Anywhere for a Barn Dance

Kinderhook has played at some unusual venues during its 26 year existence, like school playgrounds, Beaconsfield cricket pitch and even the main car park in Tring High Street. Recently we did a barn dance in a Railway Station! The Oxford Rewley Road station building was dismantled at its original site in Oxford city centre and re-erected at The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton. It was here that we did a 60th birthday barn dance. It was actually the second time we'd done a barn dance at this venue. I also performed as a Victorian Entertainer for two days as part of the centre's Victorian Christmas days this month.

The dancers with a coach from the Royal Train of 1901 in the background

Kinderhook playing by the booking office

Me (2nd left) with the other ' Victorian Staff ' in front of the 1901 Royal Train coach

Haddenham Shamrocks

The Irish session at The Rose and Thistle, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire (every second and fourth Tuesday of the month) continues to develop.

We now meet in the main bar so there's always an audience for the session. It's a cosy atmosphere with log fire in the Winter months and a very supportive landlord.

There's a core group who are regular attenders and so the repertoire, social atmosphere and hopefully the overall sound have developed positively since the sessions started last January.

Songs are now included in the Irish repertoire but everyone joins in every tune and song unless they need a rest!

A third of the 15 regulars live in Haddenham itself and just over a third come from Thame and local villages. 3 travel all the way from Oxford to be with us.

This is the last session before Christmas. In the background you may be able to see Bodhran Bev - unable to play because of a broken arm!

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.

Oxford Fiddle Group in Grenoble, France

I've just returned from a musical trip to Grenoble, France with the Oxford Fiddle Group. We were there as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the twinning of Grenoble and Oxford. Our hosts were the " Rigodons et Traditions" - Musique traditionnelles du Dauphine
They made sure we had a wonderful time full music, friendship, food, wine and other activities!

I apologise for so many photos but so much was packed into our stay.
On our arrival on Friday evening, we spent an excellent evening at the home of Christian and Joce Vignon from Rigodons. An unbelievable meal was followed by music and dance.

Friday evening

Saturday, warm and fine was spent playing to crowds at Place de Metz and Rue Poulet in Grenoble.

Place de Metz The Place de Metz performance appeared in the local Sunday paper

Rue Felix PouletRue Felix Poulet performing with Rigodons & Traditions

A big audience at Rue Felix Poulet

All ages getting involved!

Saturday evening was spent with a different group of Grenoble folk musicians. An excellent meal laid on by the rather quaint 'Stop Croc' was followed by a lengthy session. Oddly, George Woodcock, an English man living in Grenoble who organised the session, brought along his son's half size double bass which I used instead of my bass guitar.

The session at the Stop Croc

Some things never change even though the bass is a bit small!

Sunday was a glorious day. We performed in Rue Lafayette and then in Place St Claire

Rue Lafayette

Sunday evening saw us driving out of Grenoble to perform with Rigodons et Traditions at St Jean de Moirans Centre Socio-Culturel. It goes without saying that every performance, indoors or outdoors, daytime or evening had plenty of food and drink to accompany it.

St Jean de Moirans Centre Socio-Culturel

On Monday we were taken up into the Alps for a tour which finished in the Chartreuse cellars for extended tasting! It was at this point that my camera battery died so the only photo taken on Monday was the one below on the tour.

Our final performance was on Monday evening at the Maison des Clubs, Sassenage. The evening started with an Oxford Fiddle Group 45 minute concert and was followed by food, drink and then 'Soiree Folk' avec des amis du Folk de la region grenobloise. It meant lots of people (who had listened to the concert) dancing to music by Oxford Fiddle Group, Rigodons and other local musicians. This was an excellent end to an outstading 4 days.

Oxford Fiddle Group at Dinton Village Hall

The Oxford Fiddle Group are performing traditional songs and tunes from UK, Ireland and the USA at

Dinton Village Hall, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Fri 14 November 7.30 for 8pm

Tickets, £10 each, include supper and are available from
Adrian Broadway: adrianbroadway@googlemail.com

Adlington Morris visit Haddenham and Thame

Today, on a glorious sunny Saturday morning Haddenham Hoofers (Appalachian Step Dancers) met touring Adlington Morris Men from Cheshire (http://www.adlingtonmorrismen.ik.com/) for a morning of dance. We started at the village green, Haddenham, Bucks at 10am!

Adlington Morris with Haddenham village green in the background.

Adlington Morris with The Red Lion, Haddenham in the background. Saturday morning seemed to be rather difficult for some Hoofers to make. I was the only one providing the music and a number of dances featured the junior section of the Hoofers.

Haddenham Hoofers with Haddenham village green in the background.

We then all moved on to the busy Thame High Street - Adlington Morris outside Thame Town Hall.

Haddenham Hoofers outside Thame Town Hall. We all moved on to perform outside The Abingdon Arms in Thame before lunch.

Killingworth Castle Session

Last Monday, the first Monday in the month, was the traditional session at the Killingworth Castle Inn, Wootten near Woodstock, Oxfordshire. There's always plenty of music going on at 'The Killy' at Monday was exception.

There was a great variety of instruments and tunes from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Shetlands, USA, France and Sweden.

The King Stone Rapper side from Chipping Norton called in for a couple of dances in the crowded bar.

The Killy has a great deal of live music going on - mostly folk and acoustic as can be seen from their board in the bar.

Traditional Music for Weddings

Yesterday afternoon, I played as the Mandola Minstrel for a wedding reception at the Oxford Belfry. I was booked to play for two hours after the ceremony while photos were being taken and the guests were drinking in the bar. I've recorded traditional accompaniment to play along to. These sounds come out of a wicker basket at my feet. It's great fun - just like playing 2 hours of traditional tunes at a pub session (well nearly!)

The tunes are early tunes like Kemp's Jig, La Morrisque, The Unquiet Grave, Bear Dance, Horses Bransle; quite a few Playford tunes such as Drive the Cold Winter Away, Grimstock, Newcastle, Argeers, Childgrove, Nonesuch, Parson's Farwell and a few Morris tunes like William and Mary, Constant Billy, Mrs Casey. I also include Oxford/Oxfordshire tunes like Old Tom of Oxford, Molly Oxford, Princess Royal and Old Mother Oxford.

It's a good feeling to play these tunes to an audience that wouldn't normally listen to this type of music.

I was even asked by the bride and groom to have my photograph taken with them!

Haddas at Haddenham

I live just 3 miles from Haddenham in Buckinghamshire, a village full of traditional music and dance, mostly centred around the village green.

The Village Green, Haddenham

The Duck Pond and Church by the Village Green

The Red Lion, looking out on the green, has a traditional music session on the last Wednesday of each month.
The view from the side of the Red Lion across to the village green.

The Rose and Thistle (affectionately known locally as The RAT!) hosts an Irish music session on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month.

The St Mary's Centre, opposite the Red Lion and a stone's throw from the the Rose and Thistle (which can be seen in the background) is the home of the Appalachian step dance group, The Haddenham Hoofers, who meet every Thursday evening.

The nearest Saturday to May Day sees a procession from the village hall to the village green and displays of Maypole dancing, Haddenham Hoofers dancing and Morris Dancing by the occasional Haddenham Morris side and other local sides.

On the evening of the 3rd Friday in June, a dance around the village takes place involving Haddenham Hoofers and various members of Haddenham, Owlswick, Long Crendon and Towersey Morris sides. It starts at the Kings Head and finishes at the Red Lion, usually with a tune session after the dancing.

There's also The Haddenham Ceilidhs, held on the 1st Saturday of the month in the large village hall. The first Saturday in December becomes the Haddenham Folk Festival.

Behind the duck pond is the Manor Farm Barn, a marvellous barn which is used for barn dances and other community events. In April I played in a barn dance for a 60th birthday. Last night I did a barn dance with Haddas Band, the Haddenham based band.

Haddas Band in the Manor Farm barn, Haddenham

The Haddenham Schools pupils are included in traditional dance. Many take part in the Maypole dancing. Haddenham Hoofers have gone into the Junior School to do Appalachian dance workshops. In July, Haddas Band ran a barn dance for pupils at Haddenham St Mary's Infant School. Some former pupils now dance with the Hoofers and lasts night's barn dance had local children from 5 - 17 taking part.