🄵🅆 International
🄵🅆 International https://folklife.uk/international
LIVE LOCAL FOLK: we publicise news from our Folklife Members:
LIVE LOCAL FOLK: we publicise news from our Folklife Members:
singarounds, sessions, clubs, concerts, gigs, album news, festivals, workshops.
On other pages ~ Directory: Venues: International Performers: International
On other pages ~ Directory: Venues: International Performers: International
This site copies print pages: folk news by area, + Festivals & Workshops Diary.
Our 🄵🅆 (Folklife West) pages are images of A4-size, so too small in phones. However, they'll give you a general idea (and you can always buy a copy of FW !)
As our name "Folklife West" suggests ... mainly Cymru•Wales, England West Country & West Midlands.
Following Zoom, enthusiasts from elsewhere joined us - even beyond England and Wales. We have readers for our "Updates" emails from across the world - and even a few Members sending news internationally, as below. We welcome enthusiasts from everywhere!
READ FOLKLIFE WEST (44 pages) ~ ONLINE here, free.
• In PRINT, £4 (at clubs), or posted £6; Europe £9; World £11.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP : 5 magazines ~ 3 Folklife Wests, 2 Journals.
• As PDFs, £9 worldwide, with password to download from Prepaid PDF page.
• In PRINT, posted £21; Europe £27; World £33.
Payments details foot of page.
Above: Rowing club members visiting Wavertree in 1929, Punta Arenas, Chile. Gift of Senor Rafael Osvaldo Cabrera Majoral, 1976.
© South Street Seaport Museum Archives, to whom thanks for permission to use their photo.
Some International news ~ more welcome - it's only £9 a year to include your news:
(world-wide) PDF Membership (= download Folklife West from this site with a password)
BELOW
Online extra added : Canada ~ A report from Toronto
From Keith Price, one of our Canadian Folklife members. DRAFT FOR NEXT ISSUE:
Keith's initial report consisted of the above, which has been lightly edited to fit; plus (below) details of 2 more clubs, briefly mentioned above; an edited version of below will be in Sept 2025 issue.
The Second club in the city is a monthly sea shanty sing run by a group called, appropriately, Press Gang Mutiny. And it really was a Shanty Sing last Wednesday (February 26th). About 15 floor singers along with Press Gang Mutiny sang at least 30 sea shanties only 7 or 8 of which I recognised. A high standard from all the performers and a very enjoyable evening. The ‘Sing’ was held in a local micro-brewery, a great location with fairly decent acoustics. Unfortunately this was their last evening at this venue. As yet they do not know where they will be moving to and expect to miss the next 2-3 months. I look forward to revisiting them when they start up again.
The other club in the area is in the city of Brampton about 25 miles north-west of where I live in Toronto. It held its first meeting 28 years ago in February 1997, making it one of the oldest folk clubs in southern Ontario. The founder and driving force behind the club is Glenn McFarlane and the club mandate is 1) to promote and encourage folk music in the Brampton area; 2) to provide a forum for musicians to develop their skills in performing folk music and; 3) to provide, as a resource to the city, a talent pool for entertaining at community and charitable functions. This it does admirably, and even on my second visit, I noticed that a couple of those present sang more confidently than on my first visit.
It runs an Open Mic evening once a month with a 2 song format from 7:30 to 9:30, sign up at 7:00. They also run a song circle on the first Monday of the month, also from 7:30 to 9:30. And every month features a concert or an appearance at a local community event., thus fulfilling the club’s 3rd mandate. The song circle evenings begin with everybody sitting in a circle and singing (and playing) together from one of two folk song books that are distributed at the beginning. This is then followed by the song circle proper during which everyone gets to sing one song from his/her own repertoire, usually on a pre-determined theme.
During the two song circles I have attended I got to sing my 2 themed songs (a drinking song and a working song) and to join in with several other songs that I was familiar with.
On Friday January 31st, I had planned to show up for the Open mic session and sing my 2-song mini-set. Unfortunately, having driven home from an afternoon at a friend’s house through a serious blizzard, I decided not to risk the 50 mile round trip in such dangerous conditions. I had seen several cars in ditches on the way home and didn't feel like joining them.
Sadly February’s Open Mic session is online and I’m not sure how well that will work for me as I really rely on interaction with my audience, especially as regards the singing of choruses. I’ll try it anyway and see how it goes.
I actually sang successfully at the Zoom Open Mic meeting yesterday, Friday February the 28th: successfully because I chose two songs that did not have choruses that needed to be sung by all. In fact, the rule is that our microphones are to be turns off when somebody else is performing. We switch them back on in between songs if we wish to comment, and then switch them off again. Will I sing at the next Online Open Mic evening? Definitely!
The next in-person Open Mic night is on March 21st at which time I will be away on holiday. After that, there will be an online Open Mic night on May 2nd. In person Open Mic night may or may not happen in May and in the fall, but dates and venues have yet to be confirmed.
I have to applaud the philosophy of the club and hope that I can contribute in some small way. I certainly intend to try.
Keith Price Founder of Rhyl Folk Club in N. Wales, October 1964, Founder Member of Mint Julep, 1967-1975
Toronto, February 2025
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(UK and world-wide) Card: "Ko-Fi" link, on right.
(UK) by BACS: Folklife West t/a Folklife, Sort Code 09-01-55, Account 18675181.
(UK and world-wide) Card: "Ko-Fi" link, on right.