Last Friday we went to see Moishe’s Bagel at Burton Bradstock Village Hall, a Scottish-based quintet whose music is a hybrid of klezmer, jazz, Balkan and classical, played on piano, accordion, violin, double bass and percussion.
Moishe’s Bagel at Burton Bradstock Village HallPete (Accordion), Greg (Fiddle) and Guy (Percussion)
We went to this gig tonight to see Joe Strouzer and also the Wing Faced Earth Figs. There was rather too much chat going on in the pub to really appreciate the music but we had a good time and it was great to see Joe Strouzer live and his collaboration with the Wing Face Earth Figs was a highlight.
Here are a couple of photographs:
Joe Strouzer at The Barton Inn 30 September 2017Joe Strouzer with The Wing Faced Earth Figs
Here’s a couple of YouTube Videos (two of my favourites – featuring Rebekah Bouche on Double Bass):
As in previous years, time out from the main stages at ‘The Den’ was hugely rewarding and we were fortunate to discover three amazingly talented new acts:
Sleepy Folk
Captivating music from Sleepy Folk, an inspirational group of songwriters and instrumentalists from Guildford associated with the Academy of Contemporary Music:
Sleepy Folk at The Den, Cambridge Folk Festival 2017
They have a number of songs on YouTube – here’s ‘Strides’ for starters:
Young Waters (formerly Snufkin)
The next act that caught our attention was Young Waters based in the Bristol area and winners of the New Shoots Competition, Bath Folk Festival 2016:
Young Waters at The Den, Cambridge Folk Festival 2017
(Apologies to Theo who is hidden behind the tent pole)
They are also on YouTube, one of their songs ‘Swimming Pool’ featured here:
Nina Harries
Introduced (perhaps unfairly) as being ‘weird’, but certainly theatrical and experimental in her playing of ‘Nancy’, the double bass partner to her vocals:
Nina Harries at The Den, Cambridge Folk Festival 2017
Here are a couple of videos from YouTube (Shoreditch Dickie and Icarus):
Our first proper gig since moving to Somerset last December – went to see Lucy Ward at the David Hall, South Petherton. Lucy has a powerful voice and sang a number of her own songs which focus on social justice, some bravely unaccompanied, some humorous, a few traditional folk songs and a cover of Jolene, in which (and she would probably prefer to forget this) spectacularly forgot the words.
We were back at The Green Note again to see Bronwynne Brent – a little more relaxed and chatty than last time. Accompanied by her producer and highly-rated guitarist Johnny Sangster:
Bronwynne Brent
Bronwynne Brent with Johnny Sangster at The Green Note
We had the front seats in front of the stage and helped out Bronwynne with setting up a video camera and picking up dropped plectrums.
Objective – raised beds for less than £10 per sq m
Whilst potentially expensive to construct, a raised bed (with boards containing the soil) has a number of advantages over a traditional cultivated bed:
Tidy and space efficient, with the soil contained by the sides
Soil improvement can be focussed and achievable
Less digging, as there is no need to walk on the soil
Improved drainage,warming up faster in the Spring
Improved yields
Less bending over, depending on the height
However, creating beds of sufficient size for vegetable or fruit growing can be cost prohibitive, with kits in recycled plastic costing £50-£75 per sq m or more.
This project was inspired by circular water and oil tanks which rely on tension in the outer skin to contain the liquid, rather than flexure of the sides. The material used is a recycled plastic used in agriculture called Stokbord, cut into strips and bolted together with stainless steel bolts. The completed construction will be highly durable and should last for many years.
Raised bed constructed from Stokbord and stainless steel bolts
Some statistics on materials:
Outer ring fabricated from six 20cm x 244cm strips of 12mm Stokbord (one 2.44m x 1.22m sheet) and 48 No M10 x 45 stainless steel bolts (each with two 30mm washers); 12 No 6mm Stokbord cover splices 40cm x 20cm
Inner ring fabricated from three 15cm x 244cm strips of 6mm Stokbord and 12 No M6 x 25 stainless steel bolts
Tub in centre fabricated from spare material from 6mm Stokbord and 4 No M6 x 25 stainless steel bolts
Fourteen musicians, seven countries, three continents, one band. Världens Band creates captivating world music that unites across borders. Världens Band performs folk and roots music from their native countries in a collision of cultures and a style they have self-branded as ‘Transglobal Roots Fusion’.
Världens Band
Solas
Solas is a popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band from the United States
Solas at Cambridge Folk Festival 2016
Lizabett Russo
Scotland-based singer-songwriter Lizabett Russo of Romanian heritage.
First on the Main Stage were Le Vent du Nord (The North Wind), a Canadian folk music group from Quebec. The band, formed in 2002, performs traditional Québécois music (which is heavily influenced by Celtic music from both Ireland and Brittany), as well as original numbers in this style, in French (profile from Wikipedia).
Le Vent du Nord on the Main Stage at Cambridge Folk Festival 30 July 2016
Cash Box Kings
The Cash Box Kings are from Chicago and play old school Chicago blues. The band is dedicated to carrying on the spirit of the 1940’s and 50’s post-war Chicago blues sound as well as the Delta blues music of the 20’s and 30’s.
Cash Box Kings on the Main Stage at Cambridge Folk Festival 30 July 2016Joel Paterson guitaristOscar Wilson
Daisy Bell
Daisy Bell is a young Singer/Songwriter from Cambridgeshire.
Songs of Separation
Songs of Separation comprises ten female folk musicians from Scotland and England reflecting on the issue of ‘separation’ in its many forms, through traditional song.
Applewood Road
Applewood Road is a collaboration between three singer-songwriters – Emily Barker, Amber Rubarth and Amy Speace
Emily BarkerAmy SpeaceAmber Rubarth
Megson
Megson (Stu Hanna and Debbie Hanna)Debbie Hanna
Rheingans Sisters
Rowan RheingansAnna RheingansRowan and Anna Rheingans
An excellent performance from KT Tunstall – great band, lovely person, entertaining, some new songs and some more familiar tunes given a new lease life.
KT Tunstall – Main Stage at Cambridge Folk Festival 29 July 2016KT Tunstall – Finale at Cambridge Folk Festival 29 July 2016
Sound of the Sirens
My next stop was The Den where I very much enjoyed the entertaining folk/rock duo Sound of the Sirens from Exeter.
Gogol Bordello
The Friday night headliners were something of a contrast after the relative tranquillity of The Den. Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.
Headliners Gogol Bordello at Cambridge Folk Festival 29 July 2016Stage Antics