The Folk Choir in Concert!

On Friday 22 April, The Folk Choir is performing a set of our songs as the support act to John Thompson's new show. We are very excited to be performing, and all the details are on the flyer below.
Censors, Conscripts and Queensland (Songs and Stories from John Thompson), supported by The Folk Choir. 7pm, Friday 22 April, 2016, at the Red Hill Community Sports Club, 22 Fulcher Road, Red Hill, Brisbane. Tickets at the door, $15/10. Bar open, and supper available.

Week Three - Anderson's Coast

This term we are starting a new song every two weeks, and working on it over the subsequent weeks. This week we enjoyed learning the chorus of our second song for the year, John Warner's beautiful "Anderson's Coast".

The song tells the story of a band of convicts who escaped to Victoria from Van Diemen's Land. Here is an excerpt from the sleeve notes of Cockersdale, who have recorded the song:
Anderson's Coast concerns of a group of convicts who escaped Van Diemen's Land in a stolen ship, only to be wrecked by the notorious Bass Strait waves on the Gippsland coast (in Victoria). The explorer Strzlecki and his small band stumbled out of dense rainforest and encountered the marooned men. Strzlecki would probably have perished had it not been for his Koori guide Charlie Tarra and this group of convicts who led him to Anderson, a pioneer settler who ran cattle on the South Gippsland coast. Apparently the convicts were pardoned for their contribution to the explorer's survival. 

John Warner is a well-known Sydney songwriter, and here is a paragraph I've pinched from his own website: 
John Warner is a Sydney-based, traditional-style singer and poet/songwriter with a wide-ranging repertoire biased towards chorus songs and songs of history, industry and the environment. John is renowned all over the world for his well-crafted songs - as recent accolades from Gordon Bok and Danny Spooner affirm. Many people have recorded "Anderson's Coast"; and "Bring out the Banners" is sung by Trade Union choirs all over Australia, and also in the UK and Canada. He is an accomplished musician on the 6 and 12 string guitars and also on bouzouki. John has a strong voice, often sings unaccompanied, and is an inventive and sensitive harmony singer.

Read the rest of his illustrious career at www.folkjohnwarner.com.

The version of Anderson's Coast we are singing is based on the memorable arrangement by Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, who will no doubt perform it when they appear at this year's National Folk Festival in Canberra at Easter. Here is a clip of them at Bath Folk Festival singing their version:

We will sing the whole song (in unison) this coming week, and also keep working on Pete Morton's "Another Train", which is sounding stunning already.

Week One - Another Train

This term we are starting a new song every two weeks, and working on it over the subsequent weeks. This week we enjoyed learning the chorus of Pete Morton's classic song of hope, "Another Train".

There's another train,
There always is.
Maybe the next one is your's.
Get up and climb aboard another train.

We'll start on the verses next week. Our version of the song has been inspired by The Poozies, who played at Woodford Folk Festival and Illawarra Folk Festival this January. Click on the links to find out more about the band and the festivals.

Below is a youtube link of The Poozies singing Another Train, and also check out the songwriter himself, Pete Morton. That link is his own site, and here's an interview he did on the BBC. They start talking about Another Train at 6:05.

The Folk Choir starts again on Thursday 4 February!

Welcome to The Folk Choir for 2016, and prepare yourself for delicious singing and great new songs. We start a new year of singing on Thursday 4 February, at the Red Hill Community Sports Club, Fulcher Road, Red Hill (next door to the Broncos). We sing from 7.15pm - 8.45pm.

First term will be quite short, as Easter is early this year and we always take a term break for the National Folk Festival. First term will be seven weeks long, and we will start four new songs and revisit older songs in that time.

Looking forward to singing with you in harmony!

cheers
Nicole

TODAY! Our big concert!

Flying Fiddles and Soaring Voices, our concert collaboration with the Brisbane Celtic Fiddle Club, is on today at 4pm, at the Danish Club in Austin Street, Newstead, Brisbane.

We are showcasing some wonderful songs, and looking forward to singing a song with all those great fiddle players.

Doors open 3.30pm, and there will be coffee and danish pastries on sale, and a raffle with four prizes!!

Folk Choir - a new term at a new venue!

New term AT NEW VENUE!

It's time for a new term, and I'm very excited to announce that we're moving to a new venue! The Folk Choir will meet at the Red Hill Community Sports Club, on Fulcher Road, Red Hill, from the start of term 3.

Term 3 dates: Thursday 16 July - Thursday 17 September.

Venue: Red Hill Community Sports Club, Fulcher Road, Red Hill (next to the Broncos)

The new venue has plenty of parking, is a little more central, and is becoming a bit of a folk hub, with Morris dancing and the Red HIll Folk Club both happening there on Wednesdays. We are starting on July 16 because the venue already had a booking for July 9, but we'll still go for 10 weeks.

Come along and enjoy new songs and old, harmonies, warmups and good company. Because it's winter, Nicole will be bringing along a big pot of hot soup, so don't be worried that you can't fit in cooking dinner before choir. The soup will be delicious, and fairly allergen-free (which means dairy and gluten free, with low salicilates and amines, and vegetarian with no onion). Come and socialise over soup at 6.45, and sing from 7.15.

Fees remain the same, $120 for the full 10-week term, or $15 a night to attend casually.

We're looking forward to a big sing, and I can't wait to see you again!

Maleny Celtic Winter School

Before choir term starts, it's time to enjoy the beautiful wintry atmosphere of Maleny, at the seventh Maleny Celtic Winter School. This year I'm teaching a 2-hour singing workshop on the Saturday afternoon, and the songs will be new to the choir. Do come up to lovely Maleny for a sing, and stay on for the ceili on Saturday night at the RSL Club. The ceili is always a wonderful night out for dancers of every age. The band includes most of the tutors, so a huge all-star live band, the entertaining Davydd Macdonald calling the dances, and a great evening for all.

Thanks to Rebecca and Donald.

I would like to thank Rebecca Wright for capably taking on the directing of The Folk Choir while I was away with John and Emma on our Clouded House UK Tour. And I would like to thank the wonderfully supportive Donald McKay for assisting her so well. I'm sure it was a terrific term, and I've asked them to keep conducting the songs they introduced, as I want to enjoy them too!

best wishes

Nicole

Term Two, with the fabulous Rebecca Wright

Hi, Folk Singers all,

This term, Cloudstreet will be touring in the UK, on our "Clouded House" tour as a trio (Nicole Murray, John Thompson and Emma Nixon). While we're away, the wonderful Rebecca Wright will be running The Folk Choir, with support and Scottish songs from Donald McKay.

The term runs from April 16 - June 18, and you are very welcome at any time to come and join in the harmonies and fun. Come and experience Rebecca's nurturing style and great harmony choices, and sing away the encroaching cold weather!

As usual, the choir meets from 7.15 - 8.45pm on Thursday nights at the West Ashgrove Uniting Church Hall downstairs, it's $15 to attend and a cuppa and a welcome are provided.

If you'd like to see where Cloudstreet is touring, visit www.cloudstreet.org.