FolkWorld #79 11/2022
© Yasmine Moll

FolkWorld 25th Anniversary 1997-2022

Folk East Site 2022

A Superb Programme of Music


Folk East

Glemham Hall, Suffolk

19 - 21 August 2022

Artist Video FolkEast @ FROG

folkeast.co.uk

On its 10th year anniversary, Folk East - perhaps England’s best and most friendly folk festival – celebrated with a fantastic programme, back up at full capacity following Covid (although Folk East managed to run a reduced scale festival each of the Covid years). Folk East is a real favourite, with many regulars coming back every August to the beautiful countryside setting of the Glemham Hall Estate in Suffolk . It’s a superb summer weekend packed with lots to do, to eat and drink, a superb programme of music to listen, dance and sing along to, and especially filled with fun and joy. It is a space to explore and make the most wonderful memories and share meaningful moments. Each year come many of the most accomplished musicians within the folk world as well as new emerging artists, often who live locally. There’s always a great array of traders and artists too.

The Young'uns Podcast Morris Dancing

Artist Video The Young'uns @ FROG

www.theyounguns.co.uk

On Thursday as the festival site opened, the campers came in and set up in the stunning parkland of Glemham Hall for the long weekend. The festival was opened (following the now traditional festival quiz) by the band False Lights hyping up the excitement and adding some rock folk energy. That was followed by Stumpy Oak’s anniversary ceilidh, the band being a regular Folk East performer who always get everybody up dancing. At every Folk East ceilidh no matter who is playing, there is always the strongest most powerful sense of community. Everyone old and young dance around together cheering, sweating and smiling! At the opening ceilidh, you directly feel like having come home, with many faces whom you recognise from previous years, and where you make new friends for the weekend.

On Friday, the first full day, people flowed in, mooching about the stalls, planning their meals from the various yummy food outlets, rummaging through the charity tent in competition to get the best clothes while they lasted - and it just felt like home. Katherine Priddy, a young singer with a beautiful voice performed took to the Moot Hall stage late afternoon, followed by the Young’uns, who are dedicated patrons of Folk East.

The Young’Uns were back with their usual mix of inspiring music and stories, sharing their moving lyrics and harmonies and spreading joy and laughter. The audience was treated by some of the new songs of their forthcoming album release, such as the moving “Three dads walking” dedicated to three dads whose daughters sadly took their own lives, and who now walk the country to raise money for suicide prevention charities.

The following day the Young’uns were back with their legendary Folk East podcast, drawing in crowds for an hour full of laughter and very silly games. On the ‘show’ there are always other musical guests too to join in the fun - this year’s guests included Jon Spiers as well as Paul Sartin who sadly passed away recently since. This year’s funniest podcast highlights involved: David Eagle’s hilarious but pretty accurate impression of Jon Boden’s singing (watch out Jon!), the marrow Morris dancing challenge again mastered by David Eagle, the guess the vegetable game and more. Appropriately for the 10 year anniversary festival, this was probably the funniest Young’uns podcast ever.

Talisk

Artist Video Talisk @ FROG

www.talisk.co.uk

The headline bands for each of three full days were very well chosen this year: The Imagined Village, Sam Kelly Band and Talisk. The Imagined Village returned and reunited especially for this year’s festival (one of only three reunion performances), after having performed in the first year of Folk East in 2012. The band brings together an unlikely but absolutely amazing range of musicians including Billy Bragg, Eliza & Martin Carthy, an Indian sitar player and Afro Celt Sound System stars Simmon Emmerson and dhol player Johnny Kalsi. The band fuses fiddle and traditional English music and song with Indian percussion, modern rap and beats and sitars.

Sam Kelly has been a frequent visitor and has performed several times before at Folk East, and returned with his all-star band The Lost Boys, with the old favourite feel good sing alongs and powerful instrumentation. Scottish trio Talisk brought the festival to a rousing close. Three people, Mohsen Amini, Graeme Armstrong and Benedict Morris using just a concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce a captivating bold extraordinary sound that got the audience jumping up and down, waving hands in the air, dancing and finishing off Folk East No. 10 with everyone on cloud 9. Everywhere you looked, people had a massive smile on.

A memorable hour was the Mat Bayfield Tribute. As mentioned in my interview with Becky, Mat Bayfield died from brain cancer in 2019 and was a special much-loved member of the local folk world. He had been someone who put his heart and soul into everything and stayed positive no matter what. His large personality and spirit greatly influenced Folk East. He grew up in the grounds of Glemham Hall, when his father was the gamekeeper of the estate. The tribute was made up of many musicians, friends and family members he was very close to including his daughter, his widow Kelly Bayfield, other family members,The Young’Uns, Bayfield Booth, Honey &the Bear, Eric Sedge and Leon O’Leary who all came together to recall the songs, and stories and memories of him.

The Unthanks view music as a way to perform, learn and be equals. They find new ways to engage with audiences and have a huge back catalogue. They use instruments ranging from trumpets to pianos to singing and even drums and step dancing etc., with superb arrangements of traditional songs.

Sam Kelly Band

Artist Video Sam Kelly @ FROG

www.samkelly.com

For me, other highlights included Solana, Leveret, local heroes Honey & the Bear who find inspiration from the local Suffolk area to write their songs, and the Finn Collinson Band, with Finn’s wonderful interpretations of traditional and new folk music centred around his recorder playing.

On Sunday the National Youth Ensemble performed. Each year emerging young talented players come together to learn and share their joy in paying music where they transform old tunes, discover new ways of playing, learn from each other and perform at various festivals and concerts. Folk East was the final concert following four intensive weeks of making music together over the course of the year. Their director is Sam Partridge and the programme is supported by Arts council England. As a young musician myself, this really inspired me and I found it really nice to see other people similar age to me perform and come together playing a range of instruments. Their music was great and I hope this will be the start of a long time partnership with Folk East as I would love to see next years new group of young musicians perform here again.

National Youth Folk Ensemble

Artist Video
www.efdss.org

Tamsin Elliott is a multi-instrumentalist who explores playing a mix of British, European and Middle Eastern music and bringing those together. She is also a composer and film maker. This year she performed with her band Solana and in a trio with her brother and Sid Goldsmith playing pieces from her critically acclaimed debut solo album newly released called ‘Frey’. The trio played a spell-binding set on the small “Stage on the Far Side of the Wood”. Her harp playing and singing are beautiful, her compositions and her arrangements for the trio are stunning, and she is an incredible player to watch and listen to. Next year I understand there are plans for her to be performing in The Froize (check out froize.co.uk online in due course).

There was lots more brilliant music to discover – with the a line-up including many other popular players and bands including regulars like Archie Moore, Tom Moss, John Spiers, The King Driscolls, Kate Rusby and new local talent such as singer songwriter Kitty-May Hayes. Overall I think that the 2022 lineup was fantastic and there was something for everyone, whether you prefer more traditional singing and folk tunes, some comedy, DJ music, and new more modern music with folk elements.

The stalls are perfect for browsing and there is plenty of other activities too in addition to the music, many for free as well. This year things on offer included daily yoga, ceilidhs, step dance workshops, morris dancing performances, art competition, henna, climbing wall, wicker making lanterns and dragonflies, bags etc and much more. For kids there was also, as usual, plenty of choice with badminton courts and table tennis, storytelling, kids area and the new addition of a Youth Moot tent. This was aimed at older children and teenagers and was a place to go and relax, make friends and meet people. Young adults including Emma and Finn from the Finn Collinson band were there too running the tent providing things to do, not only music workshops and sessions for young people, but also activities like colouring, mini workshops and even free biscuits! For younger children there were also games, sandpits, beanbag throwing, and more for younger children.

The food choices were quite good again this time. Many of the familiar stalls were back like the fish and chips, pizza, noodles, falafel, curry, crepes and café … and a few new ones and new ones like mac n cheese (very good), Pinkney’s of Orford, hot dogs too. I was very pleased that the tea stall was back after not coming last year as the tea stall is absolutely essential. They sell sandwiches and fish finger wraps etc in addition to a large collection of teas from classic ones and herbal ones to elderberry and lemon ginger infusion, and elderflower. They also do crisps, hot chocolates and high-quality chocolate bars with plain flavours to peppercorn or dark whisky chocolate. The owners of the stall are lovely too! Stalls included eco stall, clothing stalls, woodwork, art arcade, sewing tent, book shop tent…



See also Celebrating 10 years of Folk East - Interview with BECKY MARSHALL POTTER! Next Folk East is 17th-20th August 2023!



Photo Credits: (1) Folk East (unknown/website); (2) Folk East, (3) The Young'uns, (4) Talisk, (5) Sam Kelly Band, (6) National Youth Folk Ensemble, (7) The Unthanks, (8) Tamsin Elliott Trio (by The Mollis).


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