Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: GUEST,ken johnson
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 12:01 PM

Murray,
thanks for the kind words and the link to the verse, but on reading the extra lyrics I'm inclined to agree. I was also given a set of words for "a last verse" by Ron Shuttleworth around the time of the video but for reasons stated earlier I didn't get round to learning them either. I too had another look at the tape and wonder if the young girl singing "Oom pa pa" is Tina from Kirkby in Ashfield / Nottingham area.          Ken

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 04:39 AM

Ken, you can find the lyrics to the final verse, posted by Bill Sables Here.

May I say that your singing of the Funeral Song is IMHO one of the highlights of the tape, and upon reflection, nothing is lost by the omission of the final verse, which seems to me to sit a little incongruously with the rest of what is a very clever and funny song.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 11:55 AM

I've had another look at the tape - scanning the audience more carefully as well as the singers...

Although I said I was still a Doveite in 1991, there is someone sitting near Hugh in the early part of the tape who from some angles looks awfully like Tim Edwards - and sitting next to him someone who might just be me (not very flattering shots though!).

The young lady with the guitar who sings immediately before "Johnny I hardly knew you" looks suspiciously like Claire (whom I last saw at Donisthorpe - Lynne and Ted's singing weekend - in 2002). The concertina players are Gordon and Pam, who stewarded the Rugby Club singarounds (and stopped coming to Sidmouth after these were discontinued - I bumped into them in Whitby a few years ago).

The Australian lady(?) who sings "John Willie and the Ferret" I have seen at another festival - I think at Redditch, in a performance given by Toni Woods of Australian songs.

I also caught a glimpse of the late Alan Burbage during Rob Watson's rendition of the Piper o' Dundee.

It's been fascinating to see how many people from 1991 were in the Theatre Bar last year, and encouraging that so many good singers have been added. I'm looking forward to this year's sessions!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: GUEST,ken johnson
Date: 17 Apr 04 - 01:36 PM

oops that should be 93

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: GUEST,ken johnson
Date: 17 Apr 04 - 01:33 PM

Murray,Kitty et al
1 Video was shot over two or more days, note change of clothing by singers on camera more than once.... sunday and thurs I think
2 Sylvia from Stoke/potteries sings "farewell he" and spoons on "hopping down in kent",Rob Watson from Derby sang "piper o dundee" straight after me singing the funeral song all other ones I know have been expertly identified by Herga Kitty.
as for my not singing the last verse of the funeral song ,I believe that it was written some time after I originally learned it' and by the time I became aware of keith's extra verse I had all but dropped it from my repetoire as it had become a very hackneyed song, especially up north. can any one help me with the lyrics though?, as I still sometimes get asked to sing it.As I said to m.c. fat yesterday I am very flatteed to have been mistaken for Keith.
p.s. I have videos from 92,63,& 94 of the theatre barsingers Ken

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Apr 04 - 02:34 PM

I wonder whether Ken can identify the people I couldn't...

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: MC Fat
Date: 16 Apr 04 - 10:15 AM

Ken has just told me that he has a copy of this. Ken usually gets mistook for Mike Harding but is extremely flattered to be mistook for Keith Marsden

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: MC Fat
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 06:42 AM

Could someone get a copy of the video to Ken I'm sure he would like it !!

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 15 Apr 04 - 04:22 AM

Thanks for taking the time to post that, Kitty. I am glad you cleared up the question of who sang "The Funeral Song".
I did notice that Ken Johnson omitted the final verse, which made me think that it probably wasn't Keith Marsden singing.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 14 Apr 04 - 09:39 PM

OK, the video from Murray arrived today and I've just watched it. I'm afraid to say that I was still being a Doveite in 1991, but nevertheless I recognised a few people.

From Murray's post of 19 Feb:

1 was Maglan. She sings "No more auction lot" later on the tape.

2 I didn't recognise.

3 was Jerry, singing the Kippers version of Dido, Fido.

4 was Chris Gorniak, singing Lowlands Away, with full beard, and Pam next to him.

5 Judith Proctor sang the Gasman cometh, and her son (Richard?) sang "There'll be more next year".

6 - I didn't recognise.

7 - John Noden, husband of Maglan. One of the people he approaches during the song is Moira Craig.

8 - is indeed One Bar Too Many, before Doug Bailey's hair turned grey... singing "the Wreckers" and "Who liveth so merry"

9 - yes, is Hector Christie, singing the Terror Time.

10 and 11 I can't name, but 12 was Ken Johnson from Chesterfield singing "All his other wives", not Keith Marsden (although he wrote the song). Ken appears earlier on the tape singing the Farmer's Toast.

Ken Hughes sang the Bold Drover.

There's a young Damien Barber playing the concertina and singing "don't despise the deserter". Damien used to sing at the evening sessions in the Rugby Club, too.

Rosie Longhurst singing "I wish I had someone to love me". From Moorfolk also, the tape kicks off with Bill Walter singing "Bring us a barrel" (another Keith Marsden song!) and then Jan singing.

Phil Jarrett singing "On board the Anglesey".

Mick Pearce singing and playing Whitby Whaler and Tarpaulin Jacket.

Mike Ruff singing and playing "City of New Orleans".

Colin Waters singing "Fling it here, fling it there." Una Waters singing an alphabetical song. Andy Jackson (organiser of Miskin festival) singing "will we ever dig coal again?" Ron from Shrewsbury singing Grey Funnel Line.

The MC was Hugh Diamond, who sang Amazing Grace and Bring it on home - he asked Ken Hughes when his first session would be so I reckon this was filmed during the first Saturday lunchtime singaround in the Theatre Bar.

Louise Burbage and Monni Aldous also sang. John Dowell, Andy Barnes, Malc Austen and Moira Craig can all be seen in the audience.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: snake19
Date: 20 Feb 04 - 12:24 PM

4,Sounds like Andy Jackson.He often sang lowlands Away.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 20 Feb 04 - 12:13 PM

As for the number 9 Scotsman. I wonder if it could have been Bob Wood, he was regular at Sidmouth at that time and I'm sure he was there in 1991. I recall chatting to Archie with him.

Kitty - I'll definitely take them to the National.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 10:13 PM

That doesn't sound like me, I think. I've got a feeling I only got into Theatre barring as a regular Sidmouth thing a year or so later, and it'd have been 1994 I sang the Marmite song, because that's the year I wrote it.

Ken Hughes, of course, is sadly dead now.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 03:21 PM

Number one might be Maglan Noden, who has now retired with husband John from their home in Hereford to her original home island of St Helena (yes, the one where Napoleon ended up).

5 could possibly be Judith Proctor, as she and her son have both sung in the Theatre Bar. She's an afficionada of Flanders and Swann and Stan Rogers' songs....

8 sounds like One Bar Too Many - Doug Bailey of Wildgoose Studios, Wherwell, Hampshire (where I recorded Dark the Day with Mick), his wife Sue, and Dick and Melanie Henrywood - the Wreckers' song (On a dark night, with a false light, the wreckers are out) was written by Sarah Davis, who lives in Whitchurch, Hampshire. Doug plays cittern, Dick plays concertina, IIRC Mel plays whistle.

Could 9 possibly have been Hector Christie? (He has been known to drop into the bar and sing, but I don't know if he was at the festival in 1991.)

The one who looked like McGrath might have been McGrath. "Send in the Cones" was perpetrated by Les Barker and included in "Dog only Nose" and I understand that the Sondheim management took it very badly and wouldn't give permission for a recording.....

Other blokes with beards.... haven't a clue, sorry.

Gilly and Ian Hewitt may be in Sidmouth this weekend for the MBS winter sing.

Kevin S - I'm afraid I've rather pathetically only made it to Herga once so far this year (work being the curse of the drinking classes), so if you are planning to turn up with old Dove programmes, please tip me off in advance.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 11:16 AM

Murray

Just one of those odd coincidences then.

Of course anybody described in your posting as black hair may well look different now..........

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 11:12 AM

Kevin, I know Archie, it wasn't him ...

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 11:02 AM

9 Scotsman sings excellent version of "The Terror Time". I feel I should know who this is, but I don't.

Well Archie Fisher was at Sidmouth that year, did he drop in to the Theatre Bar? If so then it must have been the Thursday or Friday as they were the only days he was there.

3 Burly chap with dark hair, short beard, looks like Brian Blessed singing a song about dogs. "There was Butch there was Candy there was Punch(?) there was Sandy ...."

Come to think of it the Kippers were at Sidmouth that year as well.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 10:49 AM

2 Middle-aged grey-haired/blonde lady singing "Country Life" ...

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 10:47 AM

Her is a description of some of the performances, just in case it stirs memories for anybody.

1 Statuesque black lady, looks like Odetta, singing a spiritual "I know the Lord laid his Hands on Me" with great gusto.
2 Middle-aged get-haired/blonde lady singing "Country Life"
3 Burly chap with dark hair, short beard, looks like Brian Blessed singing a song about dogs. "There was Butch there was Candy there was Punch(?) there was Sandy ...."
4 chap with huge beard, like a burst horse-hair sofa singing "Lowlands Away" (good rendition too)
5 angelic looking 9 or 10 year old boy singing a song contains refrain "Round and roubnd go the seasons". I could be wrong but I think his mother (dark-haired, pony-tail) preceded him in the session singing "It all makes work for the working man to do"
6 Black-haired chap with straggly beard giving an extrememely animated rendition of "Barratt's Privateers"
7 Interesting performance. White haired chap, looks like the photo of Kevin McGrath in the Mudcat archives wanders round room kissing all the women and singing a song contains line "so I went upon my way"
8 Four piece vocal band, (playing whistle cittern concertina) sing song about wreckers. Obviously a professional outfit.
9 Scotsman sings excellent version of "The Terror Time". I feel I should know who this is, but I don't.
10 Singer/guitarist chap sings parody "Send in the Cones". Clever.
11. Clear-voiced lady, suntanned, dark curlyish shoulder-length hair
singing heartfelt rendition of "Indiana"
12. This may be the most interesting performance on the whole tape. I think it may be Keith Marsden himself sing his "Funeral Song". Ironic if it is, since he died the day after he returned from Sidmouth that year. I never saw Keith Marsden live, but the singer does look like pictures I've seen of him. If I am wrong I am sure somebody will put me right.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 04:50 AM

It's in the post ;-)

Seriously I'll be popping into the Herga sometime in the next few weeks so I'll try to remember it then.....

Assuning you'll be there on the night in question (whenever).

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 02:40 PM

DG&D Dave

How very gallant of you not to mention that in 1991 I would almost certainly have been in the Dove morning session too... which reminds me, if Kevin's filing system's that good, what's happened to the Dove working programmes that he promised last year at the National to send us?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: DG&D Dave
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 10:37 AM

1991 Hummm. That's the year that we cannot identify the US winner of the Doom, Gloom & Despondancy song competiion (see unanswered queries perma-thread).

I'm certain that the competition was held in the Theatre Bar, I'm pretty certain that we followed a Hugh Diamond session. I don't suppose the the video could include the DG&D.

Oh. Kevin I can confirm that you were not at the morning sessions in the Theatre Bar, you were in the Dove!

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 08:05 PM

Tomorrow, I have some time free, so I shall watch the video one more time and take notes of some of the performances so that Kitty can ID them if possible.

(Personally, I would be perfectly willing to copy the tape and send Kitty a copy, as long as this doesn't create an ethical problem. I am fairly certain that JKL will no longer have the tape in stock )

The original I will send to Derek Schofield.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 04:26 PM

I would hope that the video included Geoff and Bessie Rye, who were involved in the festival from the beginning - Bessie sang, and Geoff told stories.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 04:00 PM

A quick check of my 1991 Sidmouth Working Programme (aren't files wonderful?) shows that the Theatre Bar singarounds were chaired by Hugh Diamond (3 days), Tim Edwards (2 days), Ken Hughes and Gilly Hewitt (1 day each).

Of course the programme doesn't state which day JKL were filming.

I don't think I dropped in to the Bar that year, at least not during those sessions (10.30 - 12.00 a bit early for me......). May well have been in the bar at other times although, according to the programme I only MC'd one thing in that complex all week.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 02:58 PM

I've just chanced on the words of the song that Kevin Sheils sang in the Theatre Bar last year...


Now Kevin McGrath the MC said
Would you like to sing a song that's going through your head
You can sing it standing up or from where you're sat
Now Kevin McGrath wouldn't we like that
With me too-ri-a fol the diddle da
Especially the one about the Marmite jar

Well every year at the Theatre Bar
They call upon singers from both near and far
The songs may be happy or they may be sad
They may be contemp'ry or they may be trad
With me too-ri-a fol the diddle da
Anything goes down at the Theatre Bar

So if you've got a party piece you'd like to try
But your worried that your throat may get dry
There's no need to worry there's no need to fear
You can get a cup of tea or a pint of beer
With me too-ri-a fol the diddle da
I'm not sure about the tea but I like a jar

This event is organised by Kitty and Tim
And another fellow but I don't know him
They work very hard to make the venue thrive
It's a very good way to keep the songs alive
With me too-ri-a fol the diddle da
So make sure you get down to the Theatre Bar

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 01:46 PM

I'd probably recognise quite a lot of the singers, but not necessarily as Catters. I'm pretty sure the Theatre Bar was where I first heard McGrath singing Marmite....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: snake19
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 03:08 AM

I was there,it was Hugh Diamond.

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 02:19 AM

Amazing Grace, accordion, high tenor voice....sounds like Hugh Diamond!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 04:43 PM

The video is indeed a JKL video, and I shall email Derek regarding it.
If it is of any use to him he is welcome to have it.

Kitty, I am afraid I am not as au fait with the Sidmouth hierarchy as you are ! *G* The tape has been edited to contain only the performances. There is not much in the way of between-song banter, and I don't think there is any indication of who is running the session. Leastways I can't tell, but somebody who knows all the people involved may be able to deduce ...

The name Ken Hughes does ring a bell in the back of my mind. I have a feeling he organized the Burns celebratory event at Sidmouth some years back during which I played backing guitar for the Scottish singer Gilly Hewitt. I cannot remember what he looks like however, so am unable to say if he is on the tape or not.

One performance which sticks in my mind is a chap playing accordion and simultaaneously singing a swinging version of "Amazing Grace" in a high tenor voice. Does that strike a chord with any Sidmouth regulars ?

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 02:31 PM

Slightly tangential, but I'm very pleased to report that Tim Edwards and I have just both been invited by Alan Bearman to run singarounds in the Theatre Bar at this year's 50th festival.

Murray - who was running the 1991 singaround? - Tim Edwards, Hugh Diamond, Ken Hughes...?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 02:01 PM

Murray, could you contact me about this video please. Is it a JKL video?
derek at sidmouthfestival.com

Subject: RE: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Folkiedave
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 12:13 PM

Derek Schofield may be interested in this as he is writing a book about Sidmouth Festival - I have brought your message to his attention.

Dave
www.collectorsfolk.co.uk

Subject: Theatre Bar videotape, Sidmouth 1991
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 15 Feb 04 - 06:27 PM

Looking through my old tapes I came across this one which I must have bought during one of my visits to Sidmouth in the early 90's. It is a three hour recording of a singaround in the Theatre Bar in 1991.

I am certain there must be at least a few Mudcatters performing on this tape. If you own it, and can identify any of the performers, I would be interested to know who they are.