Back to St Albans Folk Music
Programme of St Albans Folk at the Festival June 20-July 7 2008
Friday June 20
7.45-10.00pm Marlborough Road Methodist Church Hall, Marlborough Road AL1 3XG Friday Folk Social Dance Club. Folk dancing for all. If you enjoy a lively barn dance, you'll find that Friday Folk offers a great way to meet people and have fun. Newcomers are always welcome and there's no need to bring a partner. £2.00 on door
Sunday June 22
12 noon-7.00pm Six Bells, 16-18 St Michael's Street AL3 4SH Six Bells Music Day. A hugely popular event on the pub terrace with seven  hours of great music in diverse styles, ranging from traditional and contemporary folk to Cuban.  Free
Tuesday June 24
8.00pm Elephant and Castle,  Amwell near Wheathampstead Wicket Brood Morris. Enjoy high energy border morris on a summer’s evening on the green outside the Elephant and Castle  Free, collection
Wednesday June 25
9.00-11.00pm White Lion, Sopwell Lane AL1 1RN Sessions @ the White Lion. All welcome to play, sing or listen. Free
Thursday June 26
8.15-11.15pm The Cricketers, Redbourn Common AL3 7ND Redbourn Folk Club. Open stage. Local and visiting singers/musicians and poets perform in a relaxed, friendly environment to an appreciative audience.  Folk, blues, jazz and contemporary music are often featured and enjoyed. £2.00 on door
9.00-11.00pm The Rose and Crown, 10 St Michael's Street AL3 4SG Traditional music session. An informal evening of mainly English and Irish music. All welcome to play, sing or listen. Free
Friday June 27
8.00pm Redbourn Village Hall, 63 The High Street, Redbourn AL3 7LW Zoox. A superb trio serving up a cocktail of new melodies and traditional tunes with a delicate balance of strings, wind and percussion.  Exciting arrangements, great musicianship and infectious energy typify their performances in a show which is guaranteed to entertain and enchant.  Presented and supported by Redbourn Folk Club. £8, £5 concs in advance from Redbourn Folk Club or Festival Box Office. £10, £7 concs on door.
7.45-10.00pm Marlborough Road Methodist Church Hall, Marlborough Road, AL1 3XG Friday Folk Social Dance Club. Folk dancing for all with Bob Barrett and Friday Folk Band £2.00 on door
Saturday June 28
10.30am-5.00pm  St Albans City Centre Festival parade and Day of Dance. Festival procession through the City Centre with the Abbey puppets and traditional dancing, including guests Trachtengruppe Kussnacht from Rigi, Switzerland, followed by a massed display of dancing in the High Street. The dancing will then continue all day near the Alban Arena, by the Clock Tower, in the Maltings and Christopher Place shopping centres and outside the Abbey, finishing at the Fighting Cocks. Free, with collections taken.
7.45-11.30pm Alban Arena, Civic Centre AL1 3LD Festival ceilidh with the Committee Band, caller Nick Walden. The barn storming Committee Band is a top choice for festivals around the country. Its powerful sound is produced by ten musicians playing instruments ranging from Jew’s harp to melodeons, fiddle and saxophone.  With caller Nick Walden to explain the dances, they will provide a great night of dancing for all.. No experience is necessary and families are welcome. £9.00, £7.00 concessions from Festival Box Office, 01727 844488 or on the door.
Sunday June 29
10.00am-4.00pm Maltings Arts Theatre, The Maltings AL1 3HL Music and singing workshops
10.00-12.00 Playing in sessions. Jan Strapp and Kate Rouse
10.30-12.00 Harp tunes for non-harpists. Steph West
2.30-4.00pm Singing folk songs. Steph West
£10.00, £5.00 concessions per workshop. 01727 844222 or on the door
12 noon The Boot, 4 Market Place AL3 5DG Traditional music session. An informal session of mainly English and Irish music. All welcome to play, sing or listen. Free
2.00-4.00pm Marlborough Road Methodist Church Hall,  Dance workshop
Dance through the centuries. Mike Ruff
£5.00, family ticket £10.00. Festival Box Office 01727 844488 or on the door
4.30-5.30pm Maltings Arts Theatre, The Maltings AL1 3HL Meet the artist, Steph West, celtic harpist. An hour with Steph West who plays the clarsach or celtic harp, one of the oldest instruments in the British Isles.  She will talk about the harp and her approach to it, illustrating her talk by playing and singing Celtic and English traditional music and songs. £5.00 01727 844222 or on door.
7.30pm Maltings Arts Theatre, The Maltings AL1 3HL Festival concert with New Rope String Band plus New Roots finalist Kate Holland.Pete Challoner and Tim Dalling have joined forces with Jock Tyldesley and Vera van Heeringen and they are taking off from where the Old Ropes sadly stopped. They play a big assortment of things and all sorts of hoedown pan-celtic old-timey up-beat down-home music. All this is combined with bizarre physical nonsense and clowning about and singing and dancing. The sheer visualosity and laughableness of the New Rope String Band, plus the amount of interesting things will bring pleasure to absolutely almost everyone.  £12.00, £10.00 concessions 01727 844222 or on the door
Monday June 30
8.15pm
9.15pm
Lower Red Lion, Fishpool St
Farmers Boy, London Road
St Albans Morris Men. Cotswold Morris dancing Free, collection
Tuesday July 1
8.30pm The King Harry, 2 King Harry Lane, AL3 4BL Run of the Mill. An informal singaround, with traditional and contemporary folk songs. Free
Wednesday July 2
8.00-11.00pm St Michael's Street St Michael's Street Folk Evening. An evening of traditional dancing in the street and music ranging from traditional to contemporary in the four pubs Free
Thursday July 3
8.15-11.15pm The Cricketers, Redbourn Common AL3 7ND Redbourn Folk Club. Open stage. Local and visiting singers/musicians and poets perform in a relaxed, friendly environment to an appreciative audience.  Folk, blues, jazz and contemporary music are often featured and enjoyed. £2.00 on door
9.00-11.00pm The Rose and Crown, 10 St Michael's Street AL3 4SG Traditional music session. An informal evening of mainly English and Irish music. All welcome to play, sing or listen. Free
Friday July 4
7.45-10.00pm Marlborough Road Methodist Church Hall, Marlborough Road, AL1 3XG Friday Folk Social Dance Club. Contra dancing with Adam Hughes and Stick Shift £4.00
After July 7
8.15-11.15pm The Cricketers, Redbourn Common AL3 7ND Tom Bliss at Redbourn Folk Club. Multi instrumentalist of exceptional skill who appeals to both traditionalists and modernists.  He is also a fine singer and storyteller.  £7.00 on door