Sedgefield 2011 - were you there?

A huge thank you to all those folk supporters who turned out during the weekend of 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th of September to make the Sedgefield Festival our most successful to date. The Friday singaround, run by our friends from Guisborough Friday Folk Club was well attended and the main concert hall was full to capacity. The festival residents The John Wrightson Band got the concert off to a cracking start, followed by Folk Club regular John Weighell. Scarborough based Anna Shannon played a superb middle spot and the top of the bill was left to the versatile London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra. What a show these guys produced, high energy, humour, silly costumes and brilliant musicianship.

Saturday’s workshops were better attended than ever, followed by an enthusiastically contested Durham Traditional Music Festival. Thanks to Fred Brierley and his team for sorting out all the judges and prizes etc.
The Tommy Armstrong Trophy for song composition was won by Mike Weston. Song "Mum 'n' Dads Wedding"
The James Hill Trophy for tune competition was won by Michael Burns. Tune "The Little Count"
The Open Unaccompanied Song was won by Ian McKone. Song "Ship in Distress"
The Open Miscellaneous Instrument was won by Keith Cunningham with a traditional set.
There were no entries for the junior competitions.

The Scratch Band ran the afternoon singaround and played for the World Spoons Championship. Bert Draycott won the title, again, and Blake Reid won the junior title. The press coverage leading up to this event was brilliant.
The evening singaround run by The Old Age Travellers was again the best ever attended with a great variety of musical acts turning up to entertain.

The afternoon concert with youngsters from Hardwick Junior School and the Sedgefield Youth Choir starting proceedings followed by the excellent Young Uns and the ever popular Flossie Malavialle.  

The Cleveland Branch of the Northumbrian Pipers, Lol and Maxine Allan and Fishburn Band all provided a sparkling concert in St Edmunds Church on Saturday evening.

The Saturday evening concert was started with exquisite voice of Barbara Thow accompanied on guitar by Festival MC Andy McLaughlin.
Fellside recording artists Tom Kitchin and Gren Bartley then showed why they are in such high demand on the festival circuit with brilliant musical arrangements and some great patter. The Cornshed Sisiters were as relaxed on stage as they were off it and carried the audience along with them on a musical journey with a great select of songs and unusual arrangements.
The final act needed no hyping up. Billy Mitchell, surrounded by a band of superb musicians, brought the evening to a rousing finish singing many of his most popular songs and the usual ‘daft’ North Shields crack.

John Wrightson and Roly Hindmarch balanced the concert sound for all the acts in their usual efficient manner and Frank Holmes and Chris Price from Wearsound PA produced some excellent light scenes to match the song moods.  

The Sunday lunchtime singaround in Ceddesfeld Hall brought the weekend to a close and over 80 folkies joined Ernie Gilchrist to celebrate a successful festival.  

We hope to see you again next year - Diary dates: 31 August, 1 & 2 September 2012.

Our 2011 photos: