The plans for this year's Tenterden Folk Festival are now taking shape. The Festival will take place from Friday 3^rd to Sunday 5^th October 2003 and is the 11^th Festival since the event was started in 1993.

Dance sides from all over the south east are being invited to attend and many have already accepted. Dance displays will include Morris, Molly, clog, Appalachian and Scottish dancers and we are hoping to have a team of Irish dancers this year. More sides are still welcome to join the growing list.

We are very pleased to have already arranged a special event entitled "A most sunshiny day - Sussex's place in the folk revivals". This is an illustrated talk presented by traditional Sussex folk singer Shirley Collins with able assistance from Vic and Tina Smith and Ian Kearey.

Shirley was an internationally known folk singer, musician and folklorist in the 1960s and 70s. She collected songs in America with Alan Lomax and performed widely both with her late sister Dolly, who for some time lived in Bodiam, and also as a solo performer. Shirley stopped singing in the late 70's after loosing her voice during a National Theatre performance and has rarely sung in public since. Shirley has a wealth of knowledge relating to Sussex folk songs and is able to present this in an entertaining and interesting way to anyone who is interested in music.

"Within sound", a four CD collection of Shirley's singing has just been released by Fledgling Records. The recordings cover the period from 1955 to the 1970's. Shirley is also about to publish a book of her story as a folk song collector and is enjoying being back in front of an audience albeit as a narrator rather than a singer.

Vic and Tina have been regular participants in the Festival both as members of the barn dance band Sussex Pistols and as a duo and concert compares. Ian is also a member of the Sussex Pistols and a former member of the Oysterband.

The guest list for this year is developing with a number of singers and musicians well known for their singing of songs with a nautical influence. There is likely to be a special sea shanty and sea song concert but there will also be plenty of opportunity for singers and musicians to perform other traditional and contemporary folk songs and tunes. Guests will include The Amazing Catsfield Steamers, John Barden, Pete Castle, Johnny Collins, Peter Collins, Shirley Collins, Bob & Kathy Drage, Bob Kenward, Keith Kendrick and Lynne Heraud, Graeme Knights, The Marsh Warblers, John Smedley, Vic & Tina Smith, Joe Stead, Women in Harmony, Trefor & Vicki Williams (Wales) and the Amazing Zolas.

The latest details of the Festival will be posted on our web page at www.folkspots.btinternet.co.uk

To receive our regular email updates send an email to tff@Folkspots.btinternet.co.uk with "add to festival news list" in the subject box.

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