FRIDAY EVENING DANCES
Once again, the programme features two dances at Netherstowe with split timing, to allow ‘earlybirds’ to enjoy a start at 7.15 and to ‘retire’ correspondingly early, or to join the later dance in the main hall. Both dances on the programme will be mixed American and Playford-style, although each of the callers will probably take advantage of the overlap period between the two to focus on one of those styles, to increase the choice for dancers.
Roy
Garrington, new to the Lichfield Festival staff, starts the programme on
Friday with one of Staffordshire’s best-known local duos, Dave Yeomans and
Caroline Bunting. Over in the Main Hall, John Meechan will delight
dancers with a mixed programme Welcome Dance, ably supported by Downham’s
Cordial, aka Kevin Downham on accordion with Ian Hobbs on violin.
During the overlap period between 8 and 10.15, Roy will focus more on Playford-style, and John more on American, and then John will revert to a fully mixed programme during the latter half of his dance. Many dancers will know the love John has for Maggot Pie dances and other Playford-style dances of that ilk, as well as the American style.
Hailing from Leicester, Roy Garrington is booked for Saturday nights and weekends locally and further afield, and is also one of the calling team on the “Winter Rovers” dance holidays abroad. He is keen to put into folk as much as he gets out of it, working hard as Chairman of “Burton Overy Dancers”, formerly on the EFDSS National Council, and earlier involved in the “GUSTO” training programme locally and in the “Lichfolk” display team.
SATURDAY DAYTIME
Our
guest caller from the USA, Scott Higgs, calls both contras and Playford-style,
and whichever your preference you will not be disappointed. On Saturday morning
he starts with a contra workshop, but later in the day he will lead a session
in the other genre. Dancers characterise Scott's contras as "high-energy" and
"swingy", whilst his English dance programmes are elegant and engaging. Scott
has a welcoming style and a special knack for making the mysteries and beauties
of English dances enjoyable to all. Scott has also composed dozens of dances;
his first booklet of dance compositions, Early One Morning, appeared in 1995.
Scott Higgs began dancing in 1975, and teaching soon after, so has travelled for decades calling in six countries as well as the USA. Scott is the CDSS Program Director for English American Week at Pinewoods, and has organised dance weeks at Buffalo Gap. He also does sessions on dance leadership. Scott earns his daily bread as a freelance computer consultant. Internet research, database support, writing, and editing for a variety of clients keep him busy. Some of Scott's favourite projects have been in-depth reviews of software for journals.
Gary
Roodman is another guest from the States, familiar to most regular dancers
as the composer of some divinely beautiful dances. In this workshop he will
feature some new compositions you may well not have come across before. In his
own words: “In general, I do not do a lot of calling and teaching, although
whenever I do it is nice to see as many people who like my dances as possible.
I have done lots of workshops of my material and have had the honour of being
on staff at Pinewoods and other camps. Typically my sessions have a workshop
feel and are aimed at experienced dancers. When I do an evening dance, I often
collaborate with another caller” …as indeed he will be doing here at Lichfield!
Gary and his family discovered this kind of dancing in 1976 changing his life forever. In 1982, he composed his first dance, "Kneeland Romp". Now Rowena (his "Dancing Wife"), their four children, including David (the "Good Man of Cambridge"), and five grandchildren, are all immortalised in his dance titles. He is a retired college professor who taught, among other subjects, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, which has influenced his dance compositions. With the music as framework he seeks logical figure sequences which obscure underlying complexities.
Playing for Gary, and later for Hilary, will be the Bristol Players, a relatively new name on the dance scene but one which has swiftly become synonymous with quality, sensitivity and style. Monmouth-based Eddy Jay first started playing for English Country dancing as the leader of Newfolks, and then teamed with friend and fellow classical player Fiona Barrow on violin. This is their first appearance at Lichfield, but they have played at Sidmouth, Chippenham and numerous other venues where they have achieved instant popularity. Eddy has composed musical scores for two films, The Uncertainty Principle and Charmed Robbery. With violinist Oliver Wilson-Dickson, Edward is currently performing on several Village Hall Touring Schemes as 'the Beacons', and they also have a touring schools roadshow. As a talented accordionist he also performs with other combinations, such as harmonica and guitar.
David Burke first became involved with the Welsh Folk Dance Society (Cymdeithas Dawns Werin Cymru) over thirty years ago and, keen to spread the delights of Welsh dance on this side of the border (Clawdd Offa), became one of their certified instructors. He has danced with many of the Welsh groups especially with Cardiff at Gwyl Ifan (their Midsummer Festival – its Midsummer now so look out!), and has run Welsh workshops at major festivals and events in the UK and abroad.
His interest in folk dance extends to other genres, and he’s responsible for resuscitating the Lichfield Folk Dance Club in the mid 1960s. David was also closely associated with the Lichfield Folk Festival’s early development years, including running the Folk Shop, and he dances with Green Mans’ Morris, having graced several other display sides over the years as well. Dances today will be on the twin themes of ‘Fair dances from Nantgarw’ and Bridges, where they will have bridges in the title or, intriguingly, in the figures.
The
exciting line-up of the Ivel Valley Band consists of Rachel Burden and
Bruce Godfrey on violins, Peter Bilocock on keyboard and Chris Rutt on guitar.
Rachel also plays oboe, wherever this proves possible in terms of musical arrangements.
Although this is their first Lichfield Folk Festival most of the group are classical
performers and have also played for folk at many Saturday night dances especially
round their home areas of Bedford/Cambridge.
The combination of instruments allows a great variety in style and the lift their music gives to the dancers will ensure they become even more popular. It will be well worth your while coming to hear the Ivel Valley band, new to Lichfield Folk Festival, at some time on Saturday. Chris will be familiar to many having played with the Orange & Blue folk dance band from 1970 to 1979, as well as a keen dancer with wife Joan, and he has been running the Ivel Valley for over 20 years.
Dave
Brown heads the soaring Skylark combination, with heady contributions
from Elaine Meechan on keyboard (wow, those rhythms!), Kathryn Meechan, virtuoso
flute, Dave Hunter, guitar and Mark Brown, bass guitar. Look out for their CD
– it has rave reviews from leading lights in the dance world!
So, it was hardly a difficult choice to team Skylark for their first session with top caller and family member John Meechan. John’s list of calling engagements is far too long to include all here; suffice to say that he has been regularly booked at all the festivals, and it is a delight to welcome him back. In this Saturday morning session he is likely to do mainly squares, to complement and contrast with the preceding contra session in the same venue with Scott.
Hilary Herbert uses Saturday morning to present a selection of historical Playford-style ‘Dances from Yesterday’. She is no stranger to Lichfield festival dancers, having delighted them over the years with her own choreography as well as well-researched dances. The perfect combination of Hilary with the Bristol Players assures you of fantastic music to accompany those wonderful choices. On Sunday, Hilary’s selection could encompass more variety of style with recently-composed dances.
By popular demand, we have re-instated the Saturday lunchtime Scottish session. Once again the Dewhurst family in the form of 3D provide the best possible music for Kenneth Reid to present intricate Scottish formations, with no pressure to adopt the Scottish dance steps. 3D is the band of choice for Scottish dances in the Midlands, and this summer sees the launch of their first CD of Scottish dance music. Kenneth regularly leads workshops for Scottish dance Day schools, and particularly focuses on beginners. He has also written some superb dances, and this year he and wife Fiona celebrated the birth of their first grandchild – hopefully to carry on the dancing tradition.
Youngest 3D band member, Nick Dewhurst has developed extensively in the last year, especially musically, receiving acclaim for his performances with his own band, Funktional and with local orchestras, both here and abroad. He has some exotic ideas to teach us in the first of 3 music workshops for the festival.
Scott’s lunchtime session will consist of dances in the Playford style. Folkus Pocus, aka local musicians Caroline and Dan Hollingshurst, provide the music for this, and are well-known to Lichfield dancers for their brilliant renditions of classical and modern English country dancing scores (as well as American style genres, of course).
There is an exciting new dimension to the Lichfield Festival music workshops this year – join the free Saturday early afternoon session and you will be preparing to play together for the open air public dance outside the Cathedral! The workshop will be at Netherstowe and arrangements will be made there to organise the minimum number of cars to take instruments and players to the Cathedral. We even hope to pay car-park charges from a Council grant. Gordon Taylor (Festival treasurer and fiddler extraordinaire) and David Bradley (accordionist with major folk bands) will be your leaders.
It is Joyce Berry’s debut at the Festival this year. She has run many successful barn dances and club dances in the area, and specialises in encouraging the crowds watching open air displays to join in and experience the joy of dancing for themselves.
Jacqui Morgenstein has agreed once again to delight us with some of her favourite Irish set dances. Jacqui hails from Southampton, and, celebrated in the dance ‘Dancing Across the Atlantic’ she and husband Henry have done wonders for Anglo-American dancer relations by organising ‘Yanks meet Limeys’ tours, one of which visits Lichfield this year. On these and other occasions Jacqui has developed a loyal following of those keen to learn more Irish Sets. (Hard soled shoes are a "must" for this, she says.) In her spare time Jacqui plays flute, frequently teaming with Orion’s Ring.
The
Early evening dance features John Meechan with a mixed bag of dances to bridge
the gap between afternoon and evening. The band Deo Volente represents
the union of Dave Yeomans with Victoria (for those who are not sure of their
Latin tags, DV, Deo Volente means God willing, and was inspired by their initials).
Accordion and flute may not be a common combination, but this couple (their
wedding is not long after the festival) really blend their instruments beautifully.
SATURDAY EVENING
In Netherstowe this Saturday evening, dance aficionados may find it hard to choose which session they go to first – Hilary with the Bristol Players or the Gary Roodman evening. However, as the dances are separated by a matter of yards, it will be easy to sample both. The partnership between Lichfield-based Kathryn & David Wright and Gary Roodman is legendary; the Wrights have provided Gary with valuable feedback on new compositions, and he has immortalised them in his dance ‘The Wrights of Lichfield’. Tonight you can experience all three sharing the calling – a totally unique occasion! The mix of dances? Pure Gary Roodman, of course – mostly Playford-style with a dash of American sauce.
We are keeping it in the family with Folkus Pocus, and indeed this event is also the launch party for Folkus Pocus’ first CD, sponsored by the Lichfield Folk Festival. Add the album to your shopping list at the Folk Sales point in the Festival Office - it contains a variety of dance styles including the Gary Roodman one to be danced this evening, and it has been so hard to choose between all the excellent tracks recorded.
Over in Bader, Skylark and Scott provide American-dance lovers with a heady mix, mainly contras – you’ll find it hard to stop dancing!
So, what is this new item on the schedule, a Charity Barn Dance? Well, as dancers we all agree that it would be good to attract new people to this pastime we all love so much, and Barn Dances are where people can find out just how enjoyable it really is! All funds will go to St Giles Hospice, and groups from around Lichfield are participating in the fun. Season ticket holders are welcome too – entry is included in your ticket, and you can enjoy the cheerful clear calling of Joyce Berry and the toe-tapping music of the Ivel Valley Band, together with floor spots.
SUNDAY
The American workshops on Sunday morning are held in the Boley Park Community Centre, a venue which proved popular last year as it has shops and catering close by – handy for the break between workshops. You can do both Henry Morgenstein’s Beckets and John Meechan’s creative contras in the knowledge that there is ample time to get back to Netherstowe for Scott and Skylark’s Farewell dance, without missing lunch! Alternatively dancers can fit in a session with Hilary at lunchtime – with the title ‘Dances of Today’ there’s sure to be a good mix.
Newly-weds Kevin & Lesley Downham will delight us with a song or two in the Come All Ye, in which Kevin will also co-ordinate the Festival band – please ask him if you would like to join in.
MUSIC, SONG AND DANCE DISPLAYS
Music sessions and singarounds are likely to be organised at Netherstowe and/or City pub venues. Please look out for details.
Workshops for playing music for dancing are timetabled into the main programme; see centre pages.
THREE SPIRES MORRIS host the dance displays at the Festival in this, their home town of Lichfield. They are joined by Green Man Sword & Morris and the Royal Scottish Country dancers from Birmingham, Touchwood Appalachian, Ayliffe Edwards (solo step clog) Gaelic Performance young Irish step dancers, Uttoxeter Morris and Glorishears, amongst others.