UK Old Time music festival, February '07

Subject: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 06:57 AM

Once again I have the pleasure of giving some advance notice...

The Friends of American Old Time Music and Dance. FOAOTMAD (for short) is a UK based organisation catering to the tastes of like-minded old time music fans, be they musicians, Appalachian cloggers and those who just like to listen.

Our major event of the year (and the premier old time music festival in Europe) is the Gainsborough Old Time Music and Dance Festival. This takes place at Castle Hills Community School in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire and for 2007 this will be on the weekend of 16th-18th of February.

Our headline guests for the festival are the Orpheus Supertones, comprising the legendary Walt Koken (Highwoods String Band), Clare Milliner, Kellie Allen and Pete Peterson.

Also featuring are Sara Grey & Keiron Means, New Deal String Band, Dave Marshall & Andy Imms, Shape-Note singing with Cath Tyler, Freestyle clogging with Rosie Davis & Old Faded Glory, Rough Deal String Band and that master of the autoharp, Mike Fenton.

With Friday and Saturday night concerts, workshops on Saturday and Sunday, a chance to perform on the open stage on Saturday afternoon plus almost continuous sessioning, how could an old-time music enthusiast miss this highlight of the UK oldtime year!

For more information on the Gainsborough Festival, FOAOTMAD membership or any of our activities, try FOAOTMAD where festival booking forms/flyers will be available to download in a matter of days.

Nick

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 07:10 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 11:16 AM

Hi Nick,
We are certainly looking forward to being there! Been learning new songs and tunes and working out arrangements-- now even playing something in the key of E flat (without capos) which is not something too many OT musicans do. But if the East Texas Serenaders did it, so can we.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 12:40 PM

Hey Pete - if you start a session in Eb I'm outta there!
Looking forward to seeing you guys again.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 02:29 PM

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 02:33 PM

Careful Pete,

Old time sesions over here (U.K) mean you play for two hours in the key of D and then just in case you might want a change, 2 hours in the key of A and that's it !! And beware of the Old Time Police.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 03:54 PM

Last time I met Pete we played 5 hours in the Key of C - no problem whatsoever.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 04:24 PM

You actually managed to unhook your capo ??? or was it at Mt Airy and the temperature flattend your strings a whole tone, bet you even figured out G for an hour or so.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 07:35 PM

It was indeed at Mount Airy. Funny thing, temperature.
Apparently the latest Old Time Herald (which we won't get here in the UK for a week or two) has an excellent article on Walt Koken by Pete Peterson.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: Sooz
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 04:32 AM

Do we need to get hay in for the mules or will you bring your own?

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 06:57 AM

Hi Sooz - No problem with the hay, but you need to get the moonshine still fired up before Christmas - not a drop is sold till it's 30 days old.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: Sooz
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 11:25 AM

I'' see what I can do in the lab!

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 17 Dec 06 - 08:15 AM

I've got a half bottle of Georgia Moon - it's only for the tourists but I'll try and remember it in case we run out of kerosene for the lanterns.....

Nick

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: fiddler
Date: 17 Dec 06 - 05:20 PM

Well is it about time I came back to old time music now?

And is this a good time!

Any beginers appalachian?

Andy

:-)

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 17 Dec 06 - 08:19 PM

Hi Andy - you're way past beginner, and you missed a superb Dave Bing workshop in October! There should be some great fiddle workshops, but the exact nature of them isn't quite ready yet. We should have workshops from Claire Milliner and Bob Winquist, both great fiddlers, and maybe the legendary Tom Paley. Claire Milliner is currently working on what will surely be the Old Time tune bible, with I believe well over a thousand tunes transcribed from fine fiddlers, though I don't suppose it'll be ready for the festival - sigh.
Check here for details
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 04:21 AM

Hi Andy, yes beginners and intermediate althought expect it to be tipped more at flatfoot than 'team clogging' and as Ray says fiddlers coming out of our ears. Nick

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 05:52 AM

Ah - by 'Appallachian', Andy meant dancing, not fiddling - right, (slaps wrist)
Sorry (I think)
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: fiddler
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 09:20 AM

Nah thats fine Ray, unslap yourself, you expect me to be a fiddler. I hope to be there, It'd be nice to learn some dancing, but if not never mind I'll do some fiddling.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: oombanjo
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 02:06 PM

February, Can't come quick enough.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 04:41 PM

Actually, Ooombanjo, those of us doing the organising could do with a little longer!!!!!!!!!! Nick

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: fiddler
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 04:59 PM

I'd be worried if it was nay other way Nick.

Andy

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 04:47 AM

A request - is there any chance of some place being put aside for us weirdos who sing old-time songs or like to play tunes in the less standard tunings. I know your organisation is "The Friends of American Old Time Music and Dance", but we like to Sing as well.
Quack!
Geoff the Duck.
(WEBFOOTS - We Enjoy Being Friends Of Old Time Song)

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 06:04 AM

Geoff, there will be a singing pond made available for a goodly amount of time although you may have to share it with the more vocal ones.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 09:54 AM

Geoff-
The Orpheus Supertones do a whole lot of singing, from lots of sources. Remember that our source musicians (Charlie Poole, the Skillet Lickers, the Shelor Family, Uncle Dave Macon, the Carter Family) thought of themselves as entertainers first and instrumentalists only a distant second.

There's the other side of us, too-- find somebody like Ed Haley or Clark Kessinger or "Jilson Setters" who DID think of himself mainly as a fiddler, transcribe those tunes carefully and then see if they fit into a string band setting.

We are really looking forward to Gainsborough!

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: Sooz
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 01:16 PM

Anyone who fancies a break out could visit Gainsborough Folk Club on the Friday evening!

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 01:24 PM

I usually stick to the key of B Natural!Is their room for a strummer at these things?

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 02:57 PM

B Natural !! you'd probably be run out by the Old Timey Police for having bluegrass aspirations.

Remember it's A or D or at a push G or C, depends if the banjo players have lost their capos.

But I'm sure you'll have fun.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 08:12 PM

If you can think of any old time tunes in B natural, we'll play 'em. You may not recognise them, though! Any strummer's totally welcome at the fest, as long as you haven't just misspelled drummer.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 04:20 AM

Hey Sooz, who have you got at the club?

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 04:45 AM

GUEST,Pete Peterson - Thanks for the comments.
I came into old-Time stuff as somebody who sings and plays. I learnt my basics from listening to LPs of Uncle Dave Macon, Art Rosenbaum, Grandpa Jones, Sally Rogers plus the Rounder 5-String Banjo recordings from Galax County.
Most of what I heard was songs accompanied and that is what brought me into the style of music. I definitely regard what happened in America to be a tradition of singing plus music.
This whole FOATMAD scene crept up behind me while I wasn't looking and it was well underway by the time I chanced upon it.
Most of the people who go along to stuff seem to be into wall-to-wall tunes without a break. I prefer to mix my tunes with songs, playing along or listening depending on what is appropriate to the moment. I am sure that Mrs Duck and myself are not the only people who would appreciate the chance to sing and join in with other old-time singers, so I appreciate that Nick is making some provision.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: Sooz
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 04:49 AM

Whoever turns up! We only have occasional guests (the next one is Sensible Shoes on Feb 2nd)

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 08:21 PM

In a new departure for this festival, we'll have Cath Tyler leading a couple of shape-note workshops, which I admit I love the sound of, as well as a singing room reserved for anyone who wants a singaround. I love it when people sing the words of a tune, but having a crap voice and a terrible memory for lyrics, I rarely do it myself. I like to join in in when there's enough people to drown me out.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 10:11 AM

We went to a Sacred Harp day in Haworth a few weeks back. It was led by Cath Tyler. It was all new to me, but very interesting.
I expect I'll go along to learn more.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 10:32 AM

Thanks for that positive feedback Geoff. There's always a bit of worry when we try out something that doesn't involve banjos....... Grin!
Nick

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 11:51 AM

I see from my copies of the FOAOTMAD News that Carl Jones and Bev Smith have been teaching singing workshops whenever they come over, so I suspect that we'll be asked to do one or more sessions on singing. Kellie and I have adopted Ginny Hawker's advice and renamed it the "Price is Right" rule: sing the song in as high a key as you can without going over (the top).

Geoff-- looking forward to meeting you and swapping some songs-- bet we have a lot in common. When in a big jam I look for songs from Macon, Poole, Carter Family and the Skillet Lickers that have good choruses. The O'Tones learned on our last trip that we can even do songs with pretty complicated choruses-- we had the whole of the Bodmin Folk Club singing "Home by the Sea" on the second time through.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 05:54 PM

Pete - having been at the Bodmin Folk Club with the previous incarnation of the Gathering, I can testify that the Club, (and, I suspect, the entire county of Cornwall) is full of experts who can sing anything straight away. Tom, Brad and Alice were totally astonished.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 22 Dec 06 - 05:22 AM

Hi Pete, once the festering season is over I'll be in touch with you all about workshop themes and the boring technicalities. I'm sure that singing will be in there somewhere! In the meantime have a good Christmas. Nick

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 24 Dec 06 - 10:13 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 01 Jan 07 - 04:18 PM

happy new year

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: oombanjo
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 01:59 PM

the days are getting longer, but the time is drawing in, 46 days and counting. H.N.Y. To all picker and pluckers. Oombanjo.

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 12:58 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 07:25 PM

Well we're building up to a great festival - Sara Grey and Kieron Means only intended to be with us Sat and Sun, but it now looks like they'll be with us Fri as well. New Deal Band are going to have Rick Townend on fiddle and mandolin alongside Tom Paley and Joe Locker, so it looks like we should have a good mandolin workshop alongside all the others.
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 02:41 PM

I went to gainsboro festival last year for the first time. I didn't realise how much I loved Old Time tunes until I went there. I honestly had the best time Iv'e every had, couldn't stop smilling all weekend ! Since then been learning lots of tunes so I can get even moere involved this year . .

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 03:32 PM

Well, GUEST,guest I don't know who you are but it looks like you definitely attended the same festival as I did. What do you play?
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 02:43 PM

The more the merrier! Nick

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 06:43 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: oombanjo
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 05:02 AM

what time can we get in???

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: BanjoRay
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 05:11 AM

Hi John - Don't get there before 5.30 unless you're a festival stewart and are helping with the work getting the place ready. We could do with some more stewarts - the current rate is a half price ticket. (full price of a weekend ticket is £35 for non-members, £25 for members)
Ray

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: oombanjo
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 05:39 AM

thanks Ray cheque's in the post

Subject: RE: UK Old Time music festival, February '07
From: nickp
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 06:15 AM

'Stewarts'? Ray... That well known slip of the finger...

Can I re-iterate for those people who ARE coming. That means NO ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL SITE until 5:30 - no matter how far you've travelled!!!

It's still a school day, so sneaking in and sitting in the car park or canteen will be heavily frowned on, by us and the school staff who allow themselves to be disrupted for our benefit and whose patience is much appreciated. Sorry to sound an old whinger but it really is hard to arrive and get set up surrounded by people who we aren't ready for...

... or not ready for a little while!

Nick