Lockdown folk: more than music!
Haddenham Arts centre, 20 High St, Haddenham, Ely CB6 3XA
September 17-18, 2022
When Singer-songwriter Jeremy Harmer got a message from a session organiser that the session was ‘Cancelled’ because of the coming Lockdown he sat at the kitchen table feeling life was SO UNFAIR, but then, after a time he messaged the organiser back and suggested that they could try and have a music session on Zoom - and Lockdown Folk was born.
To their surprise (as other Zoom organisers also discovered) once all the ‘settings’ issues were resolved for the people involved, Zoom proved a much more forgiving and inspiring ‘venue’ for sharing what players and singers do than originally envisaged.
Lockdown Folk (online) grew. Singers and players from all over the UK, from many parts of the USA – Alaska, to Califonia, Missouri, Oregon and elsewhere -started arriving. They came, too, from Germany, Switzerland, Italy and well, anywhere. All dedicated to playing, singing and listening, listening to music at the very highest level. True, they couldn’t sing and play together (although one Lockdown Folker managed to, somehow) but everyone got to hear (and play to) people they might never have met otherwise. Online paradise.
Derby Folk Festival is back this autumn bringing amazing acts and a great atmosphere right into the heart of the citProduced by Derby LIVE and in association with Bob on Arts this year’s festival will run over three days from Fri 30 Sep to Sun 2 Oct. After the sell-out success of last year’s festival, which saw visitors travel from around the UK and Ireland to attend the 15th Derby Folk Festival, this year’s impressive line-up continues to prove that Derby is the place to be for all things folk. This year, as usual, events will be taking place in fantastic venues including Derby Market Place, The Old Bell Hotel and Derby Cathedral. The festival will also be working with the Museum of Making and QUAD on more activities.
Isle ‘Ave A Shanty are a 6-piece A Capella male harmony group based on the Isle of Ely. They specialise in traditional songs from the sea and the country in a folk style as well as putting a folk twist on some modern classics! They are a rarity in being a sea shanty band from a landlocked county but they bring their own style to traditional songs and songs they made up themselves.