On the whole, it was folking good...

In my blog of the 8th Jan, I expressed my concerns about the line-up of the inaugural Frome Folk Festival, which is drawing to a close as I write.  I needn't have worried (too much).

The quality of the performances was, given the nature of an event like this, inevitably varied, ranging from the mundane to the startling. Attendances were healthy and  - with the odd notable exception  - the event was pretty much glitch free.

Dyer : Cummings' bassoonist wonders
if there's a breakfast rider in the contract

I can only report on the Saturday as we had to return from whence we come today, but it kicked off at the Cheese & Grain at the unlikely hour of 9.15am with local combo Dyer : Cummings. Belying their tender years, this quartet was completely unfazed by a dozy, morning audience's lackadaisical response and put in a highly commendable and energetic shift.

Then to a dreary room in the Masonic Hall to hear Rivers of England. Playing as a duo, their set hinted at how interesting the material might be, given more ambitious arrangements for a larger line-up.

Back to the C&G and Festival Patron and local resident, Cara Dillon, enthusiastically introduced Winter Mountain, while failing to mention that they are the first signing to her and husband Sam Lakeman's new label. Which might go some way to explain her enthusiasm. Their voices were beautiful, but does the world need a Simon & Garfunkel clone?

Jackie Oates puts on a brave face in the
light of  Weekender's criticism

We once saw Jackie Oates play solo aboard an industrial barge. She was terrific. But her set with her band yesterday was lacking in variety. She's a talented woman, but needs more light and shade in her repertoire.

At the Westway Cinema next, for Belshazzar's Feast (festival organisers please note - the sight lines are terrible). We only caught half an hour, but they were witty, entertaining, highly skilful and delivered far more than their rather wimpy last album, Find The Lady, promised. An act to catch up with at length elsewhere.

We had to leave the Feast to attend a singing workshop. Now, while Mrs Weekender has sung in amateur choirs, my vocalising has been mostly limited to audience participation at gigs. But the thought of 90 minutes in the company of Caroline Radcliffe must have struck a (vocal) chord somewhere. It was terrific. Caroline had us singing Swedish and Gaelic folksong and performing complicated rounds and harmonies. Experienced singers lined up besides novices and the whole thing was conducted in a terrific spirit. Bravo for participation.

But then the low spot of the day. Back to the Westway for Elfynn. They were late going on (no explanation offered) and suffered technical problems throughout. Their stand-in singer made her nerves quite clear and it was easy to see why their brand of folk-rock rose and fell very quickly in the 1970s. I hope their ceilidh this morning was more successful.

The Cheese & Grain puts the flags out

So to the finale - Jamie Smith's Mabon and Spiers & Boden at the C&G  - via a quick diversion to the Masons for half an hour of the inexplicably delayed Daturas. Interesting line-up (the only sighting of the Lesser Spotted Pedal Steel all day) and intriguing, passionate songs. But their sulky presentation did little to endear them to those of us of a certain age.

Jamie Smith's Mabon (not to be confused with 'Mabon' - the reason for that is a long and seemingly acrimonious story of family feuds) were absolutely superb. Where Elfynn sounded dated, this lot married a rock rhythm section to a traditional front line and the result was fresh, powerful and hugely entertaining. Smith is simply one of the best accordion players I have ever seen. But would they upstage the top of the bill? S & B came out with all guns blazing, proving a fiddle, a melodeon and a pair of stamping feet can be as exciting as any roaring rock band. It's been a while since we'd seen them, so was this new energy in response to Mabon's storming set? Or have they simply got more rock 'n' roll as Bellowhead goes from strength to strength? Whatever the reason, they married traditional song and dance to oodles of modern day oomph, and the result was hugely exhilarating.

John Spiers looks to the heavens for inspiration
(or at least the lighting rig at the Cheese & Grain)

So, 8 out of 10 from the judges: a score only slightly tarnished by the lack of activity in the town centre this mornng. A "Morris Market" was promised all weekend, complete with dancers. At midday today there was nothing going on. The music inside the venues may be quality, but it's out on the streets that the real impact of this event will be made with the people of Frome, most of whom will almost certainly not have been converted to the folkie cause.

But will it become a permanent fixture in the cultural calendar? Tickets for Frome Folk Festival 2013 went on sale yesterday.


http://www.fromefolkfestival.co.uk

Frome Folk

Frome is hosting its first Folk Festival in February.

When this was announced there was rejoicing at Weekender Towers, as Mrs W and myself are very partial to a bit of 'trad. arr.' However, as the line-up was gradually unveiled our collective heart sank somewhat. Highly talented people like Spiers & Boden, Steve Knightley and Chris Wood are the leading acts - top names on the English Folk Scene, indeed. But not really the sort of performer to get the blood racing in anticipation of them visiting 'our town'. They are hard-working musicians who are on the road a lot, so there are frequent opportunities to see them around and about. There's no 'wow' element in the acts on offer. No surprises. Nothing that makes this festival stand out from myriad others in the UK (except that it's being held in the winter - and while that's rare, it's not unique). I really don't like to criticise, as the idea of  a weekend of traditional music in Frome is to be loudly applauded. But it all feels a bit safe and predictable.

The 'Early Bird' ticket prices are on offer right up until the event, which suggests that sales are not as healthy as they might be. Is this because of the general economic malaise? Or something to do with the programme? I do hope the FFF gets through its first year OK and becomes a regular fixture. But a bit more imagination in the booking policy would not go amiss from now on.
Familiarity breeds contempt - or contentment? We'll find out on the 18th February.

www.fromefolkfestival.co.uk