The 20th Tenterden Folk Festival
Thursday 4th
to Sunday 7th October 2012
Festival
Update
There is a lot happening at the 20th Tenterden Folk Festival
over the weekend of Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th
October.
The festival gets off to a flying start on Thursday evening with a
special concert with the Acoustic Strawbs supported by Steve O'Kane
& Fiona Mc Bain as well as Greg Harper, Chris Davis & Gary
Holder. This fundraising event in the Town Hall is sure to be
very popular with both folk music fans and those that remember the
Strawberry Hill Boys from their early days in Kent. Tickets are
already selling well. The Festival camp site opens to those with
camping passes from midday so they can get settled in before the
concert. The Marquees will go up on the Recreation Ground ready
for the weekend..
Friday sees many of the festival's professional guests joining us for a
full day of events ranging from workshops and concerts as well as music
and song sessions in several pubs. Events start from 10.30 a.m.
and culminate in an English Barn Dance with the Climax Ceilidh Band and
caller Nick Walden at The Tenterden Club in the evening. The barn
dance is also when those who have not managed to meet up during the day
get to see old friends from across the country. Some of the many
Morris Sides and dance display teams, such as Morena Slovak Dance
Company, are regular visitors to the dance during the evening while
others meet up at Peter Collins' popular pub session.
Saturday is the day the festival takes to the streets of Tenterden with
nearly 60 Morris sides and dance display teams vying for attention in
the Town centre and then joining in the procession before continuing to
dance in the afternoon. The free music showcase stage,
crafts marquee, music fayre, street stalls and the new dance
stage, all open at around 10.00 a.m. and more concerts, workshops, folk
clubs, music and song sessions and other events get under way from
10.30 a.m. and continue to midnight. There are also several
special events as well as the very popular Cinque Ports shanty and sea
songs session.
Sunday continues in much the same way as Saturday with both indoor and
outdoor events throughout the day including the showcase stage and
stalls. There are also several special events including The Short
Sharp Shanties Show and a major concert in the afternoon before it all
comes to an exhausted end with yet one more late sing-a-round for those
who are not in a hurry to go home ready for work on Monday.
Fringe events continue to be added to the festival. One of the
most longstanding and popular is the appearance of Morris dancers,
singers and musicians at the Kent and East Sussex Railway. You
will find them on the steam trains on both Saturday and Sunday and they
will be dancing at Stations along the line from Tenterden to
Bodiam. Dancers and guests will also take time out to visit West
View Hospital to entertain the patients who cannot get in to the town
centre. There is also still time to visit the exhibition at
Tenterden Museum to celebrate 20 years of the festival. We are
also talking to Homewood School who are interested in staging an event
or two in conjunction with the festival.
Tenterden Folk Festival is a popular and friendly event and welcomes
not only the local community and residents from the wider Borough, but
also visitors and folk music enthusiast from all around the country and
also from overseas. Several of our guests this year are from the
USA but the emphasis remains on traditional English folk song, music
and dance. There is however something that will interest and
entertain everyone. Wherever you are from whatever your age or musical
tastes you will enjoy the festival so we look forward to seeing you
there.
Bookings:
To get your dance side or display team invited to the festival, book
your craft fair, street stall or music fayre pitch, book an advert in
the programme, buy your tickets, volunteer as a steward or marshal,
make a donation or to get otherwise involved in the festival contact us
NOW.
Festival
information:
More details of Tenterden Folk Festival, guests, accommodation and
camping will be found on our website at www.tenterdenfolkfestival.org.uk.
Festival tickets
are available from Tickets are available in advance:
By post only from:
Tenterden Folk Festival, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA
Or by post or
personal caller (plus booking fee):
Right Track
Music Shop
25-27 Tufton Street, Ashford TN23 1QN T: T: 01233 662682
E: info_at_righttrackmusicshop_dot_co_dot_uk
Ashford Gateway
and Library
Church Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1QX T: 01233 620649
Tenterden
Gateway
2 Manor Row, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HP T: 01580 762558 E: tourism_at_ashford_dot_gov_dot_uk
Also available
on line from www.wegottickets.com/f/3909
Full Weekend
Ticket:
Admits holder to all events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but NOT Thursday.
COST: Before 1st
Sept. ?34.00 (under 16's ?17.00) After 1st Sept. ?43.00
(under 16's ?22.00) Camping is not included in these ticket prices but
can be booked separately.
Thursday evening
Concert:
Available in advance and if still available on the door. All
tickets ?14.00 each
Alan Castle
Festival Director
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