Bound for West Cork

I'm just about to embark on my annual musical pilgrimage to West Cork. There's a hectic programme of performing and sessions for the next month. I'm doing solo gigs and performing with 2 groups coming over from England and 2 Irish groups.


'Gawkey' - me with Matt and Lorna Morton

A couple of dates are unconfirmed but the bookings are as follows:
July 30 Fitzpatrick's, Kilcrohane - solo
Aug 1 Fastnet Inn, Goleen - Gawkey
Aug 2 Fitzpatrick's, Kilcrohane - Gawkey
Aug 6 Fitzpatrick's, Kilcrohane - solo
Aug 8 Fastnet Inn, Goleen - Goleen Rovers
Aug 10 Myross Wood Fete near Leap - Take the Floor
Aug 13 Fitzpatrick's, Kilcrohane - solo
Aug 15 Fastnet Inn, Goleen - Quarries
Aug 16 Fitzpatrick's, Kilcrohane - Quarries
Aug 17 Goleen Festival - Goleen Rovers
Aug 20 Fitzpatrick's, Kilcrohane - solo
Aug 22 O'Mearas, Goleen - Goleen Rovers
We always get a really warm welcome from Eileen at Fitzpatricks and the audience made up of locals and holiday makers.
There are plenty of mixed music sessions in Goleen and Bantry and a particularly good traditional session at Ballydehob.


'Take the Floor' at Caseys Hotel, Baltimore

Goleen Rovers at the Goleen Festival 2007

Irish in Haddenham

Yesterday evening was the twice monthly meeting of the Irish session at the Rose and Thistle in Haddenham, Bucks.
It is unlike a normal session. It takes place in the back room of the pub so there are only the musicians in the room.
In the first half of the evening we try out more obscure Irish jigs, reels, polkas and hornpipes collected by Tony Blay. This is more of a workshop session led by Tony. The tunes are arranged into sets and rehearsed so that they become part of the group repertoire.
The second half of the evening is more in the traditional session style with different musicians playing Irish tunes and others joining in.


There is a good variety of Irish folk instruments played at the session: fiddle, whistle, flute, concertina, accordion, banjo, mandolin guitar and bodhran.
Pictured above are Dave, me and Penny.


Pictured above - Tony and Tim.
There are fourteen members of the group with about 8-10 attending at any one session.



Bruce
The session takes place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month starting at 8.15

Festival Time

Yesterday was the start of the festival season for Haddenham Hoofers - two festivals in a day!

We started off at the Buckingham Festival at lunchtime, performing outside the old gaol in the town centre.

The Hoofers' Band - Ed Houghton (guitar) Tim Brooks (fiddle) me (double bass) Tim Mason (5 string banjo) and Penny Heydon (fiddle)

We then went on to the Haddenham Beer Festival to perform in the afternoon. The weather stayed sunny (despite the forecast) and the Beer Festival was extremely busy.

This photo shows the Hoofers getting ready for the first dance with the beer festival crowds looking on.

The Haddenham Hoofers are performing at the Sidmouth Folk Festival 1-8 August and Towersey Village Festival 21-25 August