Sidmouth on BBC Four

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: Gray D
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 01:37 PM

Go on then, 'Catters. I've started it, you follow it up.

It's on the "Sidmouth film on BBC4" thread here, but you have to register and log in to post there.

Gray D

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: Gray D
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 01:43 PM

Oh, but they close at 22:00 BST - 'cos of budget restrictions - sheesh!

Gray D

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: Seaking
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 04:35 PM

Watched the programme when we got back from Towersey. They used a three second close-up of my daughter Rosanna playing her fiddle in the Bedford - but edited it into a tune she's never heard or played.

Liked the programme generally but would have liked to have seen something of the many singarounds, workshops or Middle Bar sessions - or even the MBS Thursday 'singing in the sea' event. Not sure what they would have made of Wimmin's night....

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 04:39 PM

Sidmouth runs not because of the MBS there is the theatre bar,bedford which was shown,etc.etc.Why does all the MBS think they have to be shown on tv??????

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 05:09 PM

The BBC Four message board stays open to midnight, and that's where most of the Sudmouth posts are, it appears. (The Mudcat makes these BBC websites look like they are worked by rubber bands...Clunky!)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: Seaking
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 05:49 PM

Guest with no name, I never for a minute thought or suggested that Sidmouth runs around the Middle Bar, that is something you've obviously concluded yourself and reacted to rather exitedly . It was precisely the Theatre Bar singaround (and the York singaround too ) I was thinking of when I posted, also I repeat, the huge number of workshops covering everything from Morris dancing, bohdran, guitar, harmony singing (sorry), etc etc - all of which I would EQUALLY have liked to have seen.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 05:59 PM

You could make 20 documentaries about Sidmouth, and there'd still be stuff left out that deserved to be in there.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 06:09 PM

Well I enjoyed the programme, despite what I said earlier about bits being left out.
I agree with others that we should be grateful that the BBC are at last waking up to Folk music, even if it's so far on a channel that not everyone can get, but maybe they'll repeat it as BBC4 on 2 as they have with some other programmes. The same thing happened when the Scottish Hogmanay programmes started to include more traditional music - the whingers were at it straight away, whereas to others it was a sign of a long-awaited breakthrough.
Yes, and it could have done with being longer: after all, we get several programmes out of T in the Park, Glastonbury, etc each year, and the TV cameras were around all week.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: vectis
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 06:27 PM

I live in an area without digital broadcasts or even Channel 5 so couldn't watch it at all. Pity, because I would know 'cos I WAS there...

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: mouldy
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 03:06 AM

I watched it with some friends who were visiting, and at the scene of the torchlight procession near the end, a yell went up from one of them: "That's Kettlebridge! THERE'S THE BANNER I MADE!!!!" (It was worth it just to see her face).

I agree that it was a bit fragmented, but how do you cram something with the size and scope of Sidmouth into an hour? At least they are putting a programme on about it, and maybe this is merely the first small step on a long road.

BBC4 seems to be what BBC2 set out originally to be, many years ago.

Andrea

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 07:29 PM

While I enjoyed the Eliza Carthy concert that preceded the Sidmouth program and even thought one tune where 3 fiddles were together was as good as I've ever heard, I am afraid I'm going to be the miserable sod on this one.

There have been some good clips of music but I'm not finding any meaning in the program. I guess if I'd ever been to Sidmouth, I'd relate to things strongly but for me it is not working in the sense of why I might (assuming it does continue) want to go there in terms of being something exceptionally special.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: John Routledge
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 08:22 PM

A one hour programme can only ever give the briefest of snatches of a one week festival.

That said I thought the programme did give an insight into the atmosphere which prevailed in Sidmouth festival up to 2004.

The Eliza Carthy concert which preceeded it was excellent.The Coppersongs which preceeded that was utterly magical and uplifting.

I knew of Bob Copper and family by reputation only and now feel that I know them as people. To acheive this in one hour is great programme making!!

More please BBC.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 09:14 PM

Well, I can't agree with Jon there, as is pretty obvious to anyone who's read this thread. But it's horses for courses, and maybe some of us are donkeys - and there's a donkey sanctuary at Sidmouth, so I suppose it's fitting that we should like the place so much.

Anyway, I hope people can make a point of letting BBCFour know we appreciate what they are doing. They've been very unfairly attacked this last week, and they deserve our thanks and encouragement. Here's a link for sending it - http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/contact.shtml

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 05:07 AM

Well I wouldn't excpect anyone to agree with me there - it was just how I found the documentary which I appreciate was enjoyed by many and I was not saying the approach was wrong - just it didn't work for me.

Whatever, I do hope everyone here agrees with all of McGrath's last paragraph. Although it would be nice at any time, I think giving them thanks at the moment particularly important.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth on BBC Four
From: Fee
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 07:02 AM

I thought the Eliza Carthy Session was brilliant, especially for 'The Bonny Fisher Boy', which I'd never heard her sing 'live' before. and the Sidmouth documentary (although obviously too short!) equally good, am still confused as to why Spiers and Boden were playing in a wood in a gale though...!.