Reviews
The Leamington Courier reviewed Warwick 2010. Here is the text of that article
Visitors to Warwick last weekend could have been forgiven for being distracted from its fine array of historic buildings and monuments when it came alive for the Folk Festival 2010. A packed programme of music and dance entertained the town from Friday through to Sunday when the internationally-acclaimed annual festival returned.
The event, now in its 31st year, attracts more people every year, and with the weather just about staying on side thousands of people descended both into the town centre for the free events, and to Warwick School, which was the main hub for the musical entertainment.
Festival organiser Dick Dixon said: "It went really well, we had a fantastic festival. It was particularly amazing on Saturday night, it went so well, the whole town of Warwick was absolutely buzzing. I think we had 20,000 plus people come, so it was a big success and the income for shops in the town centre will have shot right up over the last few days. We had a new site layout this year which worked very well, you have got to have change to keep things fresh and people said it was good, and the weather being good obviously always helps as well. It started on Thursday this year, so by Friday everything was set up and running which made a difference. We had some excellent performers. John Tams and Barry Coope were excellent. Daimh went down really well, and there was a Spanish group who were excellent. I couldn't really pick one group out because they were all so good. It was a good festival line-up, and now I have to start thinking about next year's festival."
With so much going on it is impossible to see everything, but other main acts that were keeping the marquees, pubs and streets packed included Joel Plaskett, The Demon Barbers, Lau, and The Grass Mountain Hobos, and throughout the weekend Morris dancers could be spotted leaping and jingling their way through the town.
There were beer barrels aplenty to perch next to, while children had their plates full with circus and facepainting fun.
Michael Scott, landlord of the Roebuck Inn in Smith Street, said: "We definitely benefitted from the festival and the Smith Street party, as we do every year. Obviously we try to get involved and it was brilliant, there was a good attendance from the people of Warwick. Sometimes Smith Street can be a bit forgotten but we were really happy that the people of Warwick came out."
Matt Caddick, the town centre manager, said: "It was a very successful event and attracted thousands of visitors to the town. We had free concerts in the market place, Smith Street and throughout the town, it was a hive of activity. It was a lot of work but it was quite rewarding to see that many people in the town all with a smile on their face and a spring in their step. The Smith Street party went very well, we had lots going on there with craft markets, face painting, stilts, music and all the businesses had tables and chairs on the street, it was a really good party atmosphere and it was absolutely thronging."
Rather than making up the numbers, the festival has now firmly entrenched itself as a must-see event on the folk calendar, and people will be wondering how it can get even better next year.
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The Leamington Courier reviewed Warwick 2007. Here is the text of that article
Friday Evening - John Howes
Having parked my car precariously on the muddy banks of the River Avon, I approached the opening night of Warwick Folk Festival with some trepidation.
I needn't have worried. Within minutes, the laid-back and joyful atmosphere had won me over.
There was plenty of entertainment to choose from - a live band and dancing, continuous music in the Bridgehouse Theatre, and the main stage with covered seating for more than a thousand.
We dipped into the theatre first to see Harriett Bartlett, an accordion player of great skill and a singer of promise. What a great venue this is for live music.
Then it was outside to the main stage where Malinky were in full swing. This Scots/ Irish five-piece band has gained rave reviews and appeared at the highly-regarded Celtic Connections festival. There were songs in English and Gaelic with a mixture of classic ballads and new songs with some amazing bodhran playing to keep the music moving and plenty of the audience on their feet.
It wasn't until after 11pm that top-of-the-bill Seth Lakeman took to the stage. Folksinger of the Year and with a cross-over single in the UK charts, there was plenty of anticipation for his band. His voice is powerful and dramatic, his violin playing extraordinary - especially when he sings at the same time, as he did on his best song so far, Lady of the Sea.
Maybe Seth could look at a few more ballads in his repertoire, I'm sure he would do them very well, but that aside, it was a memorable performance.
As we left the festival after midnight, small groups were forming, violins and accordions in hand, to play late into the night.
Saturday - Clive Peacock
The weather gods relented overnight and Saturday was blessed with bright sunshine and some warmth.
Warwick town was heaving as the twenty-plus Morris groups performed with huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm.
And what wonderful traditions these groups maintain - notably Black Swan and their exciting "rapper dance" - a traditional mining dance from the mid 19th century, Chiltern Hundreds with dances devised in the mill towns of Lancashire where brass bands would lead the clogged dancers with their bobbins at times of celebration and Armaleggan with their blackened faces and yokel attire delivering Welsh Border Morris.
By lunch-time the folk artists were on mighty form - Keith Donnelly has been a huge hit at festivals for a good few years and no more so than in Warwick where he had both young and old enjoying his anecdotes and traditional songs from his north-east roots.
The folk enthusiasts (and thanks to the many devotees who inducted this folk festival virgin) tell me the success of a group is, in part, measured by the patter between numbers and engagement with the audience. Expert at this were Tom McConville, the outstanding Newcastle fiddler with Aaron Jones (bouzouki/guitar) and Claire Mann (flute/whistle). So too Chris Newman (guitar) and Maire Ni Chathasaigh (harp) combining beautifully to produce the most intoxicating cocktail of Irish dance music and striking new songs. Newman was electrifying in, 'Tell her lies and feed her candy' and 'Stroll on', (reminiscent of Django Reinhardt) was a highlight on the main stage on Saturday evening.
Twin brother and sister, Mike and Ali Vass from Nairn - a fiddle/ piano combination, best known as exponents of traditional music in Scotland can sing too, with Mike accompanying on guitar.
Saturday night closed with a huge ovation for Altan, one of Ireland's finest traditional bands.
Mark Kelly (guitar) drives the rhythm with an amazing series of chords across several octaves and contributes, too, to the patter humour.
Indeed, as the number of dancers in the aisles increases, he began to draw comparisons with Riverdance but held back due the possible current insensitivity of that bit of humour! Instead he encouraged the dancers to 'stay on the bank'!! The familiar line up of twin fiddles, guitar, bouzouki and melodeon forged their skills over 22 year on the road and deservedly were the hit of the night with the inevitable encore demanded.
Full marks must go to the organisers and administrators who delivered a well-ordered, calamity-free and hugely enjoyable event, where folk aficionados are at home with their own pint pots and delight in the freedom of walking anywhere with their beer, selected from well stocked real ale tents!
Sunday - Peter Gawthorpe
The festival's Sunday programme was hit by the withdrawal of singer June Tabor due to illness. But there was plenty of musical talent around to make up for the loss.
The surprise appearance of the sun brought a good size crowd into the town centre for the street festival. Morris dancers seemed to be everywhere: in Castle Street, outside the Zetland Arms and the Rose and Crown in the Market Place. And with lunchtime diners sitting outside at the Tilted Wig and Lloyds there was a great festival atmosphere.
Singing Safari were first on stage in the Market Place. This choir was assembled from the local community by Chris Rowbury, and he did a remarkable job to blend such an assortment of singers into a singing unit in just six workshops at Hill Close Gardens. Their unusual variety of songs from around the world included subjects such as an initiation ceremony for young South African boys.
Next up were Kerfuffle, a young band from the East Midlands who are becoming a popular feature at many folk festivals around the country. Their enthusiasm rubbed off on the audience who were soon performing a Mexican wave as young children danced around in front of the stage. Their talented singer Hannah James combined her strong vocals with playing the accordion and some excellent clog dancing.
Down at the festival a bunch of Australian men, the Spooky Men's Chorale, invited blokes to join them in the Guy Nelson Hall to answer the question 'Is there a role for masculinity in the 21st century? The hall was packed (quite a few women sneaked in to see what was going on) and joined in what was essentially a choir practice. Their leader Stephen Taberner somehow managed to get everyone on their feet to produce a passable sound.
On the main stage veteran folk singer Steve Tilston played to a disappointingly small audience but demonstrated his song writing ability and first class guitar playing. His original songs such as 'Inch by inch to Cairo' are inspiring and many other artists have covered his work.
Another remarkable musician Vicki Swan teamed up with Jonny Dyer for a range of ballads and love songs. While Jonny spent a lot of time tuning his guitar, Vicki had the ability to pick up one of her many unusual instruments and play beautiful music within seconds. She is already an accomplished player of the Scottish Smallpipes. But watch out for her new instrument, the Swedish Nyckelharpa, with which she produces a stunning sound.
Folk Snippets from England reviews Warwick 2004 by Ray Downes
Warwick Festival at the end of July took place in the grounds of a private school. With 22 morris sides, 4 packed ceilidhs with brilliant rocky dance bands and a star studded line up of 50 British and international guests it was my favourite festival. N.E. England was represented by the reliable Bob Fox and the energetic and funny Doonan Family Band. From N.America dynamic performances came from young Canadian band The Island Girls and the U.S.A.'s acapella rich harmony group, The Johnson Girls.
Celtic music was in the good hands of young London Irish band Mise and the charismatic N. Ireland singer and story teller, Colum Sands. The best act for sheer professionalism and captivating performance was Show of Hands (Steve Knightley and Phil Beer) with keyboard player Matt Clifford (of The Rolling Stones) and Miranda Sykes on bass. With Steve's hard hitting songs like Country Life and jaw-dropping accompaniment, little wonder they collected The Best Live Act in the BBC Folk Awards this year.
Folk on Tap Issue 98 Winter 2004 reviews Warwick 2003 by Phil Coldham
It rained most of the way from Newbury to Warwick. Serious rain, stair rods. Slipping and sliding north up the M40 was fun. Not. On the outskirts of Warwick the rain relented,the sun showed its face. An omen,I decided. Blind optimism is the best course when one’s camping.
If you haven’t been to the festival take it from me Warwick has the best festival site. Based in the grounds of Warwick School the facilities are plentiful and the camping grounds are well-kept playing fields. Moreover, all the major festival venues are within five minutes walk of wherever you pitch a tent. Warwick is among the best organised of festivals.
For example: when we arrived the grounds were drenched by the recent downpours. Cars had already reduced the access ways to quagmires. Practically anywhere else the organisers would have put down straw and nobody would have got off the site for days. Warwick put down metal roadways almost overnight, preventing further damage to the ground and securing access. Other festivals please take notice.
Friday night and there are three separate concerts to chose from:five acts in the main concert marquee,four to dance to in the Guy Nelson Hall, and four sets on offer in the air-conditioned,still virtually brand new Bridgehouse Theatre. I opt for the latter. I’d seen Harriet Bartlett before, lovely voice but struggling a little to connect with her audiences. The other acts were new to me. The Harvesters, a local duo were fun but the highlight of the night, and for me, of the whole weekend, was Crucible. Although you may have seen members of this band perform with Heckety and Jabadaw, in this combination they are special. There’s a freshness and an intensity about Crucible that makes it more than the sum of its parts. Look out for them. If you can’t get to see them beg, borrow or steal a copy of their debut album, “Changeling”. The Emily Smith Band was last on stage, a downer. Musically accomplished but does practically every song have to be about death and mutilation?
11 o’clock on Saturday morning and Malinky are doing a meet the band ’ hour in the concert marquee. Nobody really believes it. A nice,gentle introduction to the Kieron Means new day. Malinky are a band on a constant upswing. They get better and better.
After lunch - well,after a pint of cloudy scrumpy - I look into the Bridgehouse Theatre where Roy Bailey is winding up. When he ’s done the place empties somewhat. Wanderin ’ Soles, a duo who also play with BOPP, were followed by Anthony John Clarke. Mellow stuff. A very slow 5-minute stroll takes me back to the concert marquee. It’s the Kirsty McGhee Band (Kirsty joined by Saskia Tomkins and Miranda Sykes) debut performance. Afterwards the Emily Smith Band dispenses misery,and the oddly named Great Northern Roadshow tops the bill. This latter isn’t particularly great, and it isn’t a show. It was a hot,sultry afternoon and I wondered if I was being uncharitable at the time. I witheld judgement until Sidmouth.
Back to the concert tent for the evening: on first Christina Smith & Jean Hewson, followed by Harriet Bartlett,Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, Waterson:Carthy. For me the pick of the sets was that of Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, full of joy and vitality.
Sunday was always going to be the day after the Lord Mayor’s Parade. There was a marvellous eclectic concert in the big marquee:Serious Kitchen, Sara Grey and son (Kieron Means ),The Wilsons (who ’d be told to keep the chat to a minimum because they didn ’t have much time -what sort of MC thinks that ’s a good idea with these guys?),Christina Smith & Jean Hewson, John Spiers & Jon Boden.
Almost time to go home by now. However, there ’s time to watch Keith Donnelly do what he does best. Upstage everybody and sow chaos. Then see if Cliar can pick up the pieces. They did but as I listened to them I kept thinking of Andy Stewart on TV in the sixties so it was definitely time to go. We went home before Meet on the Ledge got to strut their stuff. Enough’s enough. Well done Warwick,another great festival.
Go to top of this pageThe Living Tradition reviews Warwick 2003 by Pete Willow
'Cool' and 'sexy' are probably not the first words that you'd expect the mainstream media to use when describing a folk event.
But take a look at the BBC Coventry and Warwickshire website. Within 24 hours of this year's Warwick Folk Festival, the following enthusiastic review was published by reporter, Faye Claridge: 'Traditional folk songs have always involved lots of sex, adultery and passion, but in recent years I haven't seen them performed by this many sexy performers. The beards and body odour of the folk stereotype were definitely taken over by swinging hips and sassy songsters at the event…'
So there you have it - one satisfied and apparently surprised convert who had presumably arrived at Warwick on the weekend of 25-27 July, armed with air freshener. (Well some of the morris dancers did get a bit sweaty!) As for cool - it might not be so far-fetched to see festivals like Warwick sharing this characteristic with David Beckham and the Aston Martin DB5. Festival Director for Warwick, Dick Dixon has been particularly keen to boost young support and has found himself pushing an open door. 'Warwick has always been a family festival,' he explains. 'That's because the main venues and campsite are in the grounds of Warwick School, which is a big secure area. Parents are much more relaxed about letting their kids go off to enjoy themselves. Now the kids are getting older and they still love coming here.'
Dick's policy is to provide opportunities for younger artists - not only the award winners such as John Spiers and Jon Boden, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan and the Emily Smith Band, all of whom gave first-rate performances at this year's Festival. Audiences also enjoyed some stunning musical arrangements from The Pack - the 12-piece line-up that evolved from the Folkworks Youth Summer School at Whitby - and the return appearance of 16-year old Harriet Bartlett whose accordion playing had proved an impressive draw at the 2002 Festival.
A regular feature of Warwick is the Youth Music Workshop hosted by Laurel Swift, giving young musicians a chance to rehearse and perform a set during one of the festival concerts. And in a further bid to attract young blood to folk music, Dick is currently organising a competition with cash prizes for Warwickshire schoolchildren to design a new logo to celebrate the Festival's 25th Anniversary next year. Ah yes, those heady years on 1979 when a small team of local folk fans chose Warwick as the most promising home for an annual get-together of music and dance. The central event for the first Warwick Folk Festival was a ceilidh in the old Warwick Court House and a concert featuring Martin Carthy in the town's Lord Leycester Hotel. This was a one-day event and Dick's contribution then was to get the beer in - the Court House didn't have a bar!
The decision to stage some of the events at the Warwick School was made three years later, by which time Dick was a well-established member of the Festival Committee. He recalls the impressive sight of 60 tents set up in the fields across the road - the start of a loyal following for an event that has built up strong audience retention. These days there are still numerous Folk Festival events in the pubs, hotels, streets and precincts of Warwick Centre. The townsfolk are treated to a packed programme of free entertainment - not just the morris teams, Appalachian dancers, mummers, stiltwalkers and mime artists adding colour and spectacle to make sure that everyone knows there is a folk festival taking place.
Some of the Festival music guests are also lined up to give a free outdoor Saturday evening concert in the Market Place. This year saw the return of Warwickshire folk-rockers Meet On The Ledge, supported by Leamington duo Nizlopi and Warwick band Harvey. Meanwhile, several town centre pubs were heaving with singers and session musicians. However, the main action is concentrated on the big selection of venues that can be found in the School grounds themselves. Ask Dick Dixon to state one distinctive feature of the Warwick Folk Festival and he will point to the close proximity of many different concert stages and rooms for sessions and workshops presenting a wide range of music and activity.
The Festival Marquee accommodates 1200 as one of the two major concert venues - it was standing room only for this year's performances by Waterson:Carthy, Spiers and Boden and Meet On The Ledge. A five-minute walk brings you to the state-of-the-art Bridgehouse Theatre which hosted some of the most popular events including two sell-out concerts by June Tabor.
Next to the Bridgehouse is the main ceilidh venue, the Guy Nelson Hall and another short walk brings you to the School's Arts Centre, a small and comfortable room with great acoustics and featuring this year some excellent performances by such acts as the Kirsty McGee Band, Wanderin' Soles and Crucible who used the occasion to launch their new CD 'Changeling'. A step and a jump from there and you're in the Living Tradition Centre, established three years ago to provide a friendly and intimate environment for traditional song and music without the intrusive influence of a PA system. Dave Webber was a driving force behind the launch of this popular new event and artists that have since appeared include Heather Innes and Cieran Dorris, Kevin and Ellen Mitchell and Th'Antique Roadshow. This year's programme included some well-received performances by Sara Grey and her son Kieron Means, Danny and Joyce McLeod, Joe Kerins and Bodmin Folk Club's Vic Legg. Katrina Turner performed an excellent set with some help from her sister Rebecca and her Mum, Mal Waite providing harmonies that they had worked out while washing the dishes together. This was definitely the venue for a true family atmosphere!
Dick Dixon sees the Living Tradition Centre as an important step in the development of the Festival which has become increasingly eclectic in its range of 'folk' entertainment - from the plugged-in folk-rock concert and ceilidh bands to the strong presence of Celtic-style line-ups from England, Ireland, Scotland and Canada. 'The Centre is a good outlet for acts who collect from source or who sing and play in the more authentic traditional style. It's also a friendly place to play for new generations of artists who are keen to preserve songs learned from their parents.' Dick was impressed by the ability of the young entrants to last year's Fred Jordan Memorial song competition at Bromyard Folk Festival. 'It was a big surprise to me to see the quality of these singers. We just didn't realise they were out there. The Living Tradition Centre at Warwick is one way of encouraging singers of that calibre and potential to come forward and perform in public.'
Another popular new venture for the Festival has been the focus on one musical instrument for concerts and workshops. This started with last year's Harp Convention where some of the finest harpists from across the British Isles were invited to perform in one concert and to provide workshops in their instruments. This included virtuoso of the small harp Savourna Stevenson, Irish harpist Maire Ni Chathasaigh and leading exponent of the Welsh triple harp, Robin Huw Bowen.
The 2003 spotlight turned on the pipes and the Bridgehouse Theatre staged a unique concert bringing together some of the best performers of the instrument in all its various forms - including Iain MacDonald, the first piper to record with The Battlefield Band, on Highland bagpipes, Northumbrian pipes expert Pauline Cato and Ireland's master of the Uilleann pipes, Mick O'Brien.
Next year's instrument is the fiddle but Dick is keeping the list of performers under his hat for the time being. Certainly the tactic has dramatically increased the choice and quality of instrument workshops offered at Warwick. Many of the 'big names' were available to share their expertise and some of the more unusual events were especially popular. The Theatre of Incheon - a troupe of clowns from South Korea - hosted a mime workshop on the Saturday, and Louisa Davies, daughter of the late Len Davies, maintained a longstanding tradition for many English folk festivals by demonstrating her Dad's style of playing the bones to a packed workshop.
A glance through the archive of old Festival programmes, from the original Gestetnered booklet of 1979 to the recent glossy publications filled with promo pictures and lists of sponsors, gives a clear indication of how Warwick has adapted itself to the contemporary media age in which promotion is everything. The 'Festival Partners' are strongly highlighted, from the 'Gold' and 'Silver' partners who donated the most money - such as Warwick Town and District Councils and Warwick Castle - to the local businesses, hotels and restaurants who stumped up enough support to get mentions as 'Bronze' partners. The back page gives a long list of names of organisations and individuals who have contributed to the running of the Festival, providing a clear indication of a major strategic operation, carefully structured and managed by Dick and Committee colleagues Pete Cranage and David Allton.
From Warwick Town Council's viewpoint, the Festival achieves something that its other attractions don't always manage. While Warwick Castle visitors pour out of their coaches in the Castle car park and stay within the Castle walls, festivalgoers take to the streets, visit the shops and eat and drink in the hotels, pubs and restaurants to make a significant impact on the local economy. Reference to the town's historic setting and splendid old buildings figure strongly in the Festival publicity and there is often a heritage theme in the Mayor's welcoming letter published in the programme. The effort to establish and maintain the Festival as a cool event is massive. For Dick, it's a 12 month a year operation to identify sources of funding, build up contacts in the local business community, keep up a flow of information to the media, set up mutual support agreements with other festival organisers and chair regular meetings for a large sub-committee to review last year's event and plan a strategy for the next one.
Successful festival management also means spotting a good PR opportunity. Last year saw Dick's photo in the local press with a major plug for the Festival in a news story about his sponsored abstinence from alcohol to raise money for a local charity. He made the front page, staring longingly at a pint of Guinness covered in padlocks and chains.
This year saw a prize of a barrel of beer awarded to the Witchmen morris team for the most innovative decoration of their part of the campsite. (Their somewhat dark and Gothic approach to the competition was to design a miniature cemetery in which a figure of Father Christmas lay in an open grave surrounded by gnomes in Witchmen colours!) Perhaps these are the most important ingredients to run a successful folk festival in today's post-modern, promotion-orientated society - media relations, customer-satisfaction surveys and an identification of the many 'niches' in the folk 'market', all aspects of the management culture that seems a million miles away from the back-room singaround in the local folk club.
But whatever strategies and business plans are drawn up by the more successful folk festival organisers up and down the country, what matters most is that the events themselves remain an outlet for present and future generations of singers, musicians and dancers determined to keep the traditions alive. For people like Dick Dixon, 'audience retention' is a key concept, but it's even more important to promote a folk festival as a place where young people will want to go.
In this respect - and despite the July sun beating down on the throngs of energetic morris dancers - Warwick definitely deserves the accolade of 'cool'. Yeah - and possibly even sexy!
Go to top of this pageFolk Orbit reviews Warwick 2001 by Colin Matthews
I decided to go to the Warwick Folk Festival 27-29 July. It's a holiday in itself. Entrance to any of the folk events, use of showers, swimming pool and excellent camping ground were all included in the weekend ticket at 42.
There was a large Chester contingent there and we had a great time as we shared a few barbecues and sessions together. On Saturday I went into Warwick Castle as I had never been in there before. I recommend it, but I warn you, it's a whole day experience. There is much to see and do.
There were a number of sessions at various venues around the town as well as around the campsite. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and took advantage of much of what was going on. Although I have been a couple of times before, this year was bigger and better than ever. I think the 'foot & mouth' caused the festival to attract, what appeared to me, double the amount of from when I was last there in 1999. There were far more venues available, a stunning array of craft tents and I was spoiled for food choices. Some pub sessions in town spilled out into the beer gardens because of the heat wave.
There was no way I could see all the entertainment. There was too much to choose from, but I'm not complaining. However, what I did see and hear was worthy of note, though there is not enough room to include them all. Slainte Mhath (pronounced Slawn-cha-va) topped the bill to give a musical explosion of mighty Irish reverberation. I thoroughly enjoyed Suntrap, a three piece band of wonderful harmonies and instrumental prowess, covering traditional and original material through a range of musical instruments. Jon Brindley, who I mentioned in the Chester Folk Festival review (Issue 25), impressed me yet again with his down to earth humour, powerfully sensitive vocals and guitar expertise. Other acts I saw who are worthy of note were, Meet on The Ledge, John Wright Band, Bill Jones, Seize The Day, Little Chuck Little, Serious Kitchen and Clive Carroll.
How the dance teams and mummers managed in the sweltering heat, I don't know. However, manage they did to entertain, giving merriment and mirth throughout the festival. They included The Bradshaw Mummers, The Witchmen, Seven Champions, Blackswan Rappers and The Chiltern Hundreds.
My last night was spent sessioning in The Moore & Coast Food Tent until 7:00 in the morning at which point we were chucked out on the pretext that they had to get breakfasts ready. I ask you, is that fair?
Many thanks to the Festival organisers and all those who helped to make the Warwick Folk Festival a fantastic success.
Go to top of this pageThe Living Tradition reviews Warwick 1999 by Lorraine Carpenter
Warwick, just a few miles from Shakespeare's birthplace, where homage is paid to our theatrical heritage, this year held its 20th folk festival, celebrating our musical traditions. In the idyllic surroundings of this historic town, with the castle turrets visible above the tree line from the main arena, there was a real sense of festivity from the outset. Blue skies and bright sunshine throughout, an added bonus. The main festival site boasted four venues including the marquee stage, whilst many of the pubs hosted concerts, sessions and meet the artist events. During the day the streets resounded to the sounds and colourful spectacle of the many rambling morris teams, mummers and travelling entertainers, on their circuitous routes through town to the main arena.
Vin Garbutt is one of those performers with that magical quality. The final act of Saturday night continuing his "30 years On the Road Tour", had us in stitches one minute with his hilarious introductions and in tears the next with such moving songs as City of Angels and Troubles of Erin. It's easy to see why he's still so popular. Then there's Roy Bailey. Introducing himself as a "sit down comedian", his simple presentation and easy humour had the Sunday afternoon crowd in rapt attention to his anecdotes and stories. The whole audience were singing along to his now trademark encore "When We Go Rolling Home", by the time the last chorus came around.
One of the busiest acts was Ian Bruce. Specially memorable, his Saturday afternoon marquee concert, with Paul Sartin playing the most beautiful oboe accompaniments and the late-night-extra. Here he stepped out in front of the PA for one of the intimate shows of which he's famed, not even put off by breaking strings, eventually sending us off to our beds to the strains of Eldorado, ... I just dream, dream and dream. Australia based Enda Kenny, in particularly cheeky mood, completed his UK tour with a return visit to Warwick. He was joined by the wonderfully lyrical fiddle and mandolin player Lindsay Martin, whose sweet accompaniments lifted Enda's already great songs to another level; concluding with a moving rendition of Tom Paxton's "Home to Me". Maggie Boyle continues to prove she's one of our finest traditional singers. Alistair Hulett was on fine form in political mode and folk veterans Bobby Eaglesham & Chuck Fleming, joked of setting up Saga-Folk-Holidays.
Then there were the bright-young-things. Dr Faustus combined the multiple talents of Tim Van Eyken, (Radio 2's Young Folk Award holder) Benji Kirkpatrick (son of John), Robert Harbron and Paul Sartin. They played the Friday night ceilidh and appeared in concert on Saturday. Tarras, average age 22, are the current hotly-tipped new-kids-on-the-block, signed to Topic Records. Particularly enjoyable, was their simple duo versions of "Dark Eyed Sailor" and "Cajun Malaysian" and full band harmonisation on Rising. The Pack, all aged 14-19 and appearing for "tickets", displayed quality playing on an array of instruments, oozing confidence and enthusiasm. With such impressive young talent taking to the stage, the future looks pretty rosy.
Sunday night's finale kicked off with The Old Rope String Band and their ingenious musical antics, on wonderful form. Followed by the tremendous Barachois, from Canada, not only seriously funny, all four members are extremely talented multi-instrumental musicians, singers, and percussive step dancers. Their audience participation spot won't be forgotten in a hurry, especially by those dragged on stage. They truly stole the show. A hard act to follow?! well yes - but I hadn't reckoned with Warwick's prom-style farewell extravaganza. Presided over by The Great Bonzo and the Lovely Doris and the full on brass sound of Loose Chippings, complete with Land of Hope and Glory and organised mayhem as the revellers went wild.
A good time was had by all, performers and spectators alike. There was something-for-everyone in an impressive programme, featuring the glitterati of the folk world and top class acts from the locals. Traditional and contemporary song, a capella, dance, workshops and children's entertainment - plenty of choice for those who like to listen and those who love to join in. An extremely well run, friendly event, where, with good planning it was possible to sample everyone on the bill and get a fill of your favourites.
Go to top of this pageShire Folk reviews Warwick 1999 by Jed Mugford
The sun shone brightly for the 20th Warwick Folk Festival which was held on the weekend of 23-25 July. With acts ranging from the excellent local band Meet On The Ledge to more established names such as Ian Bruce, Roy Bailey and Vin Garbutt, and the mad antics of The Old Rope String Band. French Canadian four piece Barachois performed a brilliant set of Arcadian tunes and songs accompanied by fiddle, piano and guitar with some stunning clogging driving the beat. A group of a dozen or so teenagers called The Pack (short for bratpack) made a name for themselves over the weekend, performing tight Shetland and Irish fiddle tunes, both on stage and off, raising the standard of many a session during the festival.
Over twenty dance sides were invited to perform including Seven Champions, Touchwood Appalachian and Mortimers, a ladies North West side from Nottingham who dance to mainly French tunes. Their music supplied by a mean bunch of musicians in dark shades and black suits, who looked more like refugees from The Godfather than a morris side. Mr Fox performed a haunting folklore tale, late on Saturday night in the arena. The only light was supplied by flaming torches casting ghostly shadows from the performers who all wore foxes masks and black cloaks. Spooky!
The site is situated in the grounds of Warwick School and has the usual on site facilities, craft tents, food tents and well stocked bar. There was also free camping with good facilities, including plenty of loos, and open around the clock, as were the free showers, and even a free swimming pool, so nice not to have to pay those niggling extra charges that dog some other festivals. The site was only ten minutes walk from the town centre. If you didn't want to walk there was a regular free bus service into town, which was the venue for most of the dancing during the day as well as some excellent pub sessions, and some additional concerts in the evenings.
Whether music was heard coming from the concert tent or coming from an impromptu session in a food tent at three in the morning, the place was alive with good music, good fun and humour, made even better by the fine sunny weather.
Go to top of this pageTraditional Music Maker reviews Warwick 99 by Liz and Brian Cave
The festival benefited from having beautiful clear skies with long sunny days on both the Friday and the Saturday. Even the Sunday, which was a little overcast, was lovely weather for the event. Having been last year, we had a good idea of what to expect. Namely that the town would be full of very good-tempered festival goers enjoying the extremely varied entertainment on offer directly by the festival as well as the huge range of facilities that Warwick normally offers on a summer weekend. The average visitor normally seems to be part of a family and have a background of attending the festival and have knowledge of some of the entertainers. They come for a happy weekend.
We spent most of the Saturday morning watching the street entertainers who were mainly Morris groups of one kind or another. These days it would be misleading to call them Morris men since women make up almost exactly 50 per cent of most of the groups performing.
The Benskins came from Watford and were dressed in traditional yellow and maroon outfits. The Hereburgh came from Harbury and wore essentially white tops and black trousers whilst the Witchmen from Kettering were characterised by their black faces and hats festooned with feathers.
The Newcastle King's Men who were mainly from the university and the Stone Monkey Dancers from Derby both specialised in sword dancing. One of the Newcastle members explained to us that whilst the origins of many of their steps and figures were obscure, this tradition probably extended from mine dancing. Indeed the very kind of sword that they carried, which had a spring steel blade with a fixed handle at one end and a swivelling wooden handle at the other, was probably a primitive signalling device used in the mines before telegraphs were used.
The Stone Monkeys group performed a very elaborate Grenoside, which finishes up with the traditional sword pattern of a star. They also seemed to have a whole variety of arrangements that led to a complex going under, over, behind, in front of one another yet all without letting go the connecting sword between members of the group.
Other street performers included puppet shows and street dramas with energetic fire works and enactments of historical events. We were particularly impressed with a lady on stilts who seemed to be superbly in command of the stilts even though they raised her head to be about 10 feet from the floor. Children were amazed at her ability. She was dressed in a lovely flowing dress and looked very happily mischievous as she blew soap bubbles over the crowd.
Most of the restaurants and cafes seemed to have groups giving spirited performances. We went to the Lord Leycester and the Cafe des Amis where we listened to The Pack and another interesting group Samain. Michael Jarry explained to us that his group The Pack came from a very dispersed area from the northeast to the northwest of England and varied between having 8 and 30 members. They were unable to meet very often but gave a very creditable performance when they did. Hence like many they were keen on being at the festival.
Go to top of this pageMichael and Christian Moll writing in Folkworld, 1998
The small town of Warwick is best known for its beautiful big medieval castle that lies romantically above a small river. In this lovely setting a folk festival is truly at the right place; and the Warwick Folk Festival is already old established, now in ist 19th year.
Lucky enough the organisers and fans were as the festival weekend was one of the first (and only) dry days this summer – and it was not only dry but there was also quite a bit of sunshine and warm temperature. The centre of the festival is Warwick school with its big school green used this weekend as campsite. There are also the main venues – one being a big tent – the marquee – and the other being the school's Guy Nelson Hall. But still there is also a lot happening in the pubs and streets of the old town of Warwick. The programme has quite a lot of different acts to offer; and you always have to choose between several concerts.
Friday night in the marquee saw an English programme. The singer Bill Caddick seemed a bit lost as openener on the big stage of the marquee, still he was friendly welcomed by the audience. Following on was the Cambridge based medieval folk rock band Shave the Monkey, doing an attractive mixture of trad, modern and self written pieces with exciting arrangements on medieval instruments like hurdy gurdy, melodeon, sax and flute. Their music sounds very fresh, sometimes even reminding of the legendary French folk rockers Tri Yann, but it seemed to me that they still have to improve a bit their live performance.
Meet on the Ledge are a local rock band who are doing also some folk pieces, so they were invite to play the festival – well but as said it's more rock than folk.
The finishing act in the marquee was one of the highlights of the festival: Keith Hancock's Famous Last Words. Keith, one of England's great singer songwriters playing the melodeon, has brought together four superb young musicians to join him – two boys on guitar and violin, two girls on viola and cello/sax/whistle. With this line-up Keith's songs get a bit of a classical feeling, but still remain folk songs with lots of power and fun. The live performance of this five piece is extraordinary and true, appealing to any audience – watch out for them!
Still the night was not over yet – there was still the late night extra concert starting at midnight with the Peatbog Fairies from Scotland with their eclectic and dancy Scottish trance music. Watch out for an interview with their piper in FolkWorld!
Saturday the programme started about noon, with lots of the smaller acts playing at diverse places, and – as on Sunday – Morris Dancers dancing all around the town. The highlight of the whole festival came in the evening – the marquee concert bringing some of the best new trends trad music has to offer. Our favourite and craziest English folk act started off: Chris Sherburn & Denny Bartley, this time again with Chris' always smiling sister Jane on the bodhran. As always, the audience could laugh tears about their always remaining silly jokes and their strange treatments of well known trad songs. Following was the new shooting star of the English scene: Young fiddler Carlene Anglim and guitarist Ali. Carlene plays with a virtuousity and intensity that just takes you away; Ali's subtle guitar accompaniment makes the sound perfect. One of the best fiddlers I have seen in my life.
After a set of the Ex-Afterhours singer Alan Burke, his singing full of power and feeling, the final act was celebrated - Solas form the States. No wonder that they are top stars of the scene – they have a trad line up, play also trad music but bring in the power of today, somehow weaving a very modern feeling into the music. Add to this the beautiful voice of their singer Cathy Ryan, and you can be sure that the band is celebrated anywhere they are playing. Great stuff!
There were also several acts in the programme that not really appealed to us, still surely that makes the festival attractive for a broader range of people. Some more names well worth to see that played this weekend were Fling, the nice Australian Celtic band (read review in last FolkWorld) and the legendary Scottish fiddler Brian McNeill. The latter finished the festival on Sunday night, after a set of the Albion Band (I always have the problem with the Albion Band that they somehow seem to be not one unit – although there are often great musicians in the band, it often looks to me like a mixture of individuals who cannot create one unit of sound and performance – well but maybe it was this time also because it was a single gig of the band...). After Brian's set a kind of a village party started – everybody knew what was happening then; jokes, children's games, fun. It seems that this finishing of the festival is already cult in Warwick, and the audience obviously enjoys it – still we as non-locals felt in this village atmosphere like being at a wrong party...
All in all it has been an enjoyable weekend where we have met several friends (also one of our contributors for the first time), got a bit of a sun tan and enjoyed the music of several great bands in the shadows of Warwick town and castle.
Go to top of this pageMany thanks to all these publications for letting us reproduce their reviews for you here.
