Oxford Fiddle Group CD2 Recording

Recording is well under way for the Oxford Fiddle Group's second CD. This afternoon we had a four hour recording session and 10 tracks have been recorded so far.

Tom organising the fiddles

The santuary of the double bass corner

The material is well rehearsed from the Tuesday evening get togethers so the recording is a fairly relaxed affair. We always have a leisurely food break with the 'Bring-a-plate-of-food' lunch.

Lunch break

It is hoped that the CD will be finished and available by February 09, in time for our tour of the Algarve, Portugal. Details of the CD and other information about The Oxford Fiddle Group can be found at www.oxfordfiddle.co.uk

Here I'm managing to get away from the double bass for a moment

to play some mandolin on the CD

'After the Fair' Bampton Free Folk Festival

I spent this weekend at the Free Folk Festival in Bampton - Devon not Oxfordshire! It's called 'After the Fair' Festival because the Charter Fair takes place on the Thursday - the 750th this year.
The festival is almost all sessions from lunchtime onwards in four venues - The Bridge House Hotel, The Quarryman's Rest, The White Horse and The Blackberries. The sessions on offer were Song, Irish, English, Breton and a mixture of everything while Morris Dancing etc happened outside the venues.

A White Horse Session

A French session

The Breton musicians on bombarde and melodeon

Some English 'Table Top' Dancing

It was a great weekend of session music which seemed to be enjoyed by all. I met up with Rob Hopcott who writes a blog about festivals and sessions in Somerset, Devon & Dorset and also recognised Devon musicians who I last met in the Kilcrohane Music festival, West Cork.