69-4 Winter 2007

Our regular ‘Singer, Song and Source’ feature highlights the young female singer, Jackie Oates (who, since the magazine went to press, has been short-listed for the BBC Folk Awards Horizon Award). The song is ‘My Ship Lost Her Rigging’, sung originally by the Traveller singer, Biggun Smith from Gloucestershire.

Geoff Woolfe, compiler of the recently-published tune book, William Winter’s Quantocks Tune Book, writes about the background to the book and the life and music of William Winter.

The Christmas Carolling tradition in England is the subject of a brief feature by Ian Russell, which puts into context the Carols from Glen Rock (USA) article by Dave Eyre. The carols from this Pennsylvanian town are sung in the same style as the carols of the south Pennines and elsewhere.

A different style of Christmas celebration, the mummers, is the theme of a new show touring the country this December: Christmas Champions. Joan Crump writes about the show.

The Grenoside Sword Dancers have some new costumes, thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Dancer Joe Dunn explains how and why. And there’s a further feature on longsword dancing, Longswords in Derby, focusing on the recent dance competition.

Phil Bassindale, a young caller now living in Bristol, is interviewed and contributes a new dance.

There is news of the new Heritage Lottery Funded project from the EFDSS: Take Six, and Mike Heaney’s Gold Badge citation.

There is a list of a hundred Folk Festivals in 2008.

Reviews –

including Jim Causley, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset, The Imagined Village, Kate Rusby, Boldwood, The Askews, Bella Hardy, Pete Wood, Kathryn Tickell, Last Orders, All Blacked Up, Maddy Prior, Coope Boyes & Simpson, Vicky Swan & Jonny Dyer, Momentum and The Brazil family.

Regular Features:

Branching Out; Festive Round-Up; Lives Remembered, News; The Winter Dancing Season (list of dance events); and EFDSS Matters.

Music credits

Sound files that complement the features are included here:

‘My Ship Lost Her Rigging’ sung by Jackie Oates (thanks to Jackie, and Phil Beer of Chudleigh Records). Taken from Jackie’s forthcoming CD, The Violet Hour

‘My Ship Lost Her Rigging’ sung by Biggun Smith (thanks to Peter Shepheard and Rod Stradling of Musical Traditions Records). Taken from the Musical Traditions CD, Band of Gold.

‘Hark, Hark’ sung by The Glen Rock Carollers. Taken from the CD, Voices of Christmas. Thanks to the Glen Rock Carollers for permission to use this recording.