News - March 2001
The ninth Tenterden Folk Festival will take place from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th October 2001. The festival will feature a full weekend of folk song, music and dance. Tenterden, situated in the ancient Weald of Kent, about 12 miles west of Ashford, is an ideal setting for this friendly, family folk festival. It features one of the widest High Streets in the country lined with historic and listed buildings, numerous friendly pubs and restaurants and wide green verges.
The guest list is already being put together and will include the usual mix of local performers, regular guests and new guests. Special guests this year will include
Martyn Wyndham-Read and No Man's Band, Cockersdale and Rod Shearman. Martyn last came to the festival in 1995 and is back by popular demand. He will be playing in the Friday night concert with No Man's Band featuring guitar, accordion, duet concertina, double bass, mouth organ, etc. Their repertoire features many of Martyn's well-known songs from the Australian tradition, some contemporary material and even some English songs!Cockersdale are a excellent harmony trio from the North of England who specialise in the songs of the late Keith Marsden. Keith was a founder member of the group and a prolific songwriter. Many of his songs are on the typical folk themes of war, poverty and suffering and have been taken up by many other singers. Cockersdale also sing songs by other contemporary writers such as Peter Bellamy's arrangements of Rudyard Kipling's "Barrack room ballads", and more recent material by the likes of Chris Sugden, Les Barker, Graham Pirt and Martin Carthy as well as many traditional songs. They have only appeared in Kent on one previous occasion despite being in much demand on the folk festival circuit.
I must admit that I did not recognise Rod Shearman's name when he first contacted me last year, but when he sent me a copy of his first album in over 40 years of song writing I already new many of the songs on it. Rod has been involved in folk music since his days in the merchant navy in the 1950 and was a member of the group "Captain Swing" in the 1970's. At this time he met up with Johnny Collins and Jim Megeean and they took up and popularised several of Rod's songs including London River, Sail Away, and above all The Big Fella. Rod now lives in London but spent some years in Ashford and still has relatives here so it is with particular pleasure that we are able to have him at the Festival.
We have already invited dance sides from all over Kent and Sussex and some from further afield. We are expecting about 25 Morris sides and other folk dance groups to attend the Festival many of which have been regular visitors but for some it will be the first time. The number of sides staying for the weekend is increasing so we are expecting there to be more dance sides on the streets on Sunday.
The outdoor craft stalls are being expanded and will be in the High Street on both Saturday and Sunday. The very successful craft fair will still continue as usual in the Town Hall.
Further information;
Dance co-ordinator;
Dave Grabham, Poolside Cottage, Redbrook Street, Woodchurch, Ashford, Kent, TN26 3QR
Tel. 01233 860789
Craft Fair organiser;
Gail Wright, 48A Park Road,
Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1DY
Tel. 01795 471827
You can obtain further information or join our mailing list by sending a s.a.e.
Festival Director, artist bookings and mailing list;
Alan Castle, Folk Spots, 15 Repton Manor Road,
Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA
Tel. 01233 626805
tff@Folkspots.btinternet.co.uk
General enquiries and ticket sales (from June);
Tourist Information Centre,
18 The Church Yard, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1QG
Tel. 01233 629165
or
Tourist Information Centre,
Town Hall, High Street, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6AN
Tel. 01580 763572
Tenterden Folk Day Trust acknowledges the support and financial assistance of
Ashford Borough Council, Tenterden Town Council, Shepherd Neame, Kent Messenger Group, Tenterden & District Chamber of Commerce, The Tenterden Club, Tenterden and District Scouts and many other local businesses and organisations.
Return to Tenterden Folk Festival 2001 index
Last updated 20th March 2001
Copyright © Tenterden Folk Festival 2001