HELP NEEDED!
No festival can operate without willing volunteers who can fulfil a
variety of roles – collecting money, checking tickets, providing
accommodation and selling programmes to mention just a few.
We have a group of such people but we can always do with more so could
you be such a person? If so please get in touch by email to
holmfirthfolk@btinternet.com
HOLMFIRTH FESTIVAL OF FOLK, MAY 9-11 2008
We’re nearly ready for the third Holmfirth Festival of Folk! Once
again we’ve engaged the services of some of the best artists around and
this time the Picturedrome is back in the programme. Guests there over
the weekend include Nick Harper on Friday and John Cooper Clarke with
the Family Mahone on Saturday. In addition there will be free events
with a showcase of young musicians including The Middle Ones, Jess
Bryant, The Madrigals, Kalbakken, Liam Dullighan, My First Tooth,
Benjamin Wetherill, OneChipPotato & the Transcendental Watermusicians
and Sam Carter on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and local acts Milking
the Lemon on Friday and Saturday nights and the Travelling Billberets
on Saturday teatime.
The main Festival concerts will be at the Old Bridge and this year we
are introducing a modest charge of £5 and tickets are available now.
People to see include Stanley Accrington , Duncan McFarlane and Anne
Brivonese on Friday, Nick Hennessey and Sara Grey on Saturday
afternoon, Andi Neate, Les Barker, Pete Morton and Mike Silver and
Johnny Coppin on Saturday night and Soundsphere and Carmichael on
Sunday afternoon. Other names to look out for in concert and in less
formal settings are Steve and Kristi Nebel, Dame Patti Smith and Ned
Clamp, Paul and Liz Davenport, Roy Clinging, Hamish Currie, Gerry
McNeice and local young performers Jack Rutter, H2O and Alex Quinn,
Artists will be appearing at the White Hart, Y Bar, Carniceria, Nook,
Herveys, Harrows and Les Caveaux at various times over the weekend -
all free! Old Man Pie, James Cannon and the Sinners, Alun Parry Band,
Howard Brothers, Rocks and Reels, Roger Davies , Andi Neate and Mad Fox
will all be playing on Friday and Saturday nights.
CragRats are on board again and will have Grant Baynham and Hilary
Spencer, jointly known as Quicksilver, appearing on Saturday afternoon.
Tickets from the Theatre Box Office 01484 691323
Climax Ceilidh Band will be playing for the Saturday night ceilidh in
the Market Hall with caller Jan Porter and there will be a chance to
learn some French Dance on Saturday tea time in preparation! The
Family Ceilidh on Sunday afternoon wouldn't be the same without the
Good Egg Band! This year we have the special appearance of Pat Smith
calling some dances - fresh from her starring role on Gavin and Stacey
on April 6th. Colonel Custard will also put in an appearance with his
Punch and Judy show.
A new development this year is the Spoken Word aspect of the festival.
We are pleased to welcome poet Les Barker who is best known for his hilarious material but not everyone knows that he has also written lots of serious material. Supporting him will be a collection of local
poets and performers. Nick Hennessey is also a noted storyteller
visiting us this year. He not only tells but sings stories and anyone
wanting a quick preview can catch him at Huddersfield Library on May 8 as part of 'Stories From The Tree of Life' a celebration of
storytelling, literature and arts in Kirklees Library and Information
Centres. There will be a special session on Saturday for the under 8’s at Holmfirth Library where local storyteller Ruthie will enthral with
her ‘Dragon Tails’ . The collaboration between Simon Armitage and
Roger Davies will be a fringe event on Sunday night at Birds Edge but
it is almost certain to be sold out now.
Stamps Bar at the Postcard always used to be a popular venue and we’re pleased to be able to include it again this year. It will be the
location for the Friday Folk Club with String Theory on Friday night
and for the rest of the weekend it will be in use for workshops in the
morning followed by singarounds. A special adult story and song
session will feature late on Saturday night with Nick Hennessey. The
bar of the Postcard will be the main session location with the Good Egg Band members in charge on Saturday and Steve Noon’s Irish session on Sunday afternoon.
We have nearly 30 sides joining host side Slubbing Billys, including
the Britannia Coconut Dancers, Alford Morris, Boggarts Breakfast,
Flagcrackers of Craven, Bunnies From Hell, Ryburn Longsword and many many more. Hollowgate will be closed to traffic for the afternoon on Saturday to allow for displays of dance which proved so successful last year. This year we have not one but 2 Samba Bands - one from Upperthong J and I School!
Because of the work in Victoria Park the procession will set off at 3.45 taking a slightly different route and ending up in the Memorial Gardens. It will be even bigger and better than ever with the school groups and a magic dragon joining in. The fabulous Mr Fox will be presenting their spectacular show after dark on Saturday (9.00 ish) near the Methodist Church at Crown Bottom. Pete Whites’ Suitcase Circus is this year’s choice for the Family Street Theatre on Saturday afternoon and we have Colonel Custard’s Punch and Judy on Sunday.
The choice of workshops is wider than ever and we are lucky to have the skills of some of the best teachers around. Singers, from beginners to the more advanced, are catered for with Ann Curran, Cath Tyler, Soundsphere and Eleanor Doody. Instrumentalists can learn what to do with guitars, concertina, pipes and we will have a repeat of the legendary spoons workshop. Dancers can learn Egyptian, North West Morris and Appalachian Dance and there’s even a chance to learn some Massage techniques at the Phoenix. Extra stalls will be in the Market hall which will have a licensed bar throughout the weekend and the Festival Office will be at the Old Bridge.
Over the 6 years that the schools in the valley have been involved in
the Folk Festival each one has had their turn to host an artist and
perform as part of the school's concert on the Saturday. In fact, last
year's schools concert was full to capacity (over capacity according to some!) and was a truly wonderful event and a great way for schools to be involved in the local community. The festival is committed to enthusing and involving young people in traditional music and dance, from the British Isles and beyond. This year Kirklees Children and Young People's Service have generously funded 5 artists to work in schools leading up to the Festival through the Arts4All initiative.
Wooldale Juniors have Sue Coe working with them on traditional
Longsword dancing, Holme School have Pete Coe doing some English folk song; Lydgate School have been working with Shabang Theatre;
Netherthong Primary have Ayo Jones leading some Caribbean carnival dance and arts; and Holmfirth JIN host Manu Sumitra's Indian music, dance and arts. As part of the spoken word element to the festival this year, local amateur poet Ray Bower, is running poetry workshops at Hade Edge J & I. These schools will perform at the school's concert on Sat 10th May at 12.00 in the Civic Hall.
To reduce the crush this year, and to take the celebration onto the
streets, there will be additional free 'Fringe' music and dance events
outside Holmfirth Methodist Church featuring Hinchliffe Mill J & I,
Kirkroyds Infants, Meltham CE Primary, Scholes J&I, and Upperthong J&I.
These performances will range from morris dance to samba rhythms !!
For tickets and information contact Holmfirth TI Office 01484 222444,
or email holmfirthfolk@btinternet.com
Links
The
Kirklees Council
Holme
Valley Council Site
www.holmevalleyparishcouncil.gov.uk
Police
Metro
Bus (Holmfirth)