was not Petes] which one hit the bottom first,nobody cares.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: GUEST,Anne Neilson
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 12:23 PM

Lovely news -- and so well deserved for two very committed people who will continue to give back to the tradition!

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 01:09 PM

Excellent choice. Congratulations to both of you. very well deserved.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: GUEST,LynnH
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 01:39 PM

Congratulations!

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Raggytash
Date: 19 Jul 16 - 01:44 PM

Couldn't happen to a nicer couple. Well done to them both.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: vectis
Date: 20 Jul 16 - 04:20 AM

A very good decision from EFDSS. Not before time too.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Brian Peters
Date: 20 Jul 16 - 07:10 AM

Very pleased to hear this - and, as Vectis says, not before time. Well done both of you.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Jul 16 - 07:56 AM

Very well deserved, well done Pete and Sue.

Dave H

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: peregrina
Date: 20 Jul 16 - 12:51 PM

Many congratulations!

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jul 16 - 04:03 AM

Great Stuff. About time Pete and Sue were recognised for their contributions.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: GUEST,Wheatman
Date: 21 Jul 16 - 04:04 AM

That guest was me, dropped from the system again!!

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Wheatman
Date: 21 Jul 16 - 04:07 AM

There we are back, again

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: treewind
Date: 21 Jul 16 - 09:27 AM

Congratulations to Pete and Sue. As implied by others, about **** time too!

No banjo stories, but I still have the 1 row melodeon I bought from Pete a few years ago. It doesn't have the cigarette holder on it any more...

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: GUEST,Vin2
Date: 21 Jul 16 - 03:39 PM

Fantastic news! Saw Pete perform last week-end at Saddleworth - brilliant as ever.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: GUEST,Gilly
Date: 21 Jul 16 - 05:44 PM

Marvellous and richly deserved. A lot of water's gone under the bridge since the Painter's Arms in the 1970's, Pete, together with people like Taffy Thomas, Dave Hunt, Vic Baker, John K, Sue Harris, Bill Caddick - oh, and Chris - inspired an awful lot of us to start out in the music. We owe them all a huge debt.

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 22 Jul 16 - 05:22 AM

Congratulations to both!

Subject: RE: EFDSS Gold Badge for Pete & Sue Coe
From: bubblyrat
Date: 22 Jul 16 - 02:53 PM

Pete Coe will soon be coming here to South Zeal for the Dartmoor Folk Festival. Meanwhile, Paul Wilson and Marilyn Tucker of Wren Music have been similarly honoured with the EFDSS Gold Badge, to be presented at the Cygnet Theatre in Exeter by Eliza Carthy; Dick Rowe will read the citation,and Peggy Seeger will perform.Paul and Marilyn are known for their work on the Baring -Gould collection . I believe that he (BG ) wrote "Onward Christian Soldiers" in the Oxenham Arms here (South Zeal )a minute's walk from where I write !!