Here's a note from the tail end of a post I made to alt.music.s-mclachlan that I thought might be of interest here. This also went to rec.music.folk and other groups. Those on nf.general should comment on any great festivals that I didn't mention.
The biggest folk festivals are the St. John's one (Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, with French theme this year), Brimstone Head Folk Festival on Fogo Island, Conception Bay Folk Festival in Carbonear, Southern Shore Folk Festival on the Southern Avalon, Une Grande Viellie (spelling?) on The Port Au Port Peninsula, The Punters generally host a one day Bowring Park festival, The towns of Logy Bay, Outer Cove, and Torbay I think each have one day festivals with big acts, but there are probably a hundred more smaller community ones around the province, for example in Conception Bay other than the Carbonear one, Brigus and Holyrood and Conception Harbour all have smaller ones and that is just within a few miles. Oh wait, of course there is The Kelligrews Soiree as well (there is a Johnny Burke song called The Kelligrews Soiree ). Also there is a Conne River Powwow and I think a Labrador Bakeappple festival.
David Dalton wrote: > Here's a note from the tail end of a post I made to > alt.music.s-mclachlan that I thought might be of > interest here. This also went to rec.music.folk > and other groups. Those on nf.general should > comment on any great festivals that I didn't mention.
> The biggest folk festivals are the St. John's one > (Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, with > French theme this year),
> Brimstone Head Folk > Festival on Fogo Island, Conception Bay Folk > Festival in Carbonear, Southern Shore Folk > Festival on the Southern Avalon, Une Grande Viellie (spelling?) > on The Port Au Port Peninsula, The Punters generally > host a one day Bowring Park festival, The towns > of Logy Bay, Outer Cove, and Torbay I think > each have one day festivals with big acts, but > there are probably a hundred more smaller > community ones around the province, for example > in Conception Bay other than the Carbonear one, > Brigus and Holyrood and Conception Harbour all > have smaller ones and that is just within a few miles. > Oh wait, of course there is The Kelligrews Soiree > as well (there is a Johnny Burke song called > The Kelligrews Soiree ). Also there is a Conne > River Powwow and I think a Labrador Bakeappple festival.
>>Here's a note from the tail end of a post I made to >>alt.music.s-mclachlan that I thought might be of >>interest here. This also went to rec.music.folk >>and other groups. Those on nf.general should >>comment on any great festivals that I didn't mention.
>>The biggest folk festivals are the St. John's one >>(Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, with >>French theme this year),
Marcus Streets wrote: > Two and a half days and only 2 stages and you call it a big festival.
For a city of 100,000 and a province of 500,000 it is a big festival and has world class musicians and more celtic content than the Cambridge Folk Festival I am sure, for less cost and in a more intimate setting, though maybe 10,000 will attend in the warm tree lined power-spot confines of Bannerman Park, a one minute walk to bed and breakfasts and a five minute walk to Hotel Newfoundland and Captain's Quarters, and a five minute walk to downtown pubs, unlike many megafestivals that are set way out in the boonies (though camping can be fun). By big I meant it is big compared to some small free community one-day festivals that may get 500 people but not big compared to Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver Folk Festivals which are more world music hot spots than this showcase of stellar ancient-rooted local talent, and cost over three times as much, and have not been running since and including 1976 like this one. You don't know what you are missing.
>>Two and a half days and only 2 stages and you call it a big festival.
> For a city of 100,000 and a province of 500,000 it is a big festival > and has world class musicians and more celtic content than the > Cambridge Folk Festival I am sure, for less cost and in a more > intimate setting, though maybe 10,000 will attend in the warm > tree lined power-spot confines of Bannerman Park, a one minute > walk to bed and breakfasts and a five minute walk to Hotel > Newfoundland and Captain's Quarters, and a five minute walk > to downtown pubs, unlike many megafestivals that are set > way out in the boonies (though camping can be fun). By > big I meant it is big compared to some small free community > one-day festivals that may get 500 people but not big > compared to Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver Folk Festivals > which are more world music hot spots than this showcase of > stellar ancient-rooted local talent, and cost over > three times as much, and have not been running since > and including 1976 like this one. You don't know what > you are missing.
> David
Sounds great and I wish I had the time to fly over. I would really love to get back to Canada someday -I really enjoyed my last visit.
Mind you Cambridge is only a city of 100,000 and the Cambridge festival site is within the city boundary - with hotels and bars in easy walking distance. Obviously I cannot comment on whether Bannerman Park is as nice as the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall.
If I wanted to see local talent I would head 10 miles up the road to Ely - whose Folk Festival has a lot of Morris bands and sides.
Or over to the Straw Bear burning in Whitlesea or over to St Neots.
In article <40C9DD00.7000...@eightflames.org>, Marcus Streets <mar...@eightflames.org> wrote:
> Mind you Cambridge is only a city of 100,000 and the Cambridge > festival site is within the city boundary - with hotels and bars in > easy walking distance. Obviously I cannot comment on whether Bannerman > Park is as nice as the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall.
I went to the Cambridge Folk Festival a few years ago. I mix main stage FOH sound at the NFLAB Folk festival.
The Cambridge grounds are much larger. There is no on-site camping at the NFLAB festival.
While Cambridge and St. John's are both small cities, you can reach Cambridge by rail in only a few hours from most any part of England. By comparison, the semi-large population centre nearest St. John's is Halifax. That's a 20 hour road trip, 5-6 of which are spent on a ferry crossing the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Pat <n...@bloody.likely> wrote: > In article <40C9DD00.7000...@eightflames.org>, > Marcus Streets <mar...@eightflames.org> wrote:
> > Mind you Cambridge is only a city of 100,000 and the Cambridge > > festival site is within the city boundary - with hotels and bars in > > easy walking distance. Obviously I cannot comment on whether Bannerman > > Park is as nice as the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall.
> I went to the Cambridge Folk Festival a few years ago. I mix main stage > FOH sound at the NFLAB Folk festival.
> The Cambridge grounds are much larger. There is no on-site camping at > the NFLAB festival.
> While Cambridge and St. John's are both small cities, you can reach > Cambridge by rail in only a few hours from most any part of England. By > comparison, the semi-large population centre nearest St. John's is > Halifax. That's a 20 hour road trip, 5-6 of which are spent on a ferry > crossing the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Aside from the music, Newfoundland is breathtakingly beautiful, and the people are great, and there are plenty of moose and blueberries...it doesn't get much better. Eugene
I'm about to visit Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island from July 16-26th. There are as many folk festivals and ceilidhs there as you wrote about in NF and I'm at a loss as to which ones to choose. Any thoughts about where I can get some useful info? Each has there own info listings, but I need some opinions from people who know more personally about them.
Any particularly good festivals? I've seen various little towns where there's music every Tuesday night at the town hall and things like that. Anyone have any favorites?
David Dalton wrote: > Here's a note from the tail end of a post I made to > alt.music.s-mclachlan that I thought might be of > interest here. This also went to rec.music.folk > and other groups. Those on nf.general should > comment on any great festivals that I didn't mention.
> The biggest folk festivals are the St. John's one > (Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, with > French theme this year), Brimstone Head Folk > Festival on Fogo Island, Conception Bay Folk > Festival in Carbonear, Southern Shore Folk > Festival on the Southern Avalon, Une Grande Viellie (spelling?) > on The Port Au Port Peninsula, The Punters generally > host a one day Bowring Park festival, The towns > of Logy Bay, Outer Cove, and Torbay I think > each have one day festivals with big acts, but > there are probably a hundred more smaller > community ones around the province, for example > in Conception Bay other than the Carbonear one, > Brigus and Holyrood and Conception Harbour all > have smaller ones and that is just within a few miles. > Oh wait, of course there is The Kelligrews Soiree > as well (there is a Johnny Burke song called > The Kelligrews Soiree ). Also there is a Conne > River Powwow and I think a Labrador Bakeappple festival.
Susan Wachob wrote: > Hi David- and everybody else-
> I'm about to visit Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island from July 16-26th. > There are as many folk festivals and ceilidhs there as you wrote about > in NF and I'm at a loss as to which ones to choose. Any thoughts about > where I can get some useful info? Each has there own info listings, but > I need some opinions from people who know more personally about them.
> Any particularly good festivals? I've seen various little towns where > there's music every Tuesday night at the town hall and things like that. > Anyone have any favorites?
> thanks for any info-
> Susan
Whatever else you do, be sure to get to the dances - Saturdays and Wednesdays at West Mabou and Thursdays at Glencoe Mills (ask for directions!) are great fun. Jump in - just keep in mind that if you don't know what you are doing, it's polite to keep further away from the musicians. The locals who know the sets will take the squares closest to the stage and the squares generally move towards the back in descending order of competence. The music is always terrific, usually at minimum a piano and fiddle; sometimes 2 fiddles or a guitar, etc.
I've been reading the postings regarding our festival with interest. We just had a press conference last Thursday regarding this year's Festival in St. John's. I'm posting the following press release for your perusal.
28th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival presented by the St. John's Folk Arts Council. PRESS RELEASE
The St. John's Folk Arts Council is proud to present the 28th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, which will be held August 6-8, 2004 at Bannerman Park in downtown St. John's. Remaining true to their mandate, which is to promote and preserve the folk arts of Newfoundland and Labrador, the festival committee promises that the first weekend of August in Bannerman Park will be a veritable feast of diverse talent from all over the province. Well known performers such as Pamela Morgan, Ray Walsh, Anita Best, Jenny Gear and the Whiskey Kittens, The Punters, Frank Maher, Bernard and Robert Felix, Jim Fidler, Jean Hewson and Christina Smith, Rik Barron and Dave Panting and many more will be on stage to celebrate a weekend of Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts.
In addition, the Neil Murray Stage, an increasingly favourite afternoon gathering place, will feature the finest of our young folk musicians and singers. Many of these young people are already seasoned performers and have willingly accepted the important role of carriers of our traditions.
Also, building on the very positive response from last year's festival, starting at 10:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday mornings (Aug 2nd and 3rd) you can come to Bannerman Park and see your favourite folk performers "up close and personal" on three interactive workshop stages! These three stages will focus on oral traditions (singing and storytelling), Newfoundland Traditional Dance, and instrumental traditions. All workshops begin at 10:00 AM and end at 1:00PM. Then you can sit down and enjoy the fabulous entertainment on the Mainstage and the Neil Murray Stage
Through this year's "Common Ground" Program, our audience can explore the French traditional arts of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Canada. Performances in French song, dance, and storytelling, will highlight the ongoing impact of French Culture on both our Anglophone and Francophone artists. The performers participating in this program are: Le Vent Du Nord (2004 Juno Award winners) , Samantha Robichaud, Bernard and Robert Felix, Jim Fidler, Thierry Artur and Algerian Singer Lekbir Halali, Colleen Power and Dougie Benoit.
This year the St. John's Folk Arts Council is happy to award it's Lifetime Achievement Award to traditional singer, Becky Bennett. Born in St. Paul's on the Great Northern Peninsula in 1908, Mrs. Bennett was one of Kenneth Peacock's main source singers when he visited Newfoundland in the 1950's, collecting songs eventually published in his three-volume anthology "Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports". Her singing has influenced many Newfoundland folk acts, including Figgy Duff, Christina Smith and Jean Hewson, and Daniel Payne.
So all in all, it promises to be an exciting weekend in Bannerman Park. This beautiful park, situated in the heart of the oldest city in North America, is only a stone's throw from several major hotels and a host of wonderful bed and breakfast spots. For further information please visit our website at http://www.sjfac.nf.net/ or contact Erin McArthur at the SJFAC Office, Phone: (709) 576-8508, Email: off...@sjfac.nf.net
Sponsors for this event are: Canadian Heritage, The Governments of Canada through ACOA, The City of St. John's, Steele Communications with VOCM & Radio Newfoundland, Molson, Exxon Mobil, The Newfoundland Francophone Society Canada Council for the Arts, Browning Harvey, The Express, and O' Brien's Music Store.
"Fergus O'Byrne" <foby...@roadrunner.nf.net> wrote in message <news:cak5pa$dnf$1@nntp-stjh-01-01.rogers.nf.net>... > I've been reading the postings regarding our festival with interest. We just > had a press conference last Thursday regarding this year's Festival in St. > John's. I'm posting the following press release for your perusal.
> 28th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival > presented by the St. John's Folk Arts Council. > PRESS RELEASE
> The St. John's Folk Arts Council is proud to present the 28th Annual > Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, which will be held August 6-8, 2004
Ah yes, the good old Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival. I never miss it. It's one of the highlights of my summer.
So now, you all pray for good weather for that weekend, you hear? :)
> at Bannerman Park in downtown St. John's. Remaining true to their mandate, > which is to promote and preserve the folk arts of Newfoundland and Labrador, > the festival committee promises that the first weekend of August in > Bannerman Park will be a veritable feast of diverse talent from all over the > province. Well known performers such as Pamela Morgan, Ray Walsh, Anita > Best, Jenny Gear and the Whiskey Kittens, The Punters, Frank Maher, Bernard > and Robert Felix, Jim Fidler, Jean Hewson and Christina Smith, Rik Barron > and Dave Panting and many more will be on stage to celebrate a weekend of > Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts.
> In addition, the Neil Murray Stage, an increasingly favourite afternoon > gathering place, will feature the finest of our young folk musicians and > singers. Many of these young people are already seasoned performers and > have willingly accepted the important role of carriers of our traditions.
> Also, building on the very positive response from last year's festival, > starting at 10:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday mornings (Aug 2nd and 3rd) you > can come to Bannerman Park and see your favourite folk performers "up close > and personal" on three interactive workshop stages! These three stages will > focus on oral traditions (singing and storytelling), Newfoundland > Traditional Dance, and instrumental traditions. All workshops begin at 10:00 > AM and end at 1:00PM. Then you can sit down and enjoy the fabulous > entertainment on the Mainstage and the Neil Murray Stage
> Through this year's "Common Ground" Program, our audience can explore the > French traditional arts of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Canada. > Performances in French song, dance, and storytelling, will highlight the > ongoing impact of French Culture on both our Anglophone and Francophone > artists. The performers participating in this program are: Le Vent Du Nord > (2004 Juno Award winners) , Samantha Robichaud, Bernard and Robert Felix, > Jim Fidler, Thierry Artur and Algerian Singer Lekbir Halali, Colleen Power > and Dougie Benoit.
> This year the St. John's Folk Arts Council is happy to award it's Lifetime > Achievement Award to traditional singer, Becky Bennett. Born in St. Paul's > on the Great Northern Peninsula in 1908, Mrs. Bennett was one of Kenneth > Peacock's main source singers when he visited Newfoundland in the 1950's, > collecting songs eventually published in his three-volume anthology "Songs > Of The Newfoundland Outports". Her singing has influenced many Newfoundland > folk acts, including Figgy Duff, Christina Smith and Jean Hewson, and Daniel > Payne.
> So all in all, it promises to be an exciting weekend in Bannerman Park. This > beautiful park, situated in the heart of the oldest city in North America, > is only a stone's throw from several major hotels and a host of wonderful > bed and breakfast spots. For further information please visit our website at > http://www.sjfac.nf.net/ or contact Erin McArthur at the SJFAC Office, > Phone: (709) 576-8508, Email: off...@sjfac.nf.net
> Sponsors for this event are: Canadian Heritage, The Governments of Canada > through ACOA, The City of St. John's, Steele Communications with VOCM & > Radio Newfoundland, Molson, Exxon Mobil, The Newfoundland Francophone > Society Canada Council for the Arts, Browning Harvey, The Express, and O' > Brien's Music Store.
