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2015 Song and Tune Writing Awards Winners

Song and Tune Writing Awards

Thanks to all those who participated in writing and submitting your songs and tunes for this year’s FFT Song and Tune awards.  We were fortunate to have a wonderful concert featuring those who could make the event last night.  Just to let you know the outcome  for 2015.

  • Song winner was Conn O’Neill and Stephen Bourke with “Men of the Derwent”
  • Runner up was Jane Germain with – “Living on the Edge” and
  • Encouragement award went to Anthony Aylward – for “The Little Pit Pony”
  • Tune writing prize was to Emily Wolfe for “The World of Beatrix Potter”
  • People’s Choice award on the night went to Conn O’Neill

Once again I would like to congratulate the winners but thank everyone for your participation and hope you are sharpening up your pencils for another crack at it next year….keep in touch with the Folk Federation of Tasmania – and look out for details on the website – folktas.org

 

Thanks, Peter – October 2015

2015 FolkTas Grant Awarded

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FolkTas Grants Announced, August 2015

Well, the Folk Federation of Tasmania committee has made a song and dance about the FolkTas Grant and is pleased to announce that the Folk Tas Grant has been awarded to two quality applicants! Both projects will support and enhance our folk community, but in different ways.

The Folk Federation is proud to give support to the Ethereal Ensemble’s book of Tasmanian original music, poetry and images inspired by Tasmania’s natural world. This unique and affordable book will have a wide appeal for Tasmanians and has the potential to reach beyond, with its easy to read music scores, elegant colour images and beautiful poetry.

The committee was privy to seeing some examples of the work to be included and believe that the book will be a long lasting resource which will bring people together to play the music and still hold appeal to others with its poetry and images. The committee is very much looking forward to seeing the final product early next year. The book will be launched at a special Ethereal Ensemble concert and details will be posted as they come to hand or see www.etherealensemble.com

The other successful applicant is the Harp Society of Tasmania with an equally inspiring, but different project of folk fusion into the wider community. The Harp Society will run a free weekend of all things harp; open to the general public and held in Spring 2015. Westbury has been chosen as it is central, particularly to those in the north of the state, and is home to one of the Harp groups. Proposed are free teaching sessions, introductions to regional harp groups, a harp healing workshop, showcases of local harp makers and performers and possibly some catering.

On the Saturday evening, there will be a fundraising concert featuring the Tasmanian Harp Ensemble who will present a repertoire of Tasmanian traditional tunes at the Westbury Hall. The fundraising goes towards their trip to France in May next year to present these Tasmanian tunes at a harp festival. Further details will be posted on the FolkTas email list or contact Jenny Smith…

2014 Song and Tune Writing Awards Winners

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2014 SONG AND TUNE WRITING AWARD WINNERS

“for an original song or tune in traditional or contemporary folk style”

Just a quick follow up and announcement of winners of this year’s FFT Song competition and concert, at Wesley Hall in Hobart.

Mike Silverwood Memorial Award for the best song awarded to David Beniuk for “Never Rains”
Tune Award to Cate Foley-Burke for “Icing on the Strings”
and u-19 award to members of BEX – Brianna Waldon, Emily House and Alex Cooney for “Hold Your Ground”
People’s choice award went to Annwen and Marshall Roberts.
It was a fabulous concert with great variety and all the acts keenly listened to by a very appreciative audience.
Thanks to everyone who helped out and looking forward to doing it all again in 2015.

2015 Song and Tune Writing Awards

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  • “for an original song or tune in traditional or contemporary folk style”

    • See entry form: Folk Federation of Tas Song Writing Awards entry form 2015
    • These awards are made to encourage creative music writing in Tasmania.
    • An independent panel of judges will announce the major awards at a concert on Saturday 24th October
    • The concert will feature the finalists. The judge’s decision will be made before the night but not announced until during the concert. A People’s Choice award will be decided on the night.

    There are three categories, plus a Peoples’ Choice on the night of the concert 

    • Mike Silverwood Memorial Song Writing Award 1st $150
    • Instrumental Award 1st $150
    • Under 19 Song or Instrumental Award 1st $150
    • People’s Choice Award 1st $50

    Entries to be submitted by Saturday 26th September 2015

    Further information: ring Peter on 0409 216 752

2013 Song and Tune Writing Award Winners

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2013 SONG AND TUNE WRITING AWARD WINNERS

“for an original song or tune in traditional or contemporary folk style”

A big thank you to all the entrants, participants, supporters, judges, hosts etc for another successful Folk Federation of Tasmania Mike Silverwood Memorial Songwriters Award, writes Peter Hicks.

Report on Songwriter’s Concert Brookfield Margate 2013

 

On Saturday Nov 16th I had the privilege of hosting  terrific collection of songwriters and instrumentalists who on hand to display their turn of phrase and creativity.  We were also bidding farewell to a fantastic centre of folk in southern Tasmania – the Brookfield, Margate.

 

A great mood was created by members of Ethereal who performed a short bracket including two pieces which were submitted as part of the competition.  The blend of harps, brass wind and didgeridoo is unique and this act deserves all the accolades they have coming to them .  Look out for their new CD coming soon.  Their tune Morning Delta was judged  winner of the tune award which has been renamed the Helen Lindsay award in honour of the enormous amount of effort Helen has put in to the folk scene over the past decade.

Marty Spurway-Smith launched the singer songwriters with a great bracket including Song for a Single Father  which was judged as the best song for 2013 by our Northern judging panel of Beth Sowter and Patrick Gambles.  It was a good choice although the performances from all acts was testament to the fact that any of the songwriting acts could have been winners on the night.  Rory Campbell gave us a treat with a bracket consisting of the songs he submitted and a more jolly piece – The Banana Song which had many audience members in tears – with laughter.

 

Anna Hebblewhite performed her thought provoking reflective pieces with amazing poise and her beautiful piano playing and singing had the crowd hushed.  Also thrilling was young Finn Clarke who announced he had only started playing piano in April and proceeded to perform three original pieces with great confidence and flair.  Shaun Pearce was accompanied by Graeme Ewing and as usual played a bracket including his entry on the Mt Lyell mining disaster which was an epic in the best sense of the word.

 

A thrilled audience cast their votes and waited while the organisers went to count the tally. Steve Gadd and Emily Wolfe entertained with original and traditional tunes.  The vote for People’s Choice went to the wire with two performers polling equally and voting went to preferences. But there could only be one winner and Finn Clarke walked away a worthy winner.   We are all looking forward to next year’s competition but it will be hard to find a venue that could match the atmospheric surrounds of the Brookfield.

 

The winners were:

FFT Song Comp winner:  Marty Spurway-Smith for song “Song for a Single Father”

Tune Award:  Winner: Ethereal for tune “Morning Delta”

u-19 winner:  Beatrice Harrison-Day for tune: “Music Teacher”

People’s choice: Finn Clarke

Commendation:  Marc Smith for song “Leaving the Land”

Commendation to :  Matthew Dames for song “Piano Girl”

2014 Song and Tune Writing Awards

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  •  VENUE UPDATE

    Due to the Night Owl Music Bar being closed, the Awards Concert will be held at The Wesley Hall (upstairs), Melville Street, Hobart (next to the multi-storey car-park). The concert will still be starting at 7:30 and will still have the same fantastic artists! We won’t have a liquor licence but some refreshments will be available or BYO nibbles etc. and make it a really cosy night.

    2014 FFT Song and Tune Writing Awards

     

    “for an original song or tune in traditional or contemporary folk style”

    • See entry form: Folk Federation of Tas Song Writing award entry form 2014
    • These awards are made to encourage creative music writing in Tasmania.
    • An independent panel of judges will announce the major awards at a concert at the Night Owl Music Bar, Liverpool St,  Wesley Hall, Melville Street, Hobart on Saturday 1st November, 7:30-9:30
    • The concert will feature the finalists. The judge’s decision will be made before the night but not announced until during the concert. A People’s Choice award will be decided on the night.

    There are three categories, plus a Peoples’ Choice on the night of the concert 

    • Mike Silverwood Memorial Song Writing Award 1st $150
    • Instrumental Award 1st $150
    • Under 19 Song or Instrumental Award 1st $150
    • People’s Choice Award 1st $50

    Entries to be submitted by Saturday 27th September 2014

    Further information: ring Peter on 0409 216 752

     

2013 Song and Tune Writing Awards

Song and Tune Writing Awards

“for an original song or tune in traditional or contemporary folk style”

  • These awards are made to encourage creative music writing in Tasmania.
  • An independent panel of judges will announce the major awards at a concert at Brookfield Margate on Saturday 16th November, time 7:00pm
  • The concert will feature all acts that have submitted applications and wish to perform. The judge’s decision will be made before the night but not announced until during the concert. A People’s Choice award will be decided on the night.

There are three categories, plus a Peoples’ Choice on the night of the concert 

  • Mike Silverwood Memorial Song Writing Award 1st $150
  • Instrumental Award 1st $150
  • Under 19 Song or Instrumental Award 1st $150
  • People’s Choice Award 1st $50

Eligible songs and tunes must be composed by a resident of Tasmania and must not have been entered in any other competition. They should be suitable for performance at the live concert. A composer can select a performer of their choice.
Entries to be submitted by Friday 20th September 2013 either:

  • on a CD, clearly showing the name of the entry, with name, address, and telephone number, to Peter Hicks, 1123 Pelverata Rd, Pelverata Tas 7150. Please include two copies of the song lyrics (without the artist’s name on them).
  • by email of mp3 file plus wordprocessed/txt documents of lyrics (don’t include artist’s name on song lyrics). Send to peterhickstas@hotmail.com.

Entries will be judged on the submitted recording only. Please indicate if performer is not the composer.
Tasmanian themes are strongly encouraged. There is a preference for simple arrangements – e.g., one guitar/instrument plus vocal.

Entry fee is $10 per piece, free if current member of FFT. Payment by cheque or by direct transfer to BSB: 633 000, Acct: 149 267 056, Name: Folk Federation of Tasmania, Bank: Bendigo with a description/memo of your surname and an email to peterhickstas@hotmail.com confirming payment.

Limit of 2 pieces per category.
Judges’ decisions will be final and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into.
Judging criteria is that the song or tune fits comfortably into the “folk genre”. Generally this means acoustic pieces – but special consideration will be given to whether or not the song or tune fits into the “tradition of folk music” be that Celtic, Balkan, Anglo, American or good old Australian styles.

Further information: ring Peter on 0409 216 752

2012 Song and Tune Writing Award Winners

Song and Tune Writing Awards

2012 SONG AND TUNE WRITING AWARD WINNERS

“for an original song or tune in traditional or contemporary folk style”

A BIG thank you to all the entrants, participants, supporters, judges, hosts etc for another successful Folk Federation of Tasmania Mike Silverwood Memorial Songwriters Award, writes Peter Hicks.

There were so many great entrants – over 20 beautiful and thought provoking songs….and there can only be one winner (well three in fact….)

Mike Silverwood Memorial Song Writing Award $150

Patrick Gambles:   All Along The DayPatrick Gambles

Instrumental Award $150

Paddy Riley:    Minor Changes

Under 19 song or instrumental Award $150

Josephine Parker: Two birds One Stone

People’s Choice Peoples Choice Award $50

Patrick Gambles

The judges gave a special mention to Shaun Pearce for his “chain gang”

Mike Silverwood, whose is commemoriated in the name of the major award, was a folky from northern Tasmania who worked a lot with youth in the criminal justice section.

He was also the piano accordion player with the top northern band Rough Bark, who played for dances, concerts, benefits and rallies. They were fantastic.
He wrote quirky songs and tunes, had a great sense of humour. At a session with the Chieftains in Launceston Matt Molloy famously asked who the chap was with the epileptic caterpillar, which adequately describes Mike’s individual accordion playing.

He was also a regular contributor to folk events as a musician/singer in the north.

These awards are made to encourage creative music writing in Tasmania.

  • An independent panel of judges  announced the major awards at a concert
    Friday 16th November 2012 at Brookfield Margate
  • The concert featured the finalists.

Judging criteria was that the song or tune fit comfortably into the “folk genre”.  Generally this means acoustic pieces – but special consideration was be given to whether or not the song fits into the “tradition of folk song” be that Celtic, Balkan, Anglo, American or good old Australian styles.