A weekend musical journey…with Alan Dearling
May Day – Maypole – Todmorden Folk Festival Saturday. Lively on the streets. Colourful folk everywhere. Lots of men and women all called ‘Morris’! I made a contribution (I hope) by encouraging people, especially non-musicians, in the park, in bars and on the streets to have a ‘play’ with one of my hang and steel-tongued drums. Then, on the rather fabulous, Korg Kaossilator Pro (an electronic piece of weirdness, with over 200 sounds, controlled with fingertips on a touch screen), and my timberharp, designed by Thomas Freer, from down in Worthing on the south coast of England. That is a drop-dead gorgeous plank of Plain wood, embedded with sounds controlled by reed-switches – sounds ranging from a harp through sitar to choir-like bands of angels.
Most punters seemed to have a lot of fun…(MSFN forever, as Spiral Tribe used to proclaim: Make Some Fxxxing Noise!) Enjoy the pics! Feel free to spread the vibes! Keep on Keeping Om! I think my bits of musical anarchy were in keeping with the long history of folk music as part of street-music, as the people’s music.
Sunday was the finale of the Ninth Todmorden Folk Fest. Plenty more ladies called Morris. More clogs, bells, accordians. Some characterful characters everywhere abouts.
It was a tad cold in the afternoon, but it was still a good turnout for the Oxford Road Stage event. I’d had a bimble around town earlier, and some nice trad cider in the Market Tavern. Sounds of sea shanties and the tinkle of bells in the air as the Morris teams danced (and drank) their way around the town.
I continued with my personal mission to encourage non-musicians to ‘have-a-go’ playing different instruments. It was a little gourd percussion instrument on the Sunday. It possibly came from West Africa where it is known as a balafon, or, possibly even be Polynesian. I remember similar ethnic percussion from my times living in Australia. Not sure.
Sunday afternoon is traditionally the free event afternoon. And on the Oxford Road stage, Adam Carr and then Soma provided the musical entertainment.
Adam has an amazing voice and an incredible repertoire of material. Steve from Soma spoke to me after the Folk Stage gig saying that Adam appears to have the total 60s image and presence – a complete reincarnation, a throw-back to that previous time. Soma are a special blend of Hungarian folk and jazz traditions, with visual and sonic hints of world music. Vocal perfection, with ancient and modern twist and turns!
Adam Holden, Soma and the Todmorden Oxford Road Stage
My weekend was on the streets and in the pub venues. Todmorden Folk Festival presented lots of other paid venues…but my weekend was all about StreetNoise!
Plenty of applause and appreciation from the crowd.
*********************************************************************************
And here is a liitle selection of pics from my scrapbook from my Musical Noise Sessions (MSFN). I started them on streets and at festivals in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, OZORA (Hungary) and Boom (Portugal) festivals, in the Scottish borders, around the Pennines, the Magick Gathering festi in Lithuania and in the free republic of Uzupis, in Vilnius, Lithuania.
