We have provided the latest Bolton News Folk Column below which focuses on encouraging local youth involvement in folk music and events coming up in the next few weeks. Please forward the email to any potential interested families and youngsters.
It will be great to see you at the club’s next Singers’ and Musicians’ night on Friday, 5 August at The Barlow Institute, Edgworth from 8.00pm onwards. Tea, Coffee & biscuits will be on sale and you can bring your own alternative refreshments. Don’t forget the Edgworth Cricket Club session is on Monday, 1 August from 8.30pm.
As an added attraction we have the latest and some back copies of the free specialist music magazine Properganda to give away for your holiday reading. It has features on country, jazz and blues but the main emphasis seems to be on national folk bands and performers’ tours, CD reviews and interviews. There are still a few copies of the excellent North West focussed folk magazine "Folk North West" which gives us a lot more useful local information on what is coming up.
Apparently the Chetham Arms in Chapeltown has been closed for the last few days so there is some doubt about the Reel Gentlemen gig there on 12 August. Perhaps it would be best to check with one of the "gents" before you set off.
There is no guest at the club in August so our next guests at The Barlow are the legendary Martyn Wyndham-Read and Iris Bishop on Friday, 16 September. Put the date in your diary.
Best wishes and enjoy the summer break.
Chris Nash & Nick Mallion
Bromley Cross Folk Club
With the start of the summer holidays there are some local events planned which aim to develop and showcase local talent amongst young folk performers. Here is your chance over the next few weeks, individually or with your friends, to prepare and practice some “folky” material for performance in September and October. If you want to try it out in front of a supportive audience why not come along to any of the local singers’ nights.
Coppull Folk Club is planning to host an acoustic music event to showcase young talent, (16 to 25), in the North West. The proposed date for this event is Friday, 23 September but this is still to be confirmed. What they are looking for is for anyone who would like the opportunity to perform to submit a demo. You can either upload an mpeg3 file to the Coppull Folk Club web site at albertanddiane’ with an Mpeg3 attachment, or send a CD / tape to: Kevin Brady, 43 School Lane, Standish, Wigan WN6 0TG.
They intend to select six acts from the submitted demos to perform a 30 minute set. They are willing to pay each act a small fee and hope that the event will help to promote up and coming talent in the area. In order to be considered, demos need to be with them no later than Sunday, 7 August 2011. If you have any questions, please contact Phil Regan via the website or Mervyn Rimmer at mervyn.rimmer or 01772 812742.
Edgworth Folk Day on Saturday, 8 October at The Barlow Institute also gives youngsters a chance to perform their own folk material from 2 – 4.00pm. The Youth Showcase invites individuals, duos and bands aged 18 and under to perform folk song, music and related material. The best act of the showcase will be asked to perform later in the day on the main stage.
Youngsters and all other ages can also try out new folk activities, develop some new skills and improve their existing abilities at workshops planned throughout the day. These include intermediate guitar and beginners bodhran workshops led by FOLKUS tutors, Appalachian, Border Morris and Rapper dance, Lancashire dialect song, folk dancing, children’s poetry and writing, voice workshops, singers and music sessions. You can get more details about all the Edgworth Folk Day events, concerts and evening ceilidh to be held at The Barlow on Saturday, 8 October from Elaine Wedge on 01204 852217.
It is not just local clubs and events that are encouraging youth to enjoy the fun of making folk music. We have just come back from Ulverston’s Traditions Festival at which all the headline acts featured performers who were aged under 30. Predictably the result was lots of energy and enthusiasm but also great skill and love for the different styles of traditional and self written material. It is only by giving young performers experience on the stage that they learn how to present and explain their angle on folk music to the audience.
You don’t just have to travel to the national festivals; Sidmouth, Whitby and Fylde during the summer to enjoy your folk music. On Friday, 22 July the White Lion in Swinton host David Traynor and Pete Ryder. Please contact Sara Bradbury on 07796 670663 for further details.
The monthly Singers’ and Musicians’ night at Edgworth Cricket Club takes place from 8.30pm on Monday, 1 August and Bromley Cross Folk Club hold a similar evening upstairs at The Barlow Institute from 8.00pm on Friday, 5 August.
The energetic Saggy Bottom Girls are hosting the Singers night at The Masons Arms, Blackburn Rd, Egerton on Wednesday, 10 August from 8.30pm. Reel Gentlemen appear at The Chetham, Chapeltown on Thursday, 12th August with their refreshingly foot tapping approach to folk song.
For all you ukulele fans there is a rare chance to hear the 4 piece band The Ukulele Project at The Met, Bury on Sunday, 31 July perform a wide range of material from folk and classical to Elvis. Looking further ahead to Thursday, 1 September, the Met has a real treat when they present the legendary Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick. Not to be missed. Further details and booking arrangements from The Met on 0161 761 2216 or see themet.biz.
As usual, for the more energetic there are plenty of folk dance groups, morris sides and ceilidhs in and around Bolton. Leap to Your Feet meet at 8.00pm every Wednesday at Harvey Street Methodist Church Hall, just off Halliwell Rd. Go to bobdiana.bradley15 or 01204 840949 for more information.
| 22.7.11 | David Traynor supported by Pete Ryder, White Lion, Swinton |
| 31.7.11 | The Ukulele Project at The Met, Bury |
| 1.8.11 | Singers’ and Musicians’ Night, Edgworth Cricket Club |
| 5.8.11 | Singers’ and Musicians’ Night, Bromley Cross Folk Club at the Barlow Institute, Edgworth |
| 10.8.11 | Singers Night at The Masons Arms, Edgworth |
| 12.8.11 | Reel Gentlemen at The Chetham, Chapeltown |
Orchestra in Folkus 