A SCoFF temporary web page, © SCoFF 2003
The lights were dimmed in the gracious upper room at the Town Hall, Chipping Norton, as we took our seats around the tables for the folk section of the 94th Music Festival.
Members of the Chipping Norton Folk Club and the Adderbury Folk Club greeted performers and supporting members of the White Horse Folk Club, Highworth, including Mervyn Penny, (Highworth's founder member) who won the William Bailey Memorial Trophy last year.
The trophy was donated by members and friends of the White Horse Folk Club in memory of Bill Bailey, who ran the club for many years up to 2003, "for the performance that best communicates with the audience." This year it was Highworth's Helen Barr who carried off the trophy with her deeply-felt singing of "Highland Fairy Lullaby." The newly-formed White Horse Waits (Mervyn, Val and Rose) won the Folk Song Ensemble class with their harmonising of "Greensleeves." Chris and Rose played the late Bill Bailey's guitars in a duet of "Today" by Randy Sparks, arranged by Bill a few years ago and Rose also sang "Greenwood Laddie" accompanied by her daughter, Alice. Steve and Val performed "Scarborough Fair" beautifully together in their usual flawless style. Mervyn sang ballads and folk songs sensitively and entertainingly and also played a celtic melody on the tenor bowed psaltery that he had made.
Altogether the three clubs had a most memorable night once again, enjoying folk songs both traditional and newly-composed. The adjudicator, Pete Cooper, gave us helpful and encourging comments and finished the evening for us with a virtuoso performance on his fiddle. Thanks to the Chipping Norton Music Festival Committee for a brilliant evening!
A SCoFF temporary web page, © SCoFF 2003
Trevor Gilson, SCoFF Webmaster