Cardrona Folk Festival 2011

LES BARKER

STEVE McGLONE

PENINSULA ENVY

BATTERED OLD HAT

2011 marks our 35th year in the same venue – actually the 36th festival as one year we had two. It takes place at the historic Cardrona Hall and surrounding reserve, and runs from Friday 21st to Monday 24th October 2011. This year we have another exciting line up of festival guests including some old favourites who we are always pleased to welcome back to Cardrona. They are:

LES BARKER (England / Wales):

The resurgence of interest in bush poetry around New Zealand started at Cardrona nearly 20 years ago. Since that time our annual poet’s morning has grown to be one of the most popular events on the festival programme. Among the many original poems written and performed every year, there is always a smattering of hilarious stuff written by legendary UK poet Les Barker. We thought it high time we invited the real McCoy to be our main festival guest. Les has been to New Zealand a handful of times and even performed to the locals in the Cardrona Hall twice – but he’s never been at our unique festival and we warmly welcome Les for the weekend. Born and raised in Manchester, Les Barker is an icon on the UK folk scene and writes the most amazing poetry about the most bizarre subjects. Who will ever forget the first time they heard “Have you got any news of the Iceberg,” “Guide Cats for the Blind” or “I’ve lost my Camouflage Net” among the well over one thousand poems that Les has composed. And now since buying a cottage in north Wales and moving there several years ago Les has taught himself Welsh and performs humorous poetry in Welsh at Eistedffods all over Wales. Don’t miss this man, he is amazingly funny, yet writes some very powerful songs that he gets other singers to perform.

STEVE McGLONE (Nelson):

Multi-string-instrumentalist Steve McGlone started life as a classical guitarist and lute player who got drawn into folk music in his early varsity years. Playing guitar, bouzouki, banjo and mandolin, his remarkable versatility is reflected in his musical career, having sung and played in many Irish and European influenced bands. He spent most of 2010 living in Dunedin, and the inspiration of playing with the many fine musicians in the locality culminated in a CD project with these folk titled “New Year’s Resolution.” The album was released at Whare Flat Folk Festival where he was a guest bringing in the new year of 2011. He returned to Nelson in January of this year where he is planning more mad musical exploits! As well as a concert of his own, Steve will be one of the anchors of the ceilidh band on Saturday night.

PENINSULA ENVY (Dunedin / Christchurch):

Imogen Coxhead and Sue Galvin are ever popular participants at folk festivals around the country and under the title of Peninsula Envy are very much sought after. They are nearly always at Cardrona but we have never actually featured them as guests before, so this will be a chance to hear a greater variety of their cheeky, risqué and sometimes slightly naughty material. They don’t even live in the same cities any more, so the songs should be quite fresh and unrehearsed. It’s great to have them.

BATTERED OLD HAT (Dunedin):

Recently I have heard good reports of a new line up at the Dunedin Folk Club, and we are going to squeeze in a short extra concert to feature them. Comprising Denis Gordon, Jean Barkman and Neil Copeland, they sing songs that are very much in the traditional idiom, and especially unaccompanied material.

As always there will be several blackboard concerts, so that all singers and musicians - and children - can let us hear what they can do. And of course no Cardrona festival would be complete without our traditional PERFORMANCE POETS session on Saturday morning. Each year it is getting longer and better and the poetry theme being picked up by more and more festivals around the country. This year is another special one, with Les Barker lending his considerable talents to the event.

By popular request we will again have our unaccompanied harmony session in the wee church on Sunday morning and are hoping to get Battered Old Hat to play a leading part in this and teach us some new songs. We have plenty of space and time for jamming sessions. Remember to bring earplugs if you don’t want to hear music in the small hours – after all, this is a folk music festival, and there is always time for Just One More Chorus.

The cost for a weekend ticket (Friday to Monday) will be $75 for adults; with secondary children at $25 (wee ones are free). Bring everything you need, as all we supply is a flat (and usually dry) paddock, a couple of taps, fine weather and heaps of music and fun. The new luxury toilets are now working perfectly but the historic longdrops have also been recently renovated for festival-goers who suffer from nostalgia or who don’t like queuing! This is a self-catering festival but meals are available, at a price, up the road at the Cardrona Hotel, along with luxury accommodation. The ski chalets next door to the site are now almost fully booked already but there are still a couple of beds left here and at the luxury “townhouses” up past the hotel. Other affordable accommodation is available in Wanaka - 25 kms away, along with a wide choice of restaurants and cafes. Best book now though. Showers are also available at nominal cost at the Wanaka motor camp, so if you go down to top up liquid supplies, take your towel.

Pre-registration is not yet necessary, though if the festival gets any more popular this may have to come one day.

See you there.

Martin Curtis

For further information and bookings contact

Martin & Kay Curtis, 2256 Cardrona Valley Road, RD2, Wanaka 9382

Tel/fax: 03 443 8152.

Email: martincurtis at clear.net.nz (you need to substitute the @ sign, to discourage spammers!)

Website: www.martincurtis.co.nz

Last Updated: 25th September 2011.