72 - Devon Folk

Springwassprung-songswere sung !Singin' Spring Day, March 29th 2003Over a year in the planning, so many different strands to bring together, a host of differentorganisations and individuals to liaise with, an untried format in anew venue -the potential forhiccups didn't bear thinking about. It was acredit to all those involved in whatever capacity that onthe day everything seemed to run so smoothly. even the sun shined !Aheartfelt thanks from me toeveryone who helped to make it aday to remember !The folk song enthusiasts were welcomed at the Memorial Hall with coffee &avariety of stallorganised in aid of Church funds (There's acoffee morning every Saturday in Morchard Bishop !)before attending the first session of workshops in the Hall and Church Rooms. The local P.T.A. laidon light lunches &the bar, whilst further refreshment and asingaround was on offer at the pub. Twoafternoon workshop sessions followed, with aperformance by the children's choir during the teabreak . The London Inn lived up to its reputation for good, plentiful food with its highly efficientserving of some 60 pre-ordered meals between 6pm (the end of the workshops) and 7.30 pm.The participatory workshops on choruses, song technique, songwriting, collecting, songs of Devon,folk on the internet and West Gallery were of high quality and well-supported, thanks to theirleaders, Sarah Morgan, Jacquie &Bob Patten, Lucy Burrow, Roger Bryant, Bill Murray &AlanWeeks. The evening concert, nevertheless, was something really special; the whole audience quicklywarmed to the New Scorpion Band and the hall was filled with singing from the first chorus. Thosethat still had avoice after the concert managed to catch the end of the singaround in the pub skittlealley, hosted by the Pennymoor singers.Are we doing it again next year ? Ithink we'll rest on our laurels for then but perhaps in 2005 ?ColinAndrewsAbove, left:West Gallery workshopwith AlanWeeks.Above, right:New Scorpion Bandin concertBottom, right:Children's choirwith Jacqui Patten&Alison Jones12PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com