I suppose I feel fairly passionate about the value and beauty of traditional folk music of every country and people of
the world because I feel it to be an intrinsic part of who and what a people are and where they came from and what made them.
In other words it is history in the making- sometimes of great events but more often of ordinary life, and sometimes
also of great themes or mystic threads, mythic processs,and spiritual archetypes
So like the landscape, and like history itself folksong is integral to the mosaic of existence as it were. This is why
I also have an especial fondness for composers like Vaughan-Williams, Sibelius and others who drew the inspiration for
their music from the land and music of the people.
The Bristol Folk Scene
One should remember that In the late 1960s and early ‘70s, Bristol became nationally renowned for its powerhouse
folk & blues scene, and was second only to London for the number and influence of its recorded artists. It therefore became
a magnet for the brightest and best artists nationally on the folk scene. I saw many renowned musicians live on stage
in small clubs, such as Al Stewart, Stefan Grossman, John Renbourn, Keith Christmas, Mike Cooper, Bob Stewart, Pigsty Hill
Light Orchestra, Ian Anderson, Fred Wedlock, Steve Tilston, Keith Warmington. Sometimes we were playing on the
same might on the same stage- for the young VI form students that we were quite a thrill! (as well as greatly enhancing
our own kudos amongst our peers).
Teenage Performance
Additional to school events and local fetes etc, we performed at various clubs and pubs in Bristol such as The Dugout
Club; The Troubadour Club, The Bunch of Grapes, The Old Duke, and venues at local events; and some
clubs in Cornwall. One summer in Cornwall I had the pleasure to hear the wonderful voice of Brenda Wooton at her club.
In the early stage we mainly performed songs by recorded artists such by Tim Hardin, Gordon Lightfoot, Tom Paxton, Bob
Dylan, Paul Simon, plus some traditional songs, the performance of which increased. This was between the age of 16-18,
in a small group with friends. One has to remember that in those days only a couple of people in the VI Form had access to
a motor car: we either had to persuade their parents to let us borrow the car or had to catch a bus- in which case the sadness
at rushing out to catch the last bus home and missing the best and final moments of club night (about 11.30pm!) and chatting
with the musicians or going on to a party.
As our attendance and performance at these clubs increased we bean to be vaguely recognised by some of the names of the
Bristol scene. One night a batch of these musicians came along to a private party held in the home of a friend when the parfents
were away.
Scrumpy n Western
These were the days when locally produced good 'scrumpy' could be had in many pubs (and a few were still making their
own cider). By god it made your eyes water and no doubt your liver rot. But it was cheap, it was strong and
it was British! Old gaffers that drank it over the years developed large knobbly pickled noses and varicose veined faces which
glowed in the dark.
"Scrumpy and Western" has been a term used to describe the emergence of a specifically West Country brand of folk music.
A enduring sadness of mine is that I never did see the legendary Adge Cutler. But I did see the wonderful Acker Bilk at The
Granary
At university, solo singing began, and also duets. But the glory days were over by then.
Story Telling
Legends, myths and folklore had always been a strong part of my life. Story telling began to become a feature of my actual
work when I started organising educational courses, excursions, expeditions to Dartmoor.
These would take the form of late night stories by the fire (camp fire when camping, and also hearth fire when cottages
were hired) at night and stories at the location out on the Moor as a prelude to a hike.
I would also tell stories on my history tours of the Kennet and Pang Valleys for groups of foreign teachers for
Pangbourne English Centre.
Folk Songs Today
I am trying tp persude myself to start going back to visiting folk clubs and even venture to get up and croak out a song
or two. I've got as far as making a list of clubs in the Thames Valley!
However,despite the slownes in resolution of this goal, I do practice from my song book collection every day.
My favorurite songs to sing at present are:
Lord Franklin; Drink To Me Only; Greensleeves;
The Rosebud in June; Here We Come A Wassailing; The
Sprig of Thyme; Barbara Allen; The Deserter;
The Flower Carol; All Things Are Quite Silent; Our
Wedding Day; I Once Loved A Lass; The Trees They Do
Grow High; Pleased To See The King; Come Lasses And
Lads; Over The Hill And Far Away.
Collecting
Now that I am retired, collecting of songs and stories has come back into my life. I found my old note book from youth
and copied out the traditional songs I knew from there into a practical filofax-type folder I can carry anywhere,
and this I have now extended through my weekly research.
Additional to that I am adding stories of legends, myths, customs and mysteries of Gloucestershire and of Dartmoor. Writing
about these legends and myths is also a future activity I shall engage in.
