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Tuesday was the first day of solid sunshine during the folk events, drawing many visitors to the front. The new approach was working out fairly well. Many concerts had been sold out and the free music in pubs were well supported.
 | |  Moveable Feast | | | ©2005 Gary T. | |
The Kathryn Tickell Band arrived after an eight hour drive from Northumberland. They were just in time for their scheduled slot at the Bedford Hotel. Peter Harris pointed out that after a rest they will probably play even better on Wednesday.
 | | | Kathryn Tickell Band at Bedford Hotel | | | ©2005 Gary T. | |
This year has featured many more local artists from the West Country. During the weekend, Fallen Apples from Western Super Mare performed several times each day. They originally started on the streets, and then moved in to the Anchor Gardens. By Sunday, they were loaned enough kit by Bushes and Briars to be playing on the stage.
At Dukes, bands such as Moveable Feast have widened the scope of folk music. They played dance music from a variety of world roots, featuring the saxophone and percussion.
 | | | Anchor Gardens | | | ©2005 Will P. | |
The Anchor Gardens haven been used for a series of Celidhs. People seem to be learning more dances as the week continued. In previous years there were sometimes performances by dance groups who appeared at evening shows. In 2003 for example there was a visit by the Lee Kyung Hwa Dance Company from Korea.
This year there have been some dance performances at the Connaught Gardens. This is a good use of the venue but it could be better known as there was extra space for a larger audience. Alive and Kicking performed an Appalachian style and offered workshops at the Phoenix in Exeter.
One indication of the health of new approach is the experience of groups such as the Crediton World Music Choir. For the last two years they have performed at the Front on Tuesday evening. At one point last year there was a suggestion there might have an indoor venue however they decided instead to continue with the same spot as previously. The audience seemed to be slightly larger though this may have been because of the sunshine. They included a song from Korea, 'O So Soe' by Geon Yong Lee. Which is a prayer for peace and reconciliation in a divided country.
 | | | Crediton World Music Choir | | | ©2005 Gary T. | |
Their Director, Alise Ojay, managed to teach the audience how to sing in two sections. Her impression was that the Sidmouth Folk Week will continue in the coming years and that the Choir will still choose to perform at the Front in future years.
 | | | Alise Ojay | | | ©2005 Will P. | |
There is a base of traditional folk, particularly at the Bedford Hotel. The Anchor has some blues based music as well as the Celidhs. Dukes include modern folk and don't mind a saxaphone. Hannah and the Madding Crowd feature original songs from their forthcoming CD but also songs by Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. It struck me that a song like 'Love Minus Zero / No Limit' might seem traditional to people born since it was released.
As last year Dukes will close the week with the Chameleon Funk Collective. This is pushing the limits of folk music. They will probably play something by the Jazz Crusaders. They may be even better than last year. People who think this sort of thing should not be mentioned could send in other reports for next year's Folk Week. Just my guess that this will be worth a visit.
Some sort of future is assured for Sidmouth folk in August. Many people said they liked it as it is now and as it was in the '70s. Maybe there will be some larger scale events in the future but there is a solid base as things are. The organisers are working on such refinements as a season ticket, not possible this year because so many groups are involved. More detail on this will appear on the website.
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| *More photos at Inxpress. The site will be updated soon. |
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©2005 OhmyNews
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