Chester Folk Festival takes over Kelsall this Bank Holiday weekend

May 27 2010 by Michael Green, Flintshire Chronicle

This year’s Chester Folk Festival looks set to live up to its reputation for bringing the best in traditional and acoustic music to the area.

In existence since the mid-1970s, this weekend festival of high class music runs from Friday, May 28 to Monday, May 31 May in the village of Kelsall.

It mixes showcase concerts, featuring some of the biggest names around, with more informal events such as ceilidhs, dance displays, sessions, children’s entertainment and a craft fair.

In addition there is a full programme of workshops on topics as varied as playing the spoons, French songs and calling for dances.

Everybody loves to see a good band and at Chester there are several to choose from. On Saturday there’s Mawkin:Causley, a collaboration between young band Mawkin and singer Jim Causley.

With music that is punchy, energetic, passionate and good fun that can also be moving and subtle, it’s not surprising they’ve taken the folk world by storm.

They’ll be joined by The Old Dance School who will be blowing up a storm with their ‘exhilarating concoction of explosive, white-knuckle folk’.

This six- piece band features duelling fiddles and hair-raising world percussion to create a wild and mystical adventure of a show.

On Sunday, Churchfitters will be making a welcome return to the festival. Made up of members from England, Northern Ireland and Britanny, this band uses three explosive voices, flamboyant personalities and a dozen or so acoustic instruments to create a sound that unites the rhythms of rock and pop with the universal appeal of traditional music.

Monday, meanwhile, brings the delights of Isambarde. Vocal harmonies and a touch of fiddle magic combine with driving rhythms – and an oboe. This young band is equally at home with traditional or original songs and tunes.

And then there are the soloists. There are the breathtaking guitar skills and song writing ability of Martin Simpson; the passionate, strong voice and strident guitar style of Pete Morton; the singing and fiddle playing of Roger Wilson; the baritone voice, guitar arrangements and original compositions of Dan McKinnon from Nova Scotia; and not least the exquisite singing of French performer Flossie Malavialle.

There are plenty of dance opportunities too. As well as a family ceilidh on Saturday which will keep everyone amused, including the younger members of the family, there is a dance each evening.

You can swing to the lush harmonies and foot tapping beat of young band Boldwood; strip the willow with energetic, lively Shropshire band This Way Up; do-sa-do to the euro-rhythms of popular local band Time Bandits; or bop to the high octane, rocky Peeping Tom, on this occasion accompanied by one of the country’s top callers, Martyn Harvey.

One of the main characteristics of any Chester Folk Festival is that the festival organisers present a well balanced guest list with hopefully something for everyone.

One important aspect of this is comedy and this year that is represented by two people who are well known even outside the national folk scene.

Bernard Wrigley began by singing in folk clubs, but later also became involved with documentaries and then plays.

He has appeared in numerous films (Brassed Off), TV programmes (Dinnerladies), adverts (including a prestigious Guinness TV campaign) and a Royal Command Performance during Jubilee year.

Les Barker says of himself that he “writes strange poems and comes originally from Manchester”, but he’s now Welsh.

His poems have been recorded by the likes of John Humphreys, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jenny Agutter and Prunella Scales.

There are many more featured artists from around the country to enjoy and there will be the usual performances from local stars Full House, Roy Clinging and mother and daughters harmony group The Waite Collective.

Day and evening tickets as well as full weekend tickets are available and can be purchased on site by going to the festival office which is located near the Morris Dancer pub.

You can also buy tickets in advance through the festival website: www.chesterfolk.org.uk where you will also find more information.