hmmm_tea: (Default)
So, having just got back from DERT, 2 week's later, it's probably about time I finished posting about IVFDF

Saturday Workshops

cajun, appellachian and dancing in wheelchairs )

Saturday Evening

Fiddlegang and the Committee Band (briefly) )

Sunday

Salsa, survivors ceilidh and aimless wondering around Exeter )

Overall Summary

It was generally a good festival this year.

If I was going to make one criticism, I would just say it was a shame Richard Mason was chairing again (his 5th time). Although, I'm sure his input must have been very valuable given his experience, it would have somehow been nicer if he'd taken a more backseat advisory role and let someone else have a go. I think one of the best things about IVFDF is how it offers the chance for anyone to gain experience of running it if they're part of a student folk group able to take it on.

Admittedly this will have happened anyway, as there will have been a number of other people on the committee and helping the committee who wouldn't even have been around last time it was in Exeter in 2004 (let alone the other 3 times he's chaired it), but given the size of Exeter FolkSoc, I can't help but feel that there must have been someone else both capable and willing to take on the overall driving seat. Then again, I've really no idea what went on and for all I know they could have twisted Richard Mason's arm into doing it.
hmmm_tea: (Default)
It was generally a good IVFDF this year and involved meeting lots of new people and not being recognised by lots of old ones (it seems having shorter hair is a good disguise), even if it was sandwiched between busy weeks.

They even recognised my fame and put a photo of me in the programme :-)

Friday pre-IVFDF

Being powerless, travelling, exploring Exeter and meeting lots of people )

IVFDF Friday Evening

Kate Rushby, Stomp and late night dancing )
hmmm_tea: (Default)
Booked train tickets to IVFDF this evening (tried yesterday lunchtime and at lunchtime today as well, but the National Reservation system was apparently down).

I booked the Friday of IVFDF off work to avoid the rush hour and to get there in reasonable time for the evening ceilidh. Having a whole day on my hands and wanting to get a cheapish train ticket, I thought I'd go in the morning and have an afternoon exploring Exeter (hardly been there other than changing from train to bus, etc).

Anyone know if there's anything I should particularly make sure I do/see while I'm there?

Tenterden

Oct. 2nd, 2005 06:35 pm
hmmm_tea: (Default)
Just back from Tenterden. Fun informal festival, we could basically go and dance where we liked in the town during the day on Saturday until it was time for the procession in the afternoon.

From what everyone was saying, I think the number of sides at the festival is increasing. Which looking at how busy some of the spots may make the current arrangement unmanagable and may force the festival to arrange the spots for all the sides. Which would in some ways be a shame, but all the same it's good that it's getting more popular.

Some good music there too. Went and saw Ashley Hutchings and his new band The Rainbow Chasers last night. Hadn't heard them before, but was very impressed. They had a nice range of vocal styles and they used this to emphasise the different points in the songs, which was nice. Have CD.

Charity shops in Tenterden were fun. They all fill their window displays with instruments for the festival. Have come back with a small Djembe. It's got quite a good sound to it too. Am Happy.

Have taken it fairly easy with the dancing this weekend as I didn't want to push it too much after the operation, but definitely getting back into dancing now. Am very happy.

Ceilidh was a bit of a disappointment, but it wasn't really a ceilidh festival. As such there weren't many people there, which I think was the main problem with it. It was in a sports hall, so the acoustics were fairly crap too, but then again they hadn't done much to rectify this (crosses fingers to hope that the IVFDF committee will have done enough to sort this out for Cambridge...).

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