Kelso Folk Festival

Subject: Kelso Folk Festival
From: Allan Conn
Date: 02 Aug 21 - 11:21 AM

After being cancelled last year due to covid the Kelso Folk Festival is going ahead this year. The festival is held from Friday 3rd Sept to Sunday 5th Sept and features concerts from Maggie MacInnes, the Siobhan Miller Band, Luke Daniels & the Cobhers, North Sea Gas and Martin & Eliza Carthy as well as the Irish dancers Absolutely Legless. There is also to be a Saturday afternoon session at Kelso Cricket Club as well as floor spots on Sunday afternoon in the Cross Keys. All performers are welcome and further details on the session and floor spots nearer the time!!

Please see the website for full details below in the blue clicky. The concerts will be socially distanced and masks are still mandatory at inside events in Scotland when out of your seats and moving around.

Please note that attendance is restricted to a maximum of 200 peoples for the concerts so it is strongly advised that to guarantee a seat tickets should be bought in advance. We will have a refund policy if you need to cancel because of covid.    http://www.kelsofolkfest.org/

Subject: RE: Kelso Folk Festival
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 02 Aug 21 - 04:24 PM

Sounds great, Allan: could be tempted! I think the last time I was in Kelso for any folk music was when you had the first ever Both Sides the Tweed Festival there!

Subject: RE: Kelso Folk Festival
From: Johnny J
Date: 02 Aug 21 - 06:51 PM

I visited in 2018(I think?) and the concerts etc were excellent.

Less happening in the session side of things compared to some festivals and they tended to have more of an "Open Mic" feel about them.

The festival is well worth a visit though......

One concert on Sunday afternoon at The Cross Keys featured two duos from The Conservatoire in a "Before and After" scenario. The first duo were just beginning their course and the second had just completed their last year(or were on it).
While they were all excellent musicians, I actually preferred the younger outfit who just played good traditional music very well without all the clever stuff.

Subject: RE: Kelso Folk Festival
From: Allan Conn
Date: 03 Aug 21 - 03:07 AM

Oh heavens Tattie that is going back. Would be the year 2000 I think! Maybe before! The current festival is a newish baby and is run entirely by the Folk Club. I suggested in 2017 that we plan a festival for the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Carham which was arguably when this area became a part of Scotland. It was decided just to start if 2017 and try and run it every year and one of the committee members, Andy Smith, really took it on as his baby and he does a great job with the bulk of the organising.

Johnny is right in that it is more concert based. A few years ago we used to bring folk acts to the club on a pretty regular basis - about once every three months - but a section of the members really didn't like giving up their normal nights. So this now works as a compromise where we bring a few acts all over the same weekend.

There is normally a traditional session in the White Swan (was temporarily changed to the name Tipsy Ghillie) on Saturday afternoons but that won't be happening this year. Because we are still unsure whether rules would even allow inside sessions - but mostly because the organiser of that feels uncomfortable about holding it this year. At the same time from 2pm or so we normally have more mixed informal sessions centring on Rutherfords in the Square too. That is changed to the Cricket Club this year - and in truth will be kind of weather dependent.

The Cricket Club, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this month, is in Shedden Park just at the back of this year's concert venue the Tait Hall. There is planned to be ukelele players giving a wee turn from 11:30 to 12 noon - then it's just be an informal session which will probably last most of the afternoon though some folks with tickets will decamp to the Tait Hall between 1pm and 2pm for North Sea Gas.

It is weather dependent though. The club house itself isn't huge so if weather disrupts things it won't be great. So yes I'd say if you are travelling from afar don't come specifically for a session unless the weather is obviously going to be favourable. We are though expecting an update on Covid rules this afternoon - however even if social distancing is ending we have made the decision to stick to our plans for seating at the main concerts just so everyone feels safe. Likewise in the unlikely event that masks become non compulsory in the concert venues we will still be asking if folk could possibly wear them when moving around inisde.

I normally run a free concert between 12 noon and 1:30pm in our normal venue the Old Parish Church on the Saturday. Normally a half dozen or so different local acts. That is not happening this year. The website says this Best of Borders concert is in the Cross Keys on Sunday between 2:30pm and 4:30pm. That is incorrect and needs changing. It will be a free event for any performer who turns up as well as the local members to perform. We normally have these floor spot evenings in the Oak Room but again because of distancing it will be upstairs in the main ballroom. We just thought folk have not had the chance to do a turn for a year and a half so it wouldn't be fair on them to restrict the performers to a certain few.

Subject: RE: Kelso Folk Festival
From: Johnny J
Date: 03 Aug 21 - 04:41 AM

It may well have been 1999 for the first BSOT Festival which now seems a long time ago...

I think there were 2-3 years at Innerleithen after that and a couple at Eyemouth before moving to Selkirk.

Subject: RE: Kelso Folk Festival
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 03 Aug 21 - 12:38 PM

I'm pretty sure the first BSOTT was in 2000, as it was a "Millennium project" - and it was where I first met you and Wilma, Johnny Jay: you were very kind and welcomed me to sit with you in the concerts.
And yes, there were 2 more BSOTTs at Innerleithen, 2 at Eyemouth and then the one at Selkirk. (And Innerleithen started their own festival after the 2 BSOTTs there.)
Thanks for all the info, Allan C.

Subject: RE: Kelso Folk Festival
From: Johnny J
Date: 06 Sep 21 - 04:57 AM

Thanks for a very enjoyable festival.

I realise it it was a little more "low key" this year but the concerts were excellent and I felt very safe too.

Also, although there were fewer sessions than normal, these actually suited me better this year especially some of the "tune ones" in the Legion and late night at The Cross Keys. There was also some good "mixed" sessions at Rutherfords with some very talented singers there.
Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get to the cricket club and others but I believe they were very good too.