Saturday 3rd August
2.30pm
Film: The Transports.. Sing a long version
A captioned film of Peter Bellamy’s “Transports” – a fully costumed production featuring Jim Eldon, Kirsty Potts, Pete Morton, Peter Bellamy, Tim Laycock, Dave and Heather Brady, Mike Bettison John O’Hagan and John Kirkpatrick amongst others. Filmed in Portsmouth in 1987 by Doc Rowe.
5.30pm
Talk: The Revival of Cambridgeshire Molly Dancing
George Frampton will be interrogating Andy Richards, Steve Bramble and Chris Rose to investigate the revival from 1977.
Sunday 4th August
9.30am
Talk: Perambulations and Progress
A Q&A session with Doc Rowe about his sixty-‘odd’ years of documenting folk tradition and future plans. After a significant crowdfunding last year, part of his archive is now more easily accessible, and this should be a chance to view some material including past Sidmouth Festival footage – a trip down melody lane!
11.30am
Talk/Song: Americana Presentation with Sara Grey
Illustrating through song how the old songs changed under the influence of the culture they were in, once they migrated across the pond.
2.30pm
Talk: A Song Seeker Found presented by Peter & Barbara Snape
A song based presentation about Fred Hamer, expanding on last year’s presentation into his search for folk songs in a number of English counties and his ‘Garners Gay’ English Folk Song collection.
5pm
Workshop: Icelandic Rímur – story songs on on steroids, with Chris Foster
Icelandic rímur are a unique, poetically complex, narrative singing tradition that has lasted over 600 years. Using text examples and archive recordings, the workshop will introduce the history, music and poetry of rímur. There will also be an opportunity to have a go at singing.
Monday 5th August
9.30am
Talk: The Lancashire Clog Hornpipe – Fact and Fantasy
Chris Metherell looks at the development of the clog hornpipe in Lancashire and its relationships to clog dancing in other parts of the UK.
11.30am
Talk/Song: Shackleton Violin
Join Georgia Shackleton as she presents some of the material for written and curated as part of her ‘Shackleton Violin’ project – Learn a song written by Shackleton himself, and hear some new compositions to celebrate our marine life and Shackleton’s age of polar exploration.
2.30pm
Talk: Folk is a Feminist Issue with Lucy Wright
Post-pandemic, popular interest in the folk arts is at an all-time high. Artist and researcher, Dr Lucy Wright has spent more than 10 years exploring and documenting lesser-known traditions, especially those led by women—and more recently, she’s taken to inventing her own! What has she learned about the nature of tradition, and its role in 21st century life?
5pm
Talk: Where does Morris Dancing come from?
Michael Heaney said that his book The Ancient English Morris Dance ‘does not pretend to be a search for unknowable origins’. Now he embarks on that quest, to answer once and for all the question in his title.
Tuesday 6th August
9.30am
Film: Ere we all are again, then
As a tribute to Chris Sugden, weare showing one complete performance by Sid and Henry – the Kipper Family, filmed in London by Doc Rowe in 1989 – including The New Trunch Coronation Band!
11.30am
Talk: Sabine Baring-Gould, One Hundred Years On
Parson, Squire, Novelist, Travel writer, Antiquary, Folk song collector, and more. In this presentation, Martin Graebe looks back at the life of this remarkable man, the first of the large-scale folk song collectors, and considers the value of the legacy that he has left us.
2.30pm
Talk/Q&A: JJ Waller Artist Photographer in Residence
Q&A Open to anyone with an interest in Sidmouth, photography or new perspectives. JJ Waller will be holding a Q&A session – a conversation about his approach, what inspires his work and how to find inspiration in your photography. W In association with Sidmouth School of Art
5pm
Talk: Morris State of the Nation
Jack Worth presents the key findings from the 2023 Morris Census, a comprehensive survey painting a picture of modern morris dancing, how it is changing, and its future challenges.
Wednesday 7th August
9.30am
Talk: Odcombe Carols with Eddie Upton
Odcombe, a village in Somerset, has a nearly 200-year carolling tradition, including 12unique carols sung unaccompanied in four-part harmony
11.30am
Talk: Pearls from the Oysters
With John Jones, Ian Telfer and Taffy Thomas.
2.30pm
Talk/Show: Tipping Points Land & Sea: with Luke Daniels with guests
Explore the local intersections of science and society through music and storytelling inspired by British Isles’ history, traditional music, and the lived experiences of farmers and fisherfolk.
5pm
Talk/Song: Songs of Trial and Triumph
Brian Peters performs some of the greatest of the ‘Child Ballads’, and explains why they’re so called, how they were drawn together, and the sources they came from. Expect blood-soaked epics, magic and devilry, and maybe even a happy ending or two!
Thursday 8th August
9.30am
Bert’s Doctored Ditties with Brian Peters
A. L. ‘Bert’ Lloyd introduced to the English Folk Revival many songs that went on to become ‘standards’, but he often altered drastically both the lyrics and tunes of the original versions. Brian explores some of our most familiar traditional songs, and how Bert made them irresistible.
11.30am
Talk: In search of the golden apple
Identifying lost Devonshire apple varieties with Sandford Orchard’s Barny Butterfield.
2.30pm
Talk: Song Collecting and Outreach in Dublin
With Macdara Yeates
5pm
Talk: From Blackburn to Bangladesh
Work Songs with Jennifer Reid, whose work has taken her to Bangladesh using the work songs of Victorian Lancashire – oddly they describe the situation in Bangladesh today. This is a talk which involves singing and themes of labour history plus Q&A.
Friday 9th August
9.30am
Talk: Miss Gayton and her Hornpipe
The career of stage dancer Miss Gayton and the tune and dance named for her. With Katie Howson, supported by Simon Harmer.
11.30am
Talk: “Hands, Off to Skylark”
A personal reminiscence by Doc Rowe of Cyril Tawney who died in 2005. Illustrated with private and some unseen biographical material, Doc will reflect on Cyril’s life and work and his importance to the Folk Song revival, especially in the West Country.
2.30pm
Talk and Tales – The Cosmic Bear Hunt with Janet Dowling
Sharing the origin tales of the numerous stories of bears in the night sky around the asterism we know as the plough
Location & Access information
Manor Pavilion Theatre (& Arts Centre), Manor Road, Sidmouth, EX10 8RP
The entrance to the Arts Centre is on the Station Road side of the Manor Pavilion complex. The entrance to the Manor Pavilion Theatre is around the corner. There is flat access from the side-path on Manor Road, or two steps and a sloped front path up from Station Road.