Frittenden Festival, 20th March 2010
Jan 1st, 2010 by admin
The Frittenden Festival is a village-based event focusing on the traditional singing, dancing, music and drama of South-Eastern England.
The programming for 2010 is still at the draft stage, but there will be stepdancing workshops in the morning starting at 10.30am, followed by singing, playing and step-dancing sessions at lunchtime, events including a concert during the afternoon, and a songs and tunes session and a dance will run concurrently during the evening from about 8pm.
Two very special guests are the superb singer from Derbyshire Jack Crawford and Vic Ellis, from Brighton, an outstanding one-man band of today who was inspired to take up his astonishing instruments by a legendary one man band from the past, Albert Farmer of Lingfield in Sussex. We’re also delighted to have David Campbell, an excellent singer who lived in Kent for many years.
Other artists lined up include local star singer and anglo concertina player Andy Turner, Nigel Hobbins (read about him here), celebrated singer and MC Peter Collins, and Rattlebag, harmony singers from Hastings, who bring a fine collection of humorous songs from a woman’s perspective.
On the stepdancing front we have the wonderful visiting group The East Anglian Step dancers with Flying Feet Percy West. They’ll be dancing in and out of the pub, and in the concert.
Fiddler Taz Tarry is coming down from Hertfordshire to play for stepping and lead the tunes, and Travelling Folk, led by Terry and Stephanie King, will be on hand to host a session in the bar at lunchtime.
Variously leading the singing, playing and stepping during the day will be the organisers, singer and stepdancer Rosie Davis, and stepdancer Kerry Fletcher (who will be ably supported by fiddler Tim Brooks) and singers and musicians Julie and Gavin Atkin.
The whole event will be topped off in the evening with a celebration ceilidh and barn dance in the village’s Memorial Hall with music from local festival stars Florida and caller Chris Pitt.
Music and singing sessions will again take place at Frittenden’s splendid Bell & Jorrocks pub – those who came last year and found it a bit crowded will be pleased to know that it now has yet another room that we will be able to use.
For information, contact the chairman Gavin Atkin at gmatkin@gmail.com