50th festival of folk

SINGERS, dancers and musicians tuned up last weekend for the 50th annual Newcastleton traditional music festival.
Carol Brooks, treasurer and life member, said that from the committee’s perspective, it was a successful weekend.
She added: “Some of our competitions had really good entry levels, especially the singing and the miscellaneous instrument classes.
“Both dances went with a swing. The Derek Edmond Trio on Friday were excellent and The Occasionals were every bit as fantastic as we knew they would be.
“Our concerts were well attended, with a range of musicians and singers in the various venues, and the workshops all attracted a select but engaged audience.
“We presented Susie Kelly, Carol Anderson and Kenneth Irving with life memberships.”
Among the newcomers to the festival, which this year had a stage in the square for performers, was the Addison Rapper and Clog group from Ryton in Tyneside.
The group has been going for more than 40 years and performs the traditional rapper dances of Northumberland and Durham. The women perform clog dances.
Workshops included Border songs and tunes with the Border Directors and singing the ballads with Pete Shepheard.
Leo Page, six, of Newcastleton won the poetry reciting competition with Red Squirrel and the Robert Scott memorial shield, given to the competitor aged 16 and under with the most points in any class.
Carol added: “We really need more people, who are fairly local, to get involved in organising the festival.
“The current committee is unsustainable and without new blood (not just for the midges), this festival could have been the last. We hope not but it is a real danger.

RESULTS
Accordion (novice) Daisy Arnold, accordion (open) and accordion (classical and continental) Jamie Anderson, accordion (children) Jake Johnstone, Border ballad Richard Hardaker, children’s miscellaneous instrument Bruce Roberts, ceilidh band The Redheughers, fiddle (NNPW) Aidan Falconer, fiddle (open) and fiddle (slow air and reel) Rachael Hales, fiddle (children) Aidan Falconer, Highland bagpipes (novice) Sheila Quaggin, Highland bagpipes (open) Neil Kennedy, instrumental pairs Rachael Hales and Robin Dunn, instrumental pairs (children) Jake and Jenna Johnstone, miscellaneous instrument Jenna Mcrory, original poetry Jez Uppadine, original composition (song – other) Richard Hardaker, original composition (song trad) Lyn Hampshire, original composition (tune) Aidan Falconer, poetry reciting Leo Page, storytelling David Duncan, children’s singing Willow Kerr, traditional singing (men’s open) Henry Douglas, traditional singing (women’s open) Martha Blinkhorn.