- JAM - NSW Folk Federation

Transcription

- JAM - NSW Folk Federation
Dates For Your Diary
Folk News
Dance News
CD Reviews
Folk Federation of New South Wales Inc
Issue 445 November, 2012 $3.00
Noreen Grunseit - writer of numerous awardwinning folk dances including the hugely
popular 'Love Em & Leave Em'
folk music dance festivals reviews profiles diary dates
sessions opportunities
ADVERTISING SIZES
Size mm
Folk Federation of New South Wales Inc
Post Office Box A182
Sydney South NSW 1235
ISSN 0818 7339 ABN9411575922
jam.org.au
Members
Not Mem
Full page
210 x 297
$80
$120
1/2 page
210 x 146
or
102 x 146
$40
$70
1/4 page
102 x 146
$25
$50
1/8 page
102 x 70
$15
$35
The Folk Federation of NSW Inc,
formed in 1970, is a Statewide body
which aims to present, support, encourage and collect folk music, folk dance,
folklore and folk activities as they
exist in Australia in all their forms. It
provides a link for people interested
in the folk arts through its affiliations
with folk clubs throughout NSW and its
counterparts in other States. It bridges
all styles & interests to present the folk
arts to the widest possible audience.
Advertising artwork required by 5th
of each month. Advertisements can
be produced by Cornstalk if required.
Please contact the editor for enquiries
about advertising (02) 6493 6758
Committee
Cornstalk is the official pub. of the Folk
Federation of NSW. Contributions,
news, reviews, poems, photos welcome!
President: Anthony Woolcott
[email protected]
All cheques for advertisements and
inserts to be made payable to the Folk
Federation of NSW Inc
Cornstalk Editor - Coral Vorbach
PO Box 5195. Cobargo NSW 2550
6493 6758 [email protected]
NOVEMBER 2012
In this issue
Noreen Grunseit
Dates for your diary Festivals and Other events Folk News
Blue Mountains Music Festival
Bush Traditions Gathering
Dubbo Folk Club
Gulgong Folk Festival Weevils in the Flour CD Review
p3
p4
p6
p7
p8
p9
p10
p11
p12
p14
If your event misses Cornstalk, Julie
Bishop 02 9524 0247, [email protected] can include it in Folkmail,
the weekly email to members. And
don’t forget that as a member you can
put information on jam.org.au, where
helpful tutorials will guide you.
Deadline for Dec '12/Jan /13
11th November 2012 (firm)
Photographs - high resolution JPG or
TIFF files. 300 dpi images cropped at
correct size.
Vice President: Dallas Baxter
Secretary: Pam Davis 9955 3677
[email protected]
Treasurer: Bruce Cameron 6331 1129
[email protected]
General Members: Dallas & James
Baxter, Terry Clinton, Sandra Nixon,
Margaret Walters
Membership/Listserv/JAM:
Wayne Richmond 9939 8802
[email protected]
We use Adobe InDesign, Photoshop 6,
Microsoft Word. PLEASE do not send
photographs as part of a Word doc.
No part of Cornstalk may be reproduced
without permission of the publishers.
All care but no responsibility taken for
omissions or errors.
Wrap Co-ordinator James Baxter
9810 4131 - [email protected]
Renowned singer of traditional & contemporary folk songs Danny Spooner is appearing
at The Loaded Dog on Saturday 24th Nov.
The Folk Federation of NSW - Membership Application Form
Name/s:
Eve phone:
Address:
Mobile:
Day phone:
Email:
Membership Type (Tick one)
Individual - $25
Family (more than one in same household) - $30 Other name/s: _________________________________
Affiliate (organisation) - $35 Contact Name: _____________________________________
Please find enclosed $ ____ being my subscription for ___ years.
I enclose my cheque/money order payable to: Folk Federation of NSW; or
Please charge my credit card:
(Tick one)
Card number: ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___
Expiry Date: ____ / ____
Name on card: ________________________________________________________________
Signature:
The membership year runs from 1st May to 30th April or from 1st November to 31st October. Allowances are
made in your favour for people joining at other times. Send to: PO Box A182, Sydney South NSW 1235.
2 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012
Noreen Grunseit
One of the pioneers of Australian folk dancing
To be honest, I'd never heard of Noreen Grunseit
until a few months ago when I received an email
from her son Martin. Noreen had recently left her
home and moved in to a retirement village and was
hoping the Folk Federation and/or the Bush Music
Club, would be able to find a good home for her
collection of rare books and other folk-related stuff.
Loosely Woven, a community-based music ensemble
that I coordinate, spends one day a month performing
concerts in retirement villages and nursing homes so
I suggested to Martin that I organise for a performance at his mother's new home - Seabeach Gardens
at Mona Vale.
It was only after this that I learnt that Noreen was
very well known on the Australian and international
folk scene for writing a number of well known
dances including 'The Flying Pieman', 'Marching
A young Noreen dancing in the yard of her Mona Vale home.
Through Georgia' and the extremely popular, gold
medal award winning 'Love Em & Leave Em' which is used every year to finish the Bush Music Club's Heritage Ball. So, even
though I hadn't heard of Noreen, I was certainly very familiar with and had gained many hours of pleasure from her 'creations'
as I'm sure have many of you reading this.
Noreen was born in Singleton in 1924. In her 30s she spent quite a bit of time in England. She also travelled in France and
Spain including a trip around Spain on a motor cycle with sidecar.
In the mid 1950s, she shared a flat in England with Lynette Hicks, another Australian very interested in learning various styles
of folk dances including English country, Scottish and Dutch dancing.
In 1976, Noreen and Lynette attended the first dance class held by the Folk Federation of NSW's newly formed 'Sydney Playford Dance Group'. The teachers and students were astounded by the two women's mastery of English folk dances and soon
after they were invited by the Federation to teach dances.
Julie Bishop, currently a very active member of the Federation and editor of Folkmail, started with her husband Alex at Sydney
Playford in 1978 with Lynette and Noreen teaching. She says that the group back then was very vibrant and that they used to
go up to the Newcastle Folk Festival each June where they would always dance 'Newcastle' (from Playford).
Until very recently, Noreen has been a regular attendee of the National Folk Festival in Canberra.
Thank you Noreen for the wonderful contribution you have made to the Australian folk dance scene and you can be assured
that the legacy of that contribution will continue to be enjoyed by huge numbers of people for many years to come!
Wayne Richmond
(Thanks to Anne & Martin Grunseit, Julie Bishop & Lynette Hick for their assistance with this article.)
Noreen with members of Loosely Woven following a concert at her retirement village in October.
The Folk Federation of NSW ONLINE - jam.org.au
The CORNSTALK Gazette NOVEMBER 2012 -
3
dates for your diary - Nov 2012
Metropolitan
Mondays 5th & 12th
Bush Music Club Dance Workshop.
FAIR DINKUM!. Australian dances. Pennant Hills Community Centre, Yarrara Rd.
7.30-9.30pm. $7. Felicity 9456 2860
Thursday 8th
Sutherland Acoustic. A FEAST OF
Friday 2nd
Bush Music Club Singabout Night.
'Singing the Seasons' in a hot, dry country.
Bring along a song or a poem, and food to
share. Tritton Hall (Hut 44), Addison Road
Community Centre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. 8-10pm. $5. Bob Bolton 9569 7244,
[email protected]
Illawarra Folk Club. 8 Pack - City Diggers Wollongong, cnr Church and Burelli Sts.
7.30pm. 1300 887 034, [email protected], www.illawarrafolkclub.org.au
Saturday 3rd
Beecroft Bush Dance. RYEBUCK BUSH
BAND (caller Margaret Bolliger). Beecroft
Community Centre, Beecroft Rd (opp. Fire
Station). 8pm-12. All dances taught. $17, $14,
$12, incl. supper. Sigrid 9980 7077, Wilma
9489 5594
The Shack. KEN McARTHUR. Keen
guitarist for over 40 years who performed at
'The Shack' in the '60s, in Waterloo St. Has
performed with James Blundell, Jimmy Little,
Frankie J Holden, et al. Plays in his jazz quartet, a swing band, rock 'n' roll band, and solo.
+ DADDY LONG LEGS and the SWAMP
DONKEYS. 'Gut Butter Blues' - an infusion
of blues/ roots/ rambles. They play at festivals
etc around Australia, and internationally. +
SARAH & MARGIE - wonderful singers,
performing as a duo for many years. Amazing, exquisite harmonies; songs sung straight
from the heart. + JAC-YVONNE - blends folk
with re-verb soaked medieval pop. Tramshed
Community Arts Centre, 1395a Pittwater Rd,
Narrabeen (betw. car park & Ambulance in
Narrabeen shops). 7.30-11pm. $20. 0413 635
856. www.theshacknarrabeen.com
Central Coast Bush Dance. SYDNEY
COVES. Sydney Coves. East Gosford ProgPOETRY - Miguel Heatwole's interpretation
ress Hall, cnr Wells St and Henry Parry Drive.
of the life and poetry (some in song) of our
7.30-11.30pm. $18, $15, $12, $8 (students
first poet Frank the Poet (Frank MacNamara).
13-18),under-12s $5 - includes supper. Robyn
Amazing story of Australia at its European be4344 6484. www.ccbdma.org
ginnings and the spirit of one incredible man.
+ Central Coast performance poet Vic Jeffries, Illawarra Folk Club. VIVA LA GONG.
8 acts. Folk Festival Lounge Venue, McCabe
who has won a number of awards for his
Park, Wollongong. From midday.
written work and for his performances. Also
the launch of Sutherland Acoustic's outstand- Sunday 11th
ing poet Frank Bulgin's 2nd book (our Frank
Cat & Fiddle Hotel. MAL EASTICK
the Poet!). Floor spots (poetry only). Raffles.
BAND www.maleastick.com Mal is widely
Balloons and cake - a celebration. Sutherland
considered Australia's finest electric blues
District Trade Union Club, Kingsway, Gymea
guitarist, with a passionate, explosive and
(short walk from station). 7.30pm. $15, $10
soulful style that has been featured with some
(under-12 free!). Maeve 9520 5628
of Australia's biggest recording and performFriday 9th
ing acts for over 30 years. In the 1980s Mal
played in the Jimmy Barnes Band, as well as
Cat & Fiddle Hotel. MIKE COMPTON
his own touring outfit. Featuring the amaz(USA) - www.mikecompton.net, Grammy
ing vocals of Milena Barrett, Stan Mobbs on
Award winning American bluegrass manbass, and Tony Boyd on drums. 456 Darling
dolin player, former protégé of the Father of
St, Balmain (cnr Elliott St). 2-6pm. $20, $15.
Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. He played on the
soundtracks of 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou?' All tickets at door. Children welcome, if with
parent. 9810 7931
and 'Cold Mountain', and has long been a
member of legendary Nashville Bluegrass
Thursday 15th
Band. His first ever Sydney concert. + The
Cat & Fiddle Hotel. THE WHITETOP
Stomp Cats. 456 Darling St, Balmain (cnr
MOUNTAINEERS (USA) - Martha Spencer
Elliott St). 8pm. $25, $20. All tickets at door.
and Jackson Cunningham, with authentic
Children welcome, if with parent. 9810 7931
old-time American mountain music from the
Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Martha
is also an exceptional Appalachian dancer.
www.whitetopmountaineers.com 456 Darling
St, Balmain (cnr Elliott St). 8pm. $25, $20.
All tickets at door. Children welcome, if with
parent. 9810 7931
Friday 16th
Hornsby-Ku-ring-gai Folk Club.
Cat & Fiddle Hotel. SALLY KING,
www.sallyking.com.au, a leading figure in
Sydney blues, late '70s to late '90s, fronting
her own bands, The Champions and The Mustangs, and appearing as guest artist with local
and overseas acts. Now with a new band,
Sametribe, and new album, with all original
songs, featuring her soulful vocal style, strong
melodies, danceable rhythms. 456 Darling
St, Balmain (cnr Elliott St). 8pm. $25, $20.
All tickets at door. Children welcome, if with
parent. 9810 7931
4 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012
Artist – Toronto Music Magazine Awards and
Winner of the Blue Mountains Acoustic &
Roots Competition. Humph Hall, 85 Allambie
Rd, Allambie Heights. 7pm. Free (donations
of $25, $15 invited). Enq, bookings: 9939
8802, [email protected] humphhall.org
Snez
Saturday 10th
Humph Hall - SNEZ - Multi-award win-
ning singer/songwriter SNEZ has never been
afraid to put her heart on her sleeve. Her
many awards include Best International Pop
CHLOE & SILAS- www.chloehall.com.
au. There’s a lot to love about Chloe Hall
and Silas Palmer. Their songs are insightful
and distinctive, their performances finely
judged. Chloe is the headliner - but Silas adds
so much, with distinctive falsetto harmony
vocals, subtle percussion and occasional
comment on violin. A perfect combination. '...
a woman at the top of her singer songwriter
profession. She makes you laugh, cry, sigh
and dream. And that voice… A treasure to file
alongside Joni Mitchell, Nanci Griffith and
Paul Simon.' Bart Rivers, Saturday Evening
Post Magazine. Beatrice Taylor Hall, rear Willow Park Community Centre, Edgeworth David Ave, Hornsby. Doors open 7.30pm. $15.
BYO drinks & nibbles- tea & coffee provided.
Candle lit venue, tables can be booked: Barry
Parks 9807 9497, [email protected]
Saturday 17th
Balmain Bush Dance with CURRA-
WONG BUSH BAND. Caller John Short.
Balmain High School (Sydney Secondary
College, Balmain Campus), 25 Terry St,
Rozelle. 8pm-12. All dances taught. $17, $14,
$12, $35 Family, $8 student, incl. supper.
Don 9642 7950. http://jam.org.au/moxie/
venues/bmc/bush-music-club-balmain-bushdance-20.shtml
Illawarra Folk Club DANNY SPOONER
& more. City Diggers Wollongong, cnr
Church and Burelli Sts. 7.30pm. 1300 887
034, [email protected], www.
illawarrafolkclub.org.au
Sunday 18th
Humph Hall - FUEGO BLANCO &
NADIA PIAVE - One of the only established
tango ensembles in Australia, Fuego Blanco
have studied traditional tango in Buenos Aires. + Nadia Piave. Humph Hall, 85 Allambie
Rd, Allambie Heights. 2pm. Free (donations
of $25, $15 invited). Enq, bookings: 9939
8802, [email protected] humphhall.org
Turkish Paradise Restaurant - THE
WHITETOP MOUNTAINEERS (USA)
www.whitetopmountaineers.com (Virginia,
USA). 89 Crown St, Wollongong. 4pm. 4227
6694, www.turkishparadiserestaurant.com.au
Monday 19th
Bush Music Club Dance Workshop.
Review of some dances from the 2012 Heritage, Subscription and Flannel Flower Balls.
Pennant Hills Community Centre, Yarrara
Rd. 7.30-9.30pm. $7. Felicity 9456 2860
Saturday 24th
The Loaded Dog. DANNY SPOONER
Singer (acoustic) of traditional and contemporary folk songs of Britain and Australia.
His passion is the expression of culture
through folk music. For 30 years, audiences
here have enjoyed his deep multi-disciplinary
understanding of social history, his personal
warmth, and his immense repertoire. + Bodmin Gaol - Nick Lock and Malcolm Clapp,
regulars around the early 1980s Sydney folk
scene, are doing a few gigs 'for old time's
sake'. Emphasis on audience participation and
humour, core repertoire of songs from Nick's
native Cornwall, plus traditional style material from other parts of Britain and the music
hall. Annandale Neighbourhood Centre,
upstairs, 79 Johnston St. 8pm (doors 7.40).
$15, $13. BYO, supper available. Sandra
9358 4886, www.theloadeddog.org.au
The Troubadour. BATTLERS' BALLAD
- Chloë & Jason Roweth & Bill Browne.
www.rowethmusic.com.au, with 'under-sung'
Australian traditional, bush and contemporary
music, and the story of the battlers, workers convicts, bush workers, bushrangers, rail and
road. CWA Hall (opp. Fisherman's Wharf),
The Boulevarde, Woy Woy. 7pm. 4341 4060,
[email protected].
Sunday 25th
Illawarra Folk Club - BILL JACKSON
www.billjacksonmusic.com. Wongawilli
Hall, West Dapto Rd. 4.30-7.30pm. 1300 887
034, [email protected], www.
illawarrafolkclub.org.au
Monday 26th
Bush Music Club Dance Workshop
Preview of dances for the Christmas Party.
Pennant Hills Community Centre, Yarrara
Rd. 7.30-9.30pm. $7. Felicity 9456 2860
Regional and ACT
Saturday 3rd
THE MERRY MUSE
Friday 9th MIC CONWAY'S NATIONAL
JUNK BAND + GREGORY PAGE (USA)
Friday 16th JAN PRESTON + NICK RHEINBERGER
Friday 23rd THE STRELLEY PROJECT
Friday 30th ST ANDREW'S NIGHT with
Strathmannan, Seamus Gill et al.
Presented by the Monaro Folk Society
Canberra Southern Cross Club
54 McCaughey Street, Turner ACT
Enquiries: Tim (0412) 463 388
www.merrymuse.org.au
DAVID ROSS MACDONALD. www.davidrossmacdonald.com. Wesley Centre, 150
Beaumont St, Hamilton (Newcastle). 7.30pm.
$15, $12, $10. Ron 4926 1313, 0427 261
313, Carole 4929 3912. www.newcastlehuntervalleyfolkclub.org.au
Saturday 10th
NATIONAL JUNK BAND. www.nationaljunkband.com. Narooma Quarterdeck Restaurant, Riverside Drive. 8pm. 4476 2723,
www.narooma.org.au/quarterdeck.html
Sunday 11th
The Artists Shed. GRACENOTES + ANNIE PIPER. 14 Foster St (behind Magnet
Mart off Yass Rd), Queanbeyan. 7.30pm.
Entry by paper note donation. Ros 0438 768
754, www.artistsshed.com/Music/
Friday 16th
Gallipoli Club. THE WHITETOP
MOUNTAINEERS (USA). www.whitetopmountaineers.com 3 Beaumont St, Hamilton
(Newcastle) (0407) 017 417
Saturday 17th
CANBERRA CONTRA CLUB'S HEY FEVER BALL CONTRA DANCE. All dances
taught & called. All welcome. St Ninian's
Church Hall, cnr Mouat & Brigalow Sts, Lyneham. 8-11.30pm. $18, $14. Rob 6251 1287
THE WHITETOP MOUNTAINEERS
(USA). www.whitetopmountaineers.com
(Virginia, USA). Canberra Musicians Club,
The White Eagle Polish Club, 38 David St,
Turner. 8pm. www.canberramusiciansclub.
org.au
Friday 23rd
The Front Gallery & Cafe. THE
DAVIDSON BROTHERS www.davidsonbrothersband.com. Shop 3, 1 Wattle Place,
Lyneham ACT. 8.30pm. $15. Bookings 6249
8453. www.frontgallerycafe.com
Friday 30th
JUGALUG www.jugalugstringband.com.
Roxy Theatre & Greek Café, Bingara. www.
roxybingara.com.au. 7pm.
The Folk Federation of NSW ONLINE - jam.org.au
The Whitetop Mountaineers (USA) are in
touring Australia. Catch their authentic
old-time American mountain music from
the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia at:
Cat & Fiddle Hotel - Thursday 15th
Gallipoli Club, Newcastle - Friday 16th
Canberra Musicians Club - Saturday 17th
Turkish Paradise Rest, W'gong - Sun 18th
Focus on Folk
2MBS-FM 102.5MHz
1-2pm 1st & 3rd Sundays
4 November: Kate Delaney
18 November: Paul Jackson - Folk
music with catchy tunes.
Anyone with a CD they would like to add
to the library collection for consideration
for airplay please forward to:
Focus on Folk, Post Office Box A182,
Sydney South 1235.
The CORNSTALK Gazette NOVEMBER 2012 -
5
festivals and events
2nd - 5th November 2012
Maldon Folk Festival
www.maldonfolkfestival.com
15th - 18th November 2012
24th National Bluegrass & Trad. Country Music Convention
www.harrietvillebluegrass.com.au
3rd - 6th January 2013
Gulgong Folk Festival
(0447) 036 783 www.gulgongfolkfestival.wordpress.com
Maldon Folk Festival
2nd - 5th November 2012
gulgongfolkfestival.wordpress.com or visit the face book
page https://www.facebook.com/gulgongfolkfestival.
This year’s lineup is huge and features some artists only just
hitting the airwaves with JJJ and the focus is firmly on 'hot'
Bluegrass. Buffalo [Wes Carr], Jack Carty, The Falls, April
Maze, Matt Southon, Big Erle, Daniel Champagne, Bellyache Ben, Fanny Lumsden, Fleur Wiber, Rob Binks, Two
Girls Will, Nick Wall, Jess Holland, Alexis Nicole, AJ Leonard, Rebecca Moore, Richard Perso, Kurt Gentle, Melody
Jane Pool, Southerly Change, Marcus Holden, Brothers 3,
Graeme Johnson, Brendan Gallagher, Tangleweed, Sugarfoot, Freddie White (Ireland), Genevieve Chadwick,
Faye Blais (Canada), Hobo Grace, Bob Skelton, Mustered
Courage, Suzy Connolly, Kate Crowley, The Twoks, Jimmy
Westwood, Kings of Congo Congo, Gerard Gilet, Des Kelly,
Stringy Bark Bush Band, Violet Nights, Foundations Edge,
Fig Jam, Graeme Johnson ... plus many more.
Maldon Folk Festival, located in Central Victoria, has been
held annually for more than 30 years. It offers 4 days of folk 'Viva La Gong'
music and dance, musical theatre and interactive workshops, The Illawarra Folk Festival will showcase an afternoon of
complemented by various activities around the Maldon
folk acts who will be appearing at the festival, on one of
township – in a natural setting and a relaxed atmosphere.
three stages of the Wollongong Council's 'Viva La Gong"
The historic Maldon township has an ambience dating from being held on November 10th. This will be a great day out
and a chance to see and support some of the Festival acts.
the Goldrush.
www.vivalagongfestival.org/Pages/default.aspx
Performers include Michael the Balloonologist, because
Musicians, poets and storytellers and their family and
every festival needs balloon animals; Whitetop Mountainfriends can attend this event by travelling with us by train
eers (USA); Jimmy Moore (of Claddagh in Sydney); Jo Jo
from the city to Wollongong station. We have made arrangeSmith Trio; Maria Forde; Margret RoadKnight; Maggie
ment for a 'Folk' Carriage, to hold a session in the front carRigby Trio; Taliska; The Croakers; Janette Geri; Darwin's
riage of the Illawarra train, 10.13am out of Bondi Junction,
Sunset Music Club; Dave de Hugard; Monro, O'Callaghan,
and picking up at Central, Redfern, Wolli Creek, Hurstville,
Titchener; The Lazy Farmer's Sons; Myra and The Gracenotes; Mustered Courage; Le Blanc Bros Cajun Band; The Sutherland, Waterfall, Helensburgh and Thirroul stations.
Michelle Chandler Trio; Stax the Didgeman; Andy Rigby
Leave your car at home, or park at one of the stations with a
and Friends; Chloe and Silas; Frencham Smith; Bill Jackson car park, for a music, poetry and storytelling session along
with Pete Fidler and Ruth Hazleton; Colin Mockett; Odds
the route of the Green Music Train (www.illawarrafolkfesand Sods; Harpers Bizarre; Martin Pearson; Archer and The tival.com.au/page/MusicTrain) down through the National
Long Gone Daddys; and of course, The Maldon Brass Band. Park. The carriage holds up to 90 people and we are after
about 50. So please form a small group or just come along
Also performing are our song contest winners from 2011,
with an instrument or your voice. Cost for the day is the
Op Pep! and Tim Woods.
price of a railway ticket. Buy at the station you get on at.
Plus The Stetson Family; Bob Balintine; Marie Brouder,
If you have a group of 5 or more performers who might be
Mary McBride and musicians to do the Irish Ceildh; Songs
interested please let me know. Plenty of trains go back at a
with Legs (Jane Thompson and Fay White); Mulga Bill;
time to suit your group. Brian Dunnett, Illawarra Folk FestiMarisa Yeaman; Graham Dodsworth; Danny Spooner;
val's Green Music Train Co-ordinator, 9668 9051.
Unwanted Men in Black and a Lady; Jan 'Yarn' Wositzky;
Stephen Whiteside; Suzette Herft; Richard Perso; Gleny Rae Illawarra Folk Festival Showcase
Virus and her Tamworth Playboys
David De Santi is very happy to announce (thanks to John
Gallagher) an Illawarra Folk Festival Showcase concert at
Gulgong Folk Festival
the Cat and Fiddle in Balmain, on Sunday 16th December.
3rd- 6th January 2013
'We are hoping the 2013 festival can bolster our reserves to
ensure the festival's continuity.' (This year's festival ran at
Located in the charming historical gold rush town of
a loss.) The concert will run from 1pm to 9.20pm, with 10
Gulgong in the Central West of NSW (about 4 hours from
or 15 minute breaks between each act. At this stage, these
Sydney) the Gulgong Folk Festival has for 26 years had a
will be the performers: The Con Artists (Community World
reputation as one of the best small festivals in the country
Music Band) 1pm, Jan Preston (Honky Tonk Piano) 1.50,
and is well worth the post New Year's drive.
CJ Shaw and band (Songwriter) 2.30, Shameless Seamus
Featuring the cream of Australia's up and coming Folk,
and the Tullamore Dews (Trad Irish) 3.15, Pat Drummond
Country and Blues artists, it is a magnet for the serious mu- (Songwriter) 4.05, Sydney Irish Ceili Dancers 4.55, Volatsic aficionado and has a reputation par excellence in music
insky Trio (Russian Folk) 5.30, Handsome Young Strangers
circles. Wander the historical township, walk into the many (Colonial Bush Rock) 6.15, Mike McClellan (Songwriter)
venues and soak up the atmosphere. Culminating in a huge
7.10, The Amazing 3 (Songwriter) 8.05, Okapi Guitar Band
street party on the Saturday night, this festival is one for the with Paul Mbenna (African) 8.40. Entry will be $15 for
whole family. For more information including how to get
adults, $10 for Festival Pass Holders. 'If punters buy on the
your hands on tickets check out the official web site www.
day we're happy to provide the discounted price.'
6 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012
Folk News
2012 FAA Conference Postponed
The Folk Alliance Australia committee has decided after
much deliberation that the FAA Conference planned for October 2012 will have to be postponed. As we got further into the
programming process it was obvious that many prospective
presenters and attendees were not going to be available for the
dates we had selected (and this due only to the availability of
the venue). Given the event would be subsidised by members'
funds, we were not confident that we could present a sufficient variety of sessions and quality presenters to offer value
to the membership and conference attendees.
But all is not lost. The work which has already gone into the
planning and programming process is fairly well advanced,
so we do have a conference framework, budget etc which
will provide a solid base upon which we can keep developing, with a view to presenting a FAA Conference in September 2013. It is important to us that the key players in the
Folk Movement are able to attend the conference as it is our
industry and artform national Convention. With this in mind
we welcome the views of the membership on both timing and
content of the conference. Hopefully we can gather somewhat
more input from the membership than we have achieved up to
now.
On the positive side, a sub group of the committee has put
together a showcase event for new and emerging artists. The
FOLKCITY Showcase will held at the Thornbury Theatre in
Melbourne on 11 November. More details at www.folkalliance.org.au
Please do get in touch if you have any questions, suggestions
for improvement of our services or general comment on the
organisation.
For membership queries - Jim MacQuarrie faamembers@
folkalliance.org.au
For general queries - Bob Charter [email protected].
au
John McAuslan - Chairperson FAA
Music in Communities Network
Calling All Choirs: Earlier this year MiCN commenced a new
research agenda with a survey of Community Orchestras in
Australia. After publishing that report, they are now working
on a project which looks at all kinds of community choirs in
Australia. If you're in a community choir, find out more at
www.musicincommunities.org.au
ing outdoors, this is the day for you. Put your hat out and
make a bit of money, and be in the running for over $2000 in
cash prizes.
On the same weekend, the 'Snowy Ride' - an annual motorcycle event - raises money for Childhood Cancer Research.
Also on that Sunday in Cooma at the Raglan Gallery is the
nationally recognised poetry competition, 'A Feast of Poetry'.
This year’s will feature a song writing competition as well as
poetry. www.coomamusic.com.au/
Travelling with Instruments
Virgin Australia has recently updated its carry-on baggage
policy. The new policy means that while the number or
weight of standard pieces of luggage carried on-board has not
changed, the dimensions and type of instruments allowed onboard now includes most violins, trumpets and flutes.
'Smaller and often valuable musical instruments are now
welcomed on-board to be placed in the overhead lockers.
Guests are now able to substitute any of their standard pieces
of carry-on luggage for a musical instrument provided it was
no larger than 85 cm in length and 34 cm in width and 23
cm in height.' www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/plan/baggage/
oversized-fragile-items/
Basically, violins and trumpets seem fine, saxophones and
trombones should probably be checked for dimensions,
guitars and cellos in general can be carried on board only if
you purchase an additional seat. (If you're a Music in Communities Network member you can get up to 35kg of baggage
allowance to check in your instruments. www.musicincommunities.org.au/membership/membership)
Music and Local Government
Music Victoria, the body representing contemporary music
south of the Murray river (alongside MusicNSW, QMusic,
Music SA, WAM and others around the country), have been
asking some questions of Local Government candidates.
MiCN have thought about doing this in the past and may
pursue it with members' help for future elections, since local
government is in many cases the institution most capable of
supporting community-based music making. Some of these
survey questions relate specifically to live music venues and
the Agent of Change principle (dealing with noise complaints
etc), other questions are about support for the arts in general.
www.musicvictoria.com.au
Meanwhile, the City of Sydney will create a Live Music
Taskforce to consider issues affecting live music and venues
in the city.
Australian National Busking
Championships
The Australian National Busking Championships™ , to be
held on Sunday 4th November, are all about celebrating
music in all its rich and wonderful variety. This year’s event
will be the first of its kind for Cooma and the scenic Snowy
Mountains of Australia. Musicians from all over Australia
will play and compete in this new and exciting event, in three
age categories. Organisers hope that all styles of music will
be represented, such as Folk, Classical, Rock, Country, Jazz,
Blues and more. So if you enjoy making music and entertainThe Folk Federation of NSW ONLINE - jam.org.au
The CORNSTALK Gazette NOVEMBER 2012 -
7
The Eighteenth Blue Mountains Music Festival, Folk,
Roots and Blues will bring you an extraordinary line-up
of talent in 2013. Headlining the weekend is Australia's
unique and internationally acclaimed Gurrumul Yunupingu. This soulful and powerfully emotive Aboriginal
singer-songwriter from Elcho Island in the far north has
swept away commercial music conventions and established himself as a force and an inspiration in Australian
music.
Sharing the top of the bill is the counter culture icon
Arlo Guthrie. The son of America's much beloved
Woody Guthrie, Arlo grew up surrounded by the cream
of the folk movement, including Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Leadbelly.
One of the the next festival's great acts to get excited
about is Canada's Zoë Keating, who is a one-woman
orchestra. She uses a cello and a foot-controlled laptop
to record layer upon layer of cello, creating intricate,
haunting and compelling music. The cello has emerged
8 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012
as the theme instrument for the 2013 festivities. The
violincello as it was originally known has overshadowed
the banjos and fiddles this year. Guitars may never be
outnumbered, and we'll tell you more about our Guitar
Circles in a later newsletter.
Another of the cellists playing in 2013 is Natalie Haas
who will create Celtic magic with Scottish virtuoso
Alasdair Fraser, acclaimed in the San Francisco Examiner as "the Michael Jordan of the Scottish fiddle".
Look out for rising Australian performers like Liz
Stringer, Ngaiire, Kim Churchill, Nick and Liesl and
The April Maze who will be wielding one of this year's
cellos. If you haven't yet experienced the Perch Creek
Family Jugband it's time you saw these 'goodtime
music' loving siblings give Jim Kweskin a run for his
money.
Earlybird tickets will be going on sale two weeks earlier
than usual on November 1st. All ticket prices will remain at last year's prices. http://www.bmff.org.au
Bush Traditions Gathering - Goulburn 2012
Some personal reflections . . .
The Old Goulburn Brewery with its low ceilings, exposed
beams, whitewash and well worn stone corridors provided an
inspirational setting for some rich and rare Australian music.
Sitting on wooden pews we soaked up Marg and Bob Fagan's
battlers theme concert; they sing so easily together, unaccompanied - and what a joy to join in! The workshop subjects
were meaty - Chris Sullivan's presentation stands out, such a
depth of knowledge and extraordinary material. We enjoyed
Samantha O'Brien and Eric Eisler and their presentation on
the dance music of The Nulla Nulla very much. From the
dances to the workshops and concerts, the wealth of experience, knowledge and good company on offer was a fine thing
- Bring on next year!
The Old Goulburn Brewery
Chloë & Jason Roweth
One of my favourite times of year is heading south to attend
the Bush Traditions Gathering held at the Old Goulburn
Brewery each October.
Catching up with friends, sharing music, stories and laughs,
learning more about our heritage, the people, the traditions….
There were many highlights over the weekend. I sat in on the
late session in the Maltings on Saturday night, listening to
Chris Sullivan and Bob Campbell sing and play, their style
and technique like no other. Chloe & Jason’s shows are always special and what a great new repertoire they had. There
is one song in particular where Chloe sings a soft, slow yodel
through-out, beautifully delicate, accompanied by Jason’s
subtle playing, just gave me goosebumps.
My favourite moment was on the Sunday evening at the
Bush Dance in the Mill Room between dance brackets when
the entire room would just fall silent and listen to floor-spot
performances. How beautiful it was listening to young Claire
Doherty play her violin, I had tears in my eyes at listening to
such talent! I was mesmerised in particular by Chris Sullivan
sitting in the middle of the room with his button accordion,
tapping a steady rhythm on the side while singing aboriginal
folk song, “Jacky, Jacky”.
Chloë & Jason Roweth
It’s always sad when the Gathering has to finish for another
year, but happy in the thought that I have left the place with
new insight and just feeling inspired all round!
Samantha O'Brien
Claire Doherty
Andrew Johnson videoing Sam & Eric. During the weekend Andrew
made around 15 hours of recordings which will eventually find their
way on to YouTube and the Bush Traditions web site.
The Folk Federation of NSW ONLINE - jam.org.au
Chris Sullivan
The CORNSTALK Gazette NOVEMBER 2012 -
9
Dubbo Folk Club
The Dubbo Folk club is a really great venue for local and
visiting artists. It‘s possibly one of the only music clubs
in that part of the Central West. You couldn’t get a better
venue in this area to hear folk, contemporary and many
other styles of music. I was their guest in September and
looked forward to my second visit to Dubbo. It’s a club
for listening and meeting people who share the same
types of music.
The Sunday afternoon concert started off with Narromine
singer/songwriter Jock Webb. He has a great voice and
sang some very good original songs. Next were Di Clifford and Kath Morgan (duo) who sang beautiful folk
songs with close harmonies. So good to hear beautiful
singing. A highlight was the song/poem written by Les
Barker, “Myrtle the Turtle’ or ‘Will the turtle be unbroken’, a parody of the American song “Will the circle be
broken’. It is good to know that whistling is still popular.
Judging by what I heard of Dennis Murphy, who very softly whistled in the background. This is becoming a lost art; hope we
hear more. I thought his sweet sounds were so much like the birds I heard in Dubbo, which is a great bird watchers paradise.
There are many good performers in this club like Jane Harding (quite busy travelling around performing, playing with the
Badja River group. A very versatile performer who has made a CD, as well. There are many others like singer Dawn Brydon,
Peter Aland (singer, plays guitar and mandolin), Kath Morgan (beautiful soprano voice, plays tenor recorder and the harp), and
Beth Good, who played my guitar and sang a great old rock and roll song at the break, where we all joined in. If you sing, play
an instrument, recite, or write poems, whistle, or even play a gum leaf, the Dubbo Folk Club is the club for you.
Folk Clubs are the backbone of the folk and music scene and the community. It’s one of the few places where singers, songwriters, poets and musicians to get a fair go and can find an audience who will listen. It’s a great community activity that
doesn’t cost a lot and part of our heritage and culture. The new Dubbo Regional Theatre is a leader in the arts in NSW. Dubbo
is a beautiful City, by a wonderful river and has as one of the finest Zoo’s in the country. Don’t let us forget the beautiful native
birds, also.
Sonia Bennett (Singer/songwriter/guitarist)
18th Cobargo Folk Festival
Yuiin Folk Club Inc
22nd, 23rd, 24h February, 2013
folk/comedy/dance/world music/blues
traditional/bluegrass, spoken word/
Crossing Youth Venue/kids program
Vin Garbutt (UK), Modhan (Scotland), Bluestone Junction, Fiona Boyes Hammond
Trio, Kim Churchill, Kristina Olsen , Battlers’ Ballad (Chloe and Jason Roweth), Daniel
Champagne, David Ross MacDonald, Malumba, Martin Pearson, Peter Hicks, Pete
Denahy, Senor Cabrales, Suitcase (USA), The Bon Scotts, The Mis Chiefs, Jazz Train To
Budapest, Shortis, Simpson & O’Neil,Glover & Sorrensen, Dingo’s Breakfast, Cresswell
& Co, Franklyn B Paverty, The Little Sisters, Dale Robert Huddleston PLUS MANY MORE
A beautiful rural setting, ample space and excellent facilities (including
onsite camping with all amenities).
So for a great time Wheelchair access (toilet & shower)
Special workshops
Sessions, sessions and more sessions
FREE DAY PARKING
Early Bird Tickets online now!
FESTIVAL HOTLINE 02 6493 6758
www.cobargofolkfestival.com
10 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012
Located in the charming historical gold rush town of Gulgong
in the Central West of NSW (about 4 hours from Sydney) the
Gulgong Folk Festival has for 26 years had a reputation as
one of the best small festivals in the country and is well worth
the post New Years drive.
Brenden Gallagher
Jack Carty
Featuring the cream of Australia's up and coming Folk, Country and Blues artists it is a magnet for the serious music aficionado and has a reputation par excellence in music circles.
Wander the historical township, walk into the many venues &
soak up the atmosphere. Culminating in a huge street party on
the Saturday night, this festival is one for the whole family.
For more information including how to get your hands on
tickets check out the web site or visit the Facebook page.
Mustard Courage
Pool, Southerly Change, Marcus Holden, Brothers 3, Graeme
Johnson, Brendan Gallagher, Tangleweed, Sugarfoot, Freddie
White [Ireland] Genevieve Chadwick, Faye Blais [Canada],
Hobo Grace, Bob Skelton, , Mustered Courage, Suzy Connolly, Kate Crowley, The Twoks, Jimmy Westwood, Kings of
Congo Congo, Gerard Gilet, Des Kelly, Stringy Bark Bush
Band, Violet Nights, Foundations Edge, Fig Jam, Graeme
Johnson plus many more!
This year’s lineup is huge and features some artists only just
hitting the airwaves with JJJ and the focus is firmly on “Hot”
Bluegrass
Buffalo [Wes Carr], Jack Carty, The Falls, April Maze,
Matt Southon, Big Erle, Daniel Champagne, Bellyache
Ben, Fanny Lumsden, Fleur Wiber, Rob Binks, Two Girls
Will, Nick Wall, Jess Holland, Alexis Nicole, AJ Leonard,
Rebecca Moore, Richard Perso, Kurt Gentle, Melody Jane
The Folk Federation of NSW ONLINE - jam.org.au
Bellyache Ben
The CORNSTALK Gazette NOVEMBER 2012 -
11
Weevils in the Flower
collection of 75 poems with her husband, Merv Lilley. The
collection was published by the National Council of the Realist Writers Groups. Somewhere along its journey the poem
also got known by another name ‘Island in a River’.
A 1970s recording of Declan Affley singing ‘Weevils in the
Flour’ at a Sydney folk festival concert is one of many songs
chosen for the Living Democracy exhibition which opened
in July 2009 in the
Museum of Australian Democracy, Old
Parliament House.
Hewett wrote the poem in the 1950s based on depression
experiences told to her by her friend Vera Deacon.
A preliminary history of a song
The song has an
interesting history
bound up with the
folk song movement,
Australian literature
and Australian industrial history since the
1930s depression. A
history so interesting that the song
has accreted a fair
amount of folklore
itself. Sometimes it
is published as an
anonymous song
written in Newcastle
in the 1930s. It was
one many new
In 1976 when Len Fox was writing his book “Depression
Down Under”, he
asked Deacon to
write about own
childhood memories of depressiontime for the book.
Anyone familiar
with Hewett’s song
will immediately the
following quote from
Deacon in Fox’s
book:
‘Dominating all was
the steelworks. Its
dark angled size,
far away against the
eastern sky, awed
me. Tall chimneys
plumed dark smoke
across the sky. Every
now and then a great
white cloud billowed
Australian songs that
above the steela small gathering
works. This, Mother
of Sydney folkies
told me, was caused
in Barbara Lysiak’s
by the quenching
home sang to Pete
of the coke pushed
Seeger during his
from the giant ovens
visit in 1963.
where Dad worked.
When I was a baby
The first recording
Dad had been badly
of the song on a
burned. Years later
1965 LP of AustralAustralian Tradition - November 1965
he described to me
ian contemporary
how he and his
songs came under threat of legal action from Australia’s most
mates
worked
on
the
ovens:
the
men
wore
wooden clogs
powerful mining and steel making company BHP, the ‘Big
which
smouldered
on
their
feet
as
the
hand-forked
the incanAustralian’. In the next 20 years its influence spread. It bedescent
coke
and
quenched
it
with
hand-held
hoses,
steam
come a workers’ anthem
rising
and
sizzling
around
their
faces.’
(Len
Fox,
1977)
and had its title borrowed
for a pioneering oral
history of the depression.
The phrase ‘weevils in
the flour’ entered the
Australian vernacular.
‘Weevils in the Flour’
began its journey to a
song as a poem written by Dorothy Hewett
with the title ‘Where I
Grew To Be a Man’. It
was published in 1963
in ‘What About The
People!’ Hewett’s joint
12 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012
Folk singers in the 1960s were attracted enough to Hewett
and Lilley’s poems to set a number of them to music. Chris
Kempster and Bill Berry both wrote tunes for Hewett’s ‘The
Sailor Home From The Sea’. They also wrote tunes for Lilley’s poems, Berry for ‘The Birchgrove Park’ and Kempster
for ‘Cane Killed Abel’. The Bush Music Club published
Hewett’s ‘Ballad of Norman Brown’ to the tune of an English
mining song.
In 1963 Mike Leyden set four of Hewett’s poems to music
‘Atomic Lullaby’, ‘Sweet Song for Katie’, ‘Verwoerd, Verwoerd They Cry’ and, most famously, ‘Where I Grew To Be a
Man’ to which he gave the title ‘Weevils in the Flour’.
Leyden and I along with Jeanie Lewis and John Laver were
members of a singing group called the Radiation Quartette
and we sang all of these songs especially Weevils in the Flour.
All of these new songs were published in the Sydney University Folk Music Society’s 1965 songbook ‘Songs of Our
Time’. In the same year a number of Leyden’s songs and settings were published in folk magazine ‘Tradition’. The Fagans
would later reset ‘Ballad of Norman Brown’ to a tune Hewett
sang to them and later still Kempster would set Hewett’s
‘Clancy and Dooley and Don McLeod’ to music. Even more
recently Hewett’s son Tom Flood has composed another setting for that ground-breaking poem. Perhaps that fact that so
many of the poems gained a tune should not surprise us.
In the book Hewett wrote:
‘A poem is a SONG that comes from the people to be given
back to the people. Work ... joy ... pain ... struggle ... achievement ... from these come the poems that are SONGS.’ She also
wrote: ‘This is the folklore of the twentieth century.’ and ‘We
live in an industrialised country. The old, slow, rollocking
rhythm of horse and intinerent worker has given way the a
harsh, staccato, jazzy beat of jackhammer, train, plane, dock
and mechanised mine ... a great mass of mechanised, organised labour.’
Can literature borrow from folk song? There is plenty of
evidence that it can. Can folk song grow out of literature?
Folklorists have argued the case back and forth for generations. I think ‘Weevils in the Flour’ is a handy example for
those who argue the case for industrial folk song, folk song in
the age of mass literacy, folk song whose boundaries includes
urban lives and the concerns of the industrial era and become
reports from a changing society.
‘Weevils in the Flour’ deals with mass unemployment, the
‘dole and stew’, the greed and charity, the heavy metal pollution and ends with the determination of industrial workers
to change the way they’ve been treated, these are people who
came through the depression and ‘grew hard as iron on that
black bread and sour’. The argument is made for a social arrangement that no longer accepts that ‘the bellies of the few’
should be filled at the expense of ‘the hunger of the many’.
‘Weevils in the Flour’ was first recorded by Gary Shearston
on his influential LP ‘Australian Broadside: Contemporary
Songs from the Australian Folk Revival’ for the CBS label
in 1965. Shearston was forced to change a line in the song
because BHP threatened to sue. Where originally the song had
the phrase ‘Stood the mighty BHP’ Shearston sang ‘Stood a
mighty factory’.
The 1965 release of Shearston’s LP of contemporary Australian songs made a big impression on a young Canberra student
Bob Fagan who added many of the songs including ‘Weevils
in the Flour’ in his growing repertory.
Years later he would find out more about the song from
Hewett herself as he explained when introducing the song at a
National Folk Festival workshop:
‘Dorothy said that a young man had picked her up to take
her the University of Newcastle where she was going to be a
Writer in Residence for a while, and as they were driving past
the four stacks of the BHP steelworks there the young man
said ‘You know there was a poem written there on Kooragang
The Folk Federation of NSW ONLINE - jam.org.au
Island by some unknown industrial worker in the 1930s.’ and
Dorothy said ‘I didn’t know whether to say I’m actually that
unknown industrial worker and I wrote it on my kitchen table
in the 1950s’ but I think she did tell him.’
Maybe we should accept this as evidence of a song accreting
industrial folklore, literature
evolving into folk song.
‘Weevils in the Flour’ became a favorite for folk singers and
union choirs, a political anthem of sorts you would hear in
workers pubs like the Criterion or the Sussex in Sydney’s
Sussex Street before they were demolished. Later it was sung
by the workers occupying the Cockatoo Island Docks in Sydney Harbour before its closure in 1992.
In 2003 Merv Lilley told me:
‘I don’t know whether I should tell stories about Dorothy’s
writing or not. I saw her write Island in a River. She had said
something she’d written to Tribune and Rex Chiplin had sent
it back he said it wasn’t political enough. So she says ‘I’ll give
them something political!’ and she wrote Island in a River.’
The song is still being recorded - In 2010 Martyn WyndhamRead included it on his CD ‘Back to You’ undoubtedly expanding its geographical reach from it’s origins in Newcastle
NSW. Margaret Walters has recorded it even more recently
for a CD titled ‘We Made the Steel’ due for release October
2012. It seems to me that as well as having many stories attached to it the song is doing fine and that is great tribute to
the poem that Dorothy wrote so long ago.
The song came from oral history and it it is still being sung.
A couple of weeks ago I heard Miguel Heatwole sing it and
he had put back a couple of the verses from the original poem
that Leyden left out of the song.
Mark Gregory
The CORNSTALK Gazette NOVEMBER 2012 -
13
cd review
The Lucky Wonders:
Lay Down My Arms (Independent)
Throughout much of 2010, Lucy the WonderBus (an old
school bus converted into a motor home) travelled the nation
taking Australian roots/pop/folk group, The Lucky Wonders,
on a 40 plus gig tour in support of their debut album, Thirteen
O’Clock.
Now The Lucky Wonders, who are based on the far north
coast of New South Wales, have released their second album,
Lay Down My Arms.
The key members of The Lucky Wonders are Jessie Vintila (song writing, lead vocals, rhythm guitar, ukulele, keys,
flute, glockenspiel), Emma Royle (song writing, backing
vocals, rhythm and lead guitars, ukulele) and Anastassijah
Scales (drums, percussion).
Other musicians on Lay Down My Arms include Ben
Franz (bass, lap steel), Govinda Doyle (bass), Thierry Fossemalle (bass), Cye Wood (violin, viola).
Jessie Vintila, originally from Western Australia, has
a background in classical and jazz flute, is the winner of a
Western Australian Music Industry (WAMI) Award (for the
reconciliation song ‘Colony’), was formerly part of the duo,
Two Colour Mountain, and is gospel choir director.
Emma Royle spent the first few years of her life in Canberra, subsequently studying art for three years, then spending four years doing a carpentry apprenticeship through the
Master Builders Association (winning various awards and
being named Apprentice of the Year). Although Royle wrote
her first song before she turned ten, it took her until her early
twenties to start writing and performing seriously.
Anastassijah Scales grew up in Armidale and Coffs Harbour, studying music at Southern Cross University (Lismore).
Scales began performing, singing and playing guitar in her
early teens, and drumming in bands when she was about
seventeen. As well as her work with The Lucky Wonders,
Anastassijah Scales is a songwriter, plays drums and percussion in the metal band, The Argonauts, and performs acoustic
hip hop as Nastaij.
The Lucky Wonders’ new album, Lay Down My Arms,
again shows very strong song writing from Vintila and Royle
and is full of sensitive, personal songs that explore life experiences, with warmth, love, hope and kindness.
Among the standout songs on the album are:
‘Valium & Your Arms’ (“The fear shook me through
Web Notes
NATIONAL JUKEBOX – LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
(www.loc.gov/jukebox) - Historical recordings from the
Library of Congress, including Elsie Baker performing ‘In An
Old-Fashioned Town’ (1917)
JENNY BIDDLE (www.jennybiddle.com) - Celebrating the
making of Ann Marie (her new acoustic guitar)
VINTAGE CASSETTES (vintagecassettes.com) - A pictorial
history of audio cassettes (1963-2010)
CATHERINE BRITT (www.catherinebritt.com) - New album, Always Never Enough, with ‘Two Steps’ (in support of
14 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012
the night/I cried and I shivered, I wished it all goodbye/The
valium and your arms held me tight”)
‘Sand & The Sea’ (“I lay my head on your shoulders/The
kiss that you kiss/On top of my head/Says everything is here,
here”)
‘I’ll Be Fine’ (“I do hope that you go out dancing/Your
happiness well it makes me happy too/I know I ought to get
out of here/Maybe see some friends and drink some beer/But
the truth is my heart’s just not in it”)
‘Surrender’ (“So hard to find the softness in you
sometimes/I’ll find it if I show it you say/Gotta lay down my
defenses/And lay them down again/I don’t need them here/I’ll
come to you bare”)
‘Walk with Me’ (“Walking through the rain/Walking
through the snow/Walking through the highs/Walking through
the lows”)
‘Thing About Leaving’ (“When I’m at home I feel this
calming in my soul/I watch the sun go down behind the
banana grove/Any minute you’ll appear in front of me/The
sweetest thing about leaving/Is coming back again”)
The release of Lay Down My Arms confirms The Lucky
Wonders as a major talent on the roots/pop/folk music scene,
with their insightful, Australian-sounding songs working
equally well in live performance and as recorded pieces.
The Lucky Wonders’ music (www.theluckywonders.com)
is distributed through Vitamin Records (www.vitamin.net.au).
Sue Barrett
marriage equality) as the iTunes bonus track
FREIGHT TRAIN BOOGIE (www.freighttrainboogie.com) Americana music, alternative country, roots rock
ANGE MURPHY (www.angemurphymusic.com) - Bare
footed, guitar in hand, harmonica not too far behind, voice of
an Angel
MUSIC CHARTS ALL OVER THE WORLD (www.lanet.lv/
misc/charts) - At #8 on Stanford University’s KZSU country/
bluegrass chart, I See Hawks in LA with New Kind of Lonely
Sue Barrett
You are invited to an afternoon of tangos, tarantellas & tantrums!
Fuego!
Fuoco!
Fuego Blanco
&
Nadia Piave
2pm, Sunday 18th November 2012
Humph Hall
85 Allambie Road, Allambie Heights
Bookings: (02) 9939 8802 or [email protected]
NSW - state of play
Songs of Henry Lawson
Songs of Chris Kempster
Item
Reg Mem*
NSW - State of Play (double CD snapshot of the 2008 NSW folk scene)
$15
$10
The Songs of Henry Lawson (new songbook edition with 375 settings)
$30
$25
The Songs of Chris Kempster (double CD)
$25
$20
Postage & Packaging:
Qty
Total
($10 for book + up to 2 CD sets) ($3 for 1 CD set, $5 for 2 CD sets)
* Join the Folk Fed now and receive member’s discount. See jam.org.au for membership form.
Total:
I enclose my cheque/money order payable to: Folk Federation of NSW
Please charge my credit card:
Card number: __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __
Name on card: _____________________________
(Expiry date: ___ / ___ )
Signature:
Send with remittance & return address to: Folk Federation of NSW, PO Box A182, Sydney South NSW 1235
The Folk Federation of NSW ONLINE - jam.org.au
The CORNSTALK Gazette NOVEMBER 2012 -
15
OUT NOW!
Australia’s
Austra
Aus
tralia
lia
a’ss No.1
No.1 monthly
mont
mont
onthly
hly
y traditional
trradiiti
tio
onal
al and
and contemporary
cont
ontemp
temp
empora
orary
ora
ry folk,
f lk,
folk
fol
b
bl
blues
blu
l es
es, roots,
roots
ro
oots
t , alternative,
alte
alter
a
lterna
lte
lt
lter
rrna
native
na
ative,
tive
tiv
ti
i e bluegrass
bl
sss and
an
an world music magazine
magazine
blues,
Australia’s No.1 monthly traditional and contemporary folk,
blues, roots, alternative, bluegrass and world music magazine
and
$4.90
$4.90
$4.90
Vol.11 No.9
Australia’s No.1 monthly traditional and contemporary folk,
blues, roots, alternative, bluegrass and world music magazine
$4.90
Vol.11 No.6
and
March
Mar
rc
ch
h 2012
Vol.11 No.3
and
www.tradandnow.com
News, reviews and information on traditional and contemporary music,
dance and poetry as well as reports on live performances and festivals.
Australia’s No.1 monthly traditional and contemporary folk,
blues, roots, alternative, bluegrass and world music magazine
Australia’s No.1 monthly traditional and contemporary folk,
blues, roots, alternative, bluegrass and world music magazine
$4.90
Vol.11 No.7
and
and
$4.90
Vol.11 No.4
www.tradandnow.com
News, reviews and information on traditional and contemporary music,
dance and poetry as well as reports on live performances and festivals.
Australia’s No.1 monthly traditional and contemporary folk,
blues, roots, alternative, bluegrass and world music magazine
Australia’s No.1 monthly traditional and contemporary folk,
blues, roots, alternative, bluegrass and world music magazine
$4.90
Vol.11 No.8
and
and
$4.90
Vol.11 No.5
www.tradandnow.com
News, reviews and information on traditional and contemporary music,
dance and poetry as well as reports on live performances and festivals.
Now 80 Pages on full gloss paper in a new compact format!
or Save on time and postage! also available digitally at
www.tradandnow.com for only $2.90 or $27 for 12 months!
Available from your local newsagent (distributed by Wrapaway)
See our extensive range of over 2000 Australian traditional and contemporary
folk, blues, roots, alternative and world music CDs, DVDs and books at
www.tradandnow.com and at 120c Erina St, Gosford
16 - The CORNSTALK Gazette
NOVEMBER 2012