Issue 5 7/98
FolkWorld News
Danny Kyle - Gone but not Forgotten
Scotland. Sunday, 5th July 1998, was a sad day for the international folk music scene: Danny Kyle, one of the best known and best loved persons on the Scottish folk music scene, passed away.
He was involved in virtually every good folk festival in Scotland;people chose their festivals just by his name. His popular Open Stages are legendary. He had a great sense of humour, he knew how to get on with people, he always wore the ugliest ties and a bonnie bonnet.
He leaves a gap in the Folk Music World that will hardly ever be filled.
FolkWorld has started a Danny Kyle Corner, to remember and remind, to laugh and talk about Danny. On these pages, we hope to collect nice little stories from Danny's friends and admirers. We need your help to get that site going! Please contribute your Danny-Kyle-story, for that our great friend will not be forgotten!
Visit Danny's Corner at http://www.folkworld.de/danny/!
Danny Kyle - The 7th Isle of Bute International Folk Festival
Scotland. "We are all saddened by the death of the charismatic, entertainer, broadcaster, singer/songwriter, comedian and initiator of many of the festivals in Scotland, Danny Kyle, who passed away Sunday 5th July.
The Isle of Bute Festival would not have happened or continue to happen but for the vision and hard work of Danny. His legacy continues." (Peter Morrison at IoB-FF Comittee)
George Jackson has passed away
Scotland. More sad news from Scotland: George Jackson of Ossian fame has died too. George, brother of Billy, was the leader of Ossian, playing fiddle, mandolin, flute, whistle and guitar. From Scotland but of Irish extraction, George has become a legend of the Scottish music scene. He will not be forgotten.
Advertising...
FolkWorld. Following requests of our readership, it is planned to make advertising in FolkWorld possible.This is on the one hand a service for our readers (as it is not too easy to find the addresses of Folk Music traders etc.), on the other hand this might allow us to compensate the costs to create FolkWorld.
During the next weeks we hope to clear the last questions, and to work out a concept on advertising in FolkWorld. If you are interested, please contact us; we will contact you then as soon as we know more.
New Old Blind Dog
Scotland. The Old Blind Dogs have teamed up with ex-Wolfstone drummer Graeme ( Mop) Youngson as a replacement for Davy Cattanach who left the band last month for health reasons. The band head off for The Highland Festival and Madrid, Spain next week as a starter to a hectic schedule in the forthcoming months which will include Glastonbury, a tour of the US (29th July- 20th August), and tours in Denmark, Holland and Germany.
Richard Wood on Tour
Canada/Europe. Richard Wood (PEI; Canada) tours all over the UK from July 24 to September 5 with his band. Gigs also include the Tonder Festival.
He's back again in November; but still looking for agents to work him in mainland Europe. Infos from Mark Ringwood
A Canadian for Runrig!
Scotland/Canada. It was quite a sensation when the news were announced earlier this month (July): The new Runrig singer (replacing Donnie Munro who went into politics) is a Canadian!
The person who first lifted the secret was Iona Records' Ronnie Simpson in his Iona News on 11th July 1998. Actually he was even earlier with these news than the Runrig fan club and the Runrig e-mailing list - but it seems that this brought him a bit into trouble: The news item was soon replaced - left was only Runrig News ... We told you first!
Nevertheless, as you are interest in this as well and dear Ronnie was first, here is what his news said on 11th of July:
Runrig. The top folk-rock band are due to announce very soon, if not yesterday, that their new singer, taking over from Donnie Munro, is Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Guthro. We told you the Canadians were coming!! The band's first gig with the new line-up will be at Tonder Festival in Denmark on 27th August, 1998. We told you first!!!
FolkWorld will be at Runrig's first gig with the new singer; and we will tell you what we think about him!
Foreigner's tax
Germany. Still a theme for the German scene is, sadly enough, the German tax on foreign performers; and so it is also theme in FolkWorld. This time, there is a comment by a German based Royal Air Force Veteran who thinks that the name Foreigner's Tax is not good, and a comment by German agent Gaby Hellmond giving a few advices how to avoid parts of the tax. Find out more in our columns!
TMSA Online
Scotland. News from the Traditional Music and Song Association (TMSA): TMSA now has a web
page; you can find it at http://www.tmsa.demon.co.uk/tmsa/home/tmsa.html There is only basic information about the organisation but the page will be developed to include other information in the coming months.
Hurdy-Gurdy Festival in the US
USA. If you're into hurdy-gurdies or French music and dance, you'll want to mark your calendar for
this festival, which features in-depth instruction in hurdy-gurdy playing techniques, a
concert by two world-class performers, and workshops on early music, amplification, French
and Breton dance, and more. It takes place on Marrowstone Island (in the Puget Sound near Seattle) from
Sept. 23-27.
The festival is jointly sponsored by the Over The Water Hurdy Gurdy Association and the
Seattle Folklore Society, and includes "Voulez-fous danser?", a special weekend dance event
with instruction in French and Breton dance by Ray Price and Shelly D'Amour and a Saturday
night dance with live music (expect lots of hurdy-gurdies!).
Hurdy-gurdy teachers will include Pierre Imbert, well known for his work with the French folk
bands Lo Jai and Ad Vielle Que Pourra; Marcello Bono, a specialist in Baroque music from
Bologna, Italy who plays with Ensemble Discordia; Catherine Keenan of the Toronto band Vielle
a rouse; R.T. Taylor from California; Anna Peekstok of the eclectic folk band Telynor; Alden
and Cali Hackmann of Olympic Musical Instruments; and Joanne Andrus of the early music group
For more information about the festival, contact Joanne Andrus (or
253-838-2045) or visit the Over The Water website. For
details on the dance weekend, contact Chris Wright (or 206-633-1026).
Photo: The Hurdy Gurdy of Elke Rogge, of German folk rock band Hoelderlin Express; Photo by The Mollis
Deutschfolk - German traditions
At the moment we are trying to discover our living German traditions - which bands are playing German music, is the German bagpipe used in todays folk scene, etc. Read about the first results in the editors colum.
News from our contributors
Germany. FolkWorld's contributor Marcus Metz' band Hibernians have just released their new album. The Hibernians play - as the name already says - Irish (acoustic) folk music; the album is a live recording. It's good actually! (and reviewed in the German CD reviews)
Four Mollys on Blooms Day
Germany. On Blooms Day, the Wuppertal based German-Irish band The Molly Blooms
has grown to a four piece band. Ann-Marie, Anke and Ariane (photo; by The Mollis) are now
joined by guitarist Antje, making them to an all-female ,A-Team'. This
was celebrated at a Blooms Evening on 20th of June in the Wuppertal
scene pub Café Morgenrot.
The Molly Blooms were introduced in Issue 3.
Harp Workshops in a German Castle
Germany. The '3. Keltische Harfentage' (3rd Celtic Harp Days) will be held from
30th September to 4th of October in 'Schloss Burg an der Wupper', a
small German village with a huge castle in beautiful scenery (quite
near to Cologne). There will be a lot of different workshops and
intensive courses by famous harpers, concerts, sessions, a ceilidh
evening, a harp makers exhibition, etc. The tutors 1998 include
Siobhan Armstrong (Ireland), Bill Taylor (Scotland), Robin Huw Bowen
(Wales), Tom Daun, Jochen Vogel and Silvia Reiss & Christoph Pampuch
(all from Germany). The 'harp days' will be held at a nice and
friendly youth hostel (where the participators will stay for this
weekend). For the four days you have to pay 480 DM per person (all
workshops, accomodation and cartering, the final concert are
inclusive). More information and booking: Petra Cichy, Kaltenherberg
48, D-51399 Burscheid, tel./fax +49 2174 785343, e-mail
Celtic Halloween in Germany
Germany. This year's "The Celtic New Year Celebration" tour organised by Petr
Pandula's Magnetic Music might become the best ever. At the moment the
tour is planned to feature Ireland's Steve Cooney & Seamus Begley
(tbc), Ross Kennedy's & Gavin Pennycook's Band Kanterach (Scotland)
and one of the best live bands around, Barachois (photo; by The Mollis) from Prince Edward
Island, Canada. What a line-up to celebrate the 'new year', on tour
between 22.10. and 03.11.1998. Homepage
Iron Horse - New Look
Scotland. The Iron Horse, Scotland's fine Folk Rock Band, have had a change in line-up. Two musicians who have been up to now central in the Horse's sound have left the band: Rod Paul on bouzouki and other string instruments and his wife Lynn Morrison on keys and vocals.
Replacements are (already for quite a long time in the band) Brian McAlpine (keys, accordion) and new member Roy Marchbank on guitars.
Fringe '98 at The Tron
Scotland. The Tron Ceilidh House, Edinburgh's premier daily folk venue, is hosting a Scots song
festival within this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. Promoters Rockville Music
are putting on 16 nights of song covering life, love, work and play, old and not so old,
from a wide tract of Scotland.
"Song tends to take a back seat at these major showcases, and we want to put that right,"
said Rockville director Rob Stokes. "The Songs of Scotland series came out of talks we had 18 months ago about the potential for
a small- town festival majoring on song. We have been too busy to take it forward, but
thought the Fringe was an ideal opportunity to test the reaction of local and visiting
audiences, both lay and knowledgeable, to a range of material and styles." Tom Speirs &
Arthur Watson, two former members of the mighty Gaugers with the late Peter Hall, sing
fiddle and whistle their way through the rich tradition of Aberdeen and its northeast
Scotland hinterland (Aug 9,10,11). Jim Reid, ex-frontman with the legendary Foundry Bar Band
presents songs from Perthshire, Dundee, and Angus with a bit of Fife thrown in (Aug
12,13,14,18). Mackenzie, a trio of glorious Gaelic voices, including Fiona Mackenzie of the
band Seelyhoo and her sisters, salute the distinctive tradition of Scotland's Gaels with
material from their stunning new album(Aug 15,16,17). Adam McNaughton, Glasgow's master
wordsmith, entertains and delights with witty songs and anecdotes of his native city in times
gone by and the more recent past (Aug 19,20,21). Brian McNeill, former Battlefield Band man,
sings songs about the experiences of the emigrant Scots, peppered with numbers from his
upcoming fiddle album (Aug 22,23,24). All acts are 5 Pounds (4 Pounds) and start at 8pm. Telephone
bookings via the Fringe Box Office on +44-131-226-5138 from June 22. Tickets are also
available on the door but may be limited, so booking is advised.
Info from director Rob Stokes
Photo: Session in the Tron; with Simon Thoumire, Wrigley Sisters, Luke Daniels etc.; Photo by The Mollis.
Scottish News
Scotland. Yes, we know - this time we are having about 90 % of all news on the Scottish scene. Whatever resons, but it seems that there is happening a lot in Scotland right now...
In the German news you can find as additional news:
To the (older) FolkWorld News of Nr. 4
To the (newer) FolkWorld News of Nr. 6
To the content of FolkWorld online music magazines Nr. 5
© The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld; Published 7/98
All material published in FolkWorld is © The Author via FolkWorld. Storage for private use is allowed and welcome. Reviews and extracts of up to 200 words may be freely quoted and reproduced, if source and author are acknowledged. For any other reproduction please ask the Editors for permission.
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