Folk Festival
This year's folk festival in Tenterden will run from Thursday, September 30th to Sunday, October 3rd 2010. Four days of folk song, music and dance.
Events Include
Concerts, Sing-a-rounds, Music Sessions, English Barn Dance, Workshops, Meet the Guests, Morris Dancers, Appalachian dancers, Scottish dancers, Procession, Street Entertainment, Craft Fair, Music Fayre, Street stalls and much more ....
Line-up
On Thursday evening there's a special show in conjunction with The Sinden Theatre at Homewood School. 'Waltzers & Wonders: the Wakes is in Town' features Ian Carter, Keith Kendrick, Sylvia Needham, Sarah Matthews, Doug Eunson, Michelle Short, John Adams, Alan Squires and Howard Mitchell.
The line-up includes Alchemy, Barron Brady, Capella, Pete Castle, Karen and Colin Cater, The Claque, Roy Clinging, Cross O’th Hands, Paul and Liz Davenport, Doug Euson and Sarah Matthews, Roy Harris, Keith Kendrick, Dick Miles, Sylvia Needham, Mike Nicholson, George Papavgeris, The Ram Company, The Ram Company Ceilidh Band with caller Ian Carter, Mike Silver, Barrie and Ingrid Temple, Steve Turner and the Ticklish Allsorts Show as well as festival regulars such as John Barden, Peter Collins, Les Elvin, Bo Foaks, Bob Kenward, Marsh Warblers, Adrian O’, Roger Resch, Chris Roche, Andy Smythe, Spare Parts Concertina Band, The Travelling Folk and Malcolm Ward.
Concerts
Expect a Barn Dance on Friday evening at the Tenterden Club as well as concerts at The White Lion and regular music sessions and sing-a-rounds at the Woolpack, White Lion and Vine throughout the weekend and concerts at the Tenterden Club on Saturday and Sunday.
Morris sides
The festival also plays host to a wide selection of Morris sides representing most of the different Morris styles, plus traditional singing workshops, folk trains (musicians and other performers on the steam train) and English Barn Dance.
There will also be the hundreds of Morris dancers attending the Festival with 50 sides expected at its peak on Saturday. These will include men's sides, women's sides and some mixed sides and take in all the various styles of Morris including Cotswold, Border, Molly, clog and garland, as well as Appalachian, Scottish and Slovakian dancers. One of the many highlights will be the procession on Sunday which will include most of the dancers present. Many of the dancers will be staying on for Sunday as well.
Tickets
Tickets will be available by post direct from the festival and will shortly be available from the Tourist Information Centre in Ashford (01233 629165) and the Gateway centre in Tenterden High Street. You can also book tickets and camping online at www.wegottickets.com/f/1266
Free events
All the events in the pub bars are free as are all the dance displays around the town and the procession. Entry to the newly expanded craft fair on the Recreation Ground and the Music Fayre in the Main Hall of Tenterden Junior School are also free and there will be more stalls in the High Street as usual.
Procession
Tenterden Folk Festival will also include a procession of Morris and other folk dancers, street entertainers, giants, and mascots on Saturday. The procession is a walking procession and leaves Recreation Ground Road at 3pm to process to the Coach Park in Station Road and does not include motor vehicles. Following the procession there will be a display by some of the 40 plus Morris sides and other folk dance display teams attending the festival.
Stalls
The craft fair and parts of the music fair and street stalls are to relocate to several large marquees on the Recreation Ground on Saturday and Sunday. The Town Hall is expected to be used for other festival events such as workshops, concerts or a dance. The music showcases, previously known as 'the Woolpack Stage', will also relocate into one of these marquees. The Tenterden Junior School hall will still be used for the stalls selling musical instruments, CDs, and similar items. Most of the regular stall holders will also be there including Hobgoblin, Talking Elephant, Thrift Music and Hedingham Fair. The organisers are also planning to have displays of Morris dance in the school car park to cope with the increasing number of teams attending the festival.
Children's entertainment
For the children Ticklish Allsorts will be on hand on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday their shows will take place in St Mildred's Church Hall in Church Road while on Sunday their show will be held at the showcase marquee and should include a traditional Punch and Judy Show, an appearance by Mr Tickles, as well as walkabouts, talkabouts and street theatre shows.
Sing-a-rounds & music sessions
Lunchtime or evening sing-a-rounds or music sessions take place in the Woolpack, White Lion, Vine, William Caxton or Tenterden Club. Festival goers can join in the tunes being played by musicians who will be there from Friday evening to late Sunday night. These events are very much participatory but attendees can also come along and listen.
Workshops
The festival also offers a range of workshops.
Camping
The Festival has its own temporary campsite for caravans, motor homes and tents just a short walk from the town centre.
Find out more
Festival Information: Website: www.tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk Email info@tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk
Festival Director: Alan Castle, Tenterden Folk Festival, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford TN23 3HA - Tel: 01233 626805 Email: info@tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk
Dance Co-ordinator: Gordon Newton - Tel: 01622 862330 Email: cnewton25@aol.com
Craft Fair Organiser: Paul Cumberland, 4 Limes Place, Preston Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 8PQ - Tel: 01795 532370 Email: paul@birdsbirdsbirds.co.uk
Chief Stewards: Kathy and Bob Drage, 80 Westgate Bay Avenue, Wetsgate-on-Sea, Kent CT8 8NY - Tel: 01843 835694 Email kathybobdrage@btinternet.com
