Category Archives: Singing

2024 FolkTas Grant Awarded

Concerts, Music, Singing

At its August meeting the Folk Federation Committee assessed the applications for the 2024 FolkTas Grant. It was decided that for 2024 grants would be awarded to two strong applicants.

  • Flinders Singers, a community choir on Flinders Island, to enable them to offer a Youth Scholarship for the Flinders Island Singing Camp in November/December 2024. It is envisaged that the scholarship will be offered to an aspiring singing leader, aged between 13 and 30 and living in Tasmania, to attend the ‘Singing Leading’ arm of the camp facilitated by Fay White, a highly acclaimed Australian singer, songwriter and community singing facilitator.

The committee is delighted to support the transmission of skills, knowledge and passion for community music from one generation to the next and look forward to hearing about the choice of recipient.

  • Kentish Harp Combo, a group running children’s Harp and Ukulele ensemble activities in Sheffield, to support them running a children’s workshop in March 2025 with harpist Heather Downie, Principal Scottish Harp tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and an internationally renowned music/harp educator, to inspire and further encourage their young players.

The committee is extremely pleased to support this opportunity for young people to participate in such a learning opportunity with a world renowned and highly qualified harp teacher.

Best wishes to both groups for their very worthwhile community folk projects and we look forward to hearing about their progress and fulfillment.

We would like to give a huge thanks to all the applicants and to you, our Folk Federation members, who enabled this to happen.

We would like to give a huge thanks to all the applicants and to you, our Folk Federation members, who enabled this to happen.

The Folk Federation Committee

2023 FolkTas Grant Awarded

Dancing, Music, Singing

The Folk Federation Committee has decided to award the 2023 Folk Tas Grant to Kate Fraser and The Kentish Harp Combo. Kate is a folk musician who plays celtic harp, fiddle, whistle, ukulele and djembe. The grant money will assist the Kentish Harp Combo run children’s Harp and Ukulele Holiday and term time ensemble activities, adult beginner harp classes, weekend workshops and care home activities. The first workshops for children will be held from 15th – 19th January 2024 at the Sheffield Town Hall with the intention of having the children’s group perform at the adult harp weekend’s Sunday afternoon concert. From February 2024 the group intend to run ongoing children’s ensemble classes, beginner adult classes and weekend workshops in Kentish and use harps and ukuleles in local care homes.

The committee look forward to hearing about the progress of all these activities and are very happy to support folk music development in the Kentish municipality.

We would like to give a huge thanks to all the applicants and to you, our Folk Federation members, who enabled this to happen.

The Folk Federation Committee

2022 FolkTas Grant Awarded

Dancing, Music, Singing

The Folk Federation Committee is happy to announce that the 2022 FolkTas Grant has been awarded to The Unknown, a band made-up of teenagers Fergus and Reuben Page-Brown, Callum Waller and Charlie Wilkinson. The Unknown wish to use the grant to record and mix their original song “Open Your Eyes”, which was written for the 2019 School Strike for Climate rally and first performed at that rally.

The Unknown also plan to create a music video using their own funds, which they want to use to gain publicity for the song’s message that action must be taken on climate change. The Folk Federation Committee felt that this fitted in well with our signing of the Music Declares Emergency declaration and felt it is a message we also want to promote. We were also pleased to be able to support some very young musicians.

The Committee also decided to award a smaller supplementary grant to another worthy applicant, Isabel Rumble. She has just recorded her debut album and will put the supplementary grant money towards printing the CDs.

We wish best of luck to The Unknown and Isabel Rumble!

We would like to give a huge thanks to all the applicants and to you, our Folk Federation members, who enabled this to happen.

Thanks,

The Folk Federation Committee

2021 FolkTas Grant Awarded

Dancing, Music, Singing

It’s a happy time for the Folk Federation and three lucky Folk Grant recipients.

At its August meeting, the Folk Federation Committee assessed the applications we had received for the 2021 Folk Grant. We found three strong applications that we really liked.

Our Treasurer reports that the Folk Federation’s finances are doing well at the moment due to more people taking out memberships than did last financial year.  Therefore, since we could afford to this year, we decided to award the $500 grant to multiple applicants.

We are therefore happy to report that the Folk Grant 2021 has been awarded three times!

  • ●        Louise Conroy, who is running a bush dance at Deloraine Little Theatre at 7:30pm on 2nd October 2021 and three workshops that afternoon in dance calling, dance tunes and Ceili band accompaniment and rhythm. Lou wants to encourage the development of folk events and folk skills in the north of the state, and workshop participants will get the chance to try the skills they learned in the afternoon at the bush dance in the evening.
  • The Stranded Wailers, a sea shanty singing group who will perform at the Verandah Music Festival in Evandale on 27th and 28th November 2021. They will use the grant to fund songbooks to get the crowd singing and to subsidise accommodation so that as many of their members as possible can attend.
  • Ross Smithard, who is recording a dual CD album: one CD of original tunes he has written, and one of old time blues songs and tunes. Ross will use the grant to help pay for recording, CD production and to pay local musicians who will play with Ross on the recording.

We would like to give a huge thanks to all the applicants and to you, our Folk Federation members, who enabled this to happen.

2020 FolkTas Grant Awarded

Music, Singing

2020 FolkTas Grant Award

The 2020 FolkTas grant was awarded John Hickey to develop a themed concert, “Recalling Young Irelanders”, that will entertain and inform audiences about the Young Irelanders who were exiled in Van Diemen’s Land.

The key elements to the proposal are:

  1. Development of a script that includes relevant music (mainly tunes and songs from
    the 19th century) and an entertaining, and historically accurate, narrative. This will
    include pertinent quotes from documented writings of the exiles. The concert will
    have a length of about one hour.
  2. Rehearsals with selected performers and revision of the script, and music, as
    needed.
  3. Completion of the script, and of a double-sided A4 handout that summarises the
    story of the Young Irelanders in Tasmania, and of musical items from the concert.
    Two forms of the themed concert are envisaged:
    1. A larger form that would include multiple performers (up to 6) who could deliver
      the concert at potential locations like the Cygnet Folk Festival and Westbury’s St
      Patrick’s Day Festival.
    2. A compact form with 2-3 performers, that could travel more easily and deliver the
      concert at events such as the National Folk Festival and the National Celtic Festival,
      and perhaps to non-conventional venues such as at the Port Arthur Historic Site.

2019 Song and Tune Writing Awards Winners

Music, Singing, Song and Tune Writing Awards

Tassie Composers Hit the Right Notes at Awards Night

(Article from the Folk Federation’s Drumbeat magazine, December 2019)

Saturday November 2nd saw the Kunanyi Folk Club host the FFT’s Song & Tune Writing Awards Concert. The deadline for the Awards had been a month previous and the judges had been busily listening and cogitating. A last minute flurry of entrants from the Youth Songmaking Sessions meant that the Under 19s category was better represented than it had been in some years. All entrants to the Awards (as is always the case) were invited to perform at the concert. It was great to see the Under 19s performing in such an intimate venue. David Beniuk, a previous winner, current judge and also co-organiser of the Kunanyi Folk Club tells us more:
“Huon Valley singer/songwriter Anne Toner has taken out the prestigious Mike Silverwood Award at the Folk Federation of Tasmania’s 2019 Song and Tune Writing Awards.
Anne took out the top prize for her piano-driven, gospel-inspired composition Someday Soon. Performed with vocalist/guitarist Tiffany Eckhardt, the song of the year winner was among a host of highlights at this year’s awards.
The tune-writing award went to duo Yyan and Emily for their sophisticated and beautiful composition Brown Mountain.
But perhaps the most hotly contested category in 2019 was the under-19s award.
With a record number of entries in the youth category, the two prizes on offer were won by Alex Buktenica for Higher Ground, and Molly and Isaac for Falling.
To cap off a great night for the future of Tasmanian folk, the People’s Choice Award was won by another under-19 entry, Eve and Amelia for their astronomy-inspired song Kepler.
It was a fitting end to a night kicked off with the folk-rock rhythms and urgent lyrics of future stars The Unknown.
And after a host of stirring performances from this year’s entrants, the night was closed out with a set from internationally renowned North West blueswoman Chris O.
Prizemoney totalling $1000 was awarded across the four categories.
The songwriter of the year is each year awarded the prestigious Mike Silverwood Award, named after the legendary Deloraine accordionist when the competition was revived in 1996.
The awards night was hosted by the Kunanyi Folk Club, established in June this year in partnership with the FFT, for the first time.” — David Beniuk

The committee are very grateful to the organisers of the KFC for hosting the concert. We congratulate and thank all entrants for the time and talent they spent creating their entries. Once again the Peoples’ Choice category proved that the evening provided something for everyone with the voting being nicely spread across all entrants and categories.
The Song & Tune Writing Awards are an annual event open to all Tasmanian composers of original tunes or songs in a folk style. The spirit is one of encouragement rather than competition, so be brave in 2020 when the event comes around again!!

2018 FolkTas Grant Awarded

Music, Singing

2018 FolkTas Grant Award

The 2018 FolkTas grant was awarded to Wolfe and Thorn for their project on recording and promotion of maritime and other traditional Tasmanian music in collaboration with the Maritime Museum.

The project aims to

a) Create a recording of traditional Tasmanian music of various periods in the history of Hobart.  These would include a large selection of sea shanties and songs that would have been heard & sung by those who came to Hobart by sea.  We would also include songs written by residents of Hobart and Tasmania, including Alexander Laing and various indigenous groups that contributed to the body of heritage music we now enjoy.

b) Perform a concert in the stunning acoustics of the upstairs gallery of the Maritime Museum.

Roguery English Country Dance and Music Weekend

Concerts, Dancing, Music, Singing

Including the Rogue’s Ball

Fri 26th-Sun 28th April, 2019, Hobart Tasmania

Tickets: trybooking.com/BADSB

From the USA via the National Folk Festival, for the first time in Australia, the Roguery trio is composed of three highly versatile veteran musicians who have come together to enchant dancers and listeners alike. Their arrangements range from strictly traditional to soaring flights of imagination and improvisation. They have recorded 6 CDs, and have become favourites at events throughout the USA and England. The band’s varied influences include English, contra, early music, classical, Breton, Scottish, Irish, Cape Breton, Galician, French, Balkan, jazz-fusion, Greek, and a variety of song traditions.  See: rogueryband.com.

See (and hear) Roguery in concert, learn from them in singing or music workshops, or dance to their inspiring music and the calling of Brooke Friendly, an energetic and highly experienced dance teacher popular throughout North America and England.

Roguery in Concert

Friday 26th April, 7:15 for 7:30pm, Caledonian Society Hall, 31 Homer Ave, Moonah

The Roguery trio are: Dave Bartley, Shira Kammen and Jim Oakden

Dave Bartley (Seattle) plays mandolin, guitar, cittern, and numerous other plucked string instruments. He can provide a quiet foundation, inject a fiery driving rhythm, or pull wicked licks out of thin air. His odyssey from flashy rock guitarist to classical musician to eclectic sideman to tunesmith filters through his fingers, making you wonder what he’ll do next, playing the tune, then playing around, inside, and beyond it.

Shira Kammen (Berkeley), a multi-instrumentalist (primarily violin and vielle) and vocalist, has spent most of her life exploring early and traditional music. She is one of a rare class of musicians that elevate the musicianship of those around her with her astonishing virtuosity and imagination. A favorite at dance and music camps and a member of many bands and ensembles, she is constantly performing and teaching nationally and internationally with the elite of the music world. She has appeared on 60-ish recordings in a variety of styles of music, and is considered a demi-goddess in early music circles.

Jim Oakden (Santa Cruz) started playing piano and clarinet at an early age and stumbled into early music from the classical music scene, from whence he discovered the world of traditional and ethnic music. Having diverse tastes (or a short attention span), he performs on an absurd number of instruments, from accordion to zurna (to name a few).

Together, their arrangements range from strictly traditional to soaring flights of imagination and improvisation. They have recorded 6 CDs, and have become favourites at events throughout the USA and England. The band’s varied influences include English, contra, early music, classical, Breton, Scottish, Irish, Cape Breton, Galician, French, Balkan, jazz-fusion, Greek, and a variety of song traditions.

Tickets: https://trybooking.com/BADSB or cash at the door: $25/ $22 concession. Limited seats. Booking advised. Discounted weekend and online tickets available.

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/483805548832713/

Rogue’s Ball

Saturday 27th April, 7:30-11:30pm

Venue: the magnificent Hobart Town Hall ballroom, 50 Macquarie St, Hobart

Raucous to serene trad-inspired music by Roguery (USA). A dance party with English country dance, contra, and ceilidh style dances. All dances taught by Brooke Friendly (USA). No dancing experience or partner required.

Tickets: https://trybooking.com/BADSB or cash at the door: $25/ $22 concession/ $20 member/ $15 f/t student. Discounted weekend tickets and online tickets available.

Please bring a plate of supper and dress as your favourite rogue

Supported by City of Hobart

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/338717230190143/

Singing and Music Workshops

Sunday 28th April, 2019

WorkshopTimeArtistDescription
Singing in a Circle10:00
–
11:30		Shira KammenSing rounds, canons, catches, and other forms using musical imitation from the 12th to 17th centuries. The pieces will range from the simple and sweet to the complex and rich. For anyone who likes to sing, experienced and otherwise.  Shira is one of a rare class of musicians that elevate the musicianship of those around her with her astonishing virtuosity and imagination.  She is constantly performing and teaching nationally and internationally with the elite of the music world.
Beyond Boom Chuck: Accompaniment10:00
–
11:30		Dave BartleyExpanding the kinds of backup done by rhythm players, for dances and other settings.  It is difficult to count the number of bands of which Dave Bartley is a member.  He plays mandolin, guitar, cittern, and numerous other plucked string instruments.  He can provide a quiet foundation, inject a fiery driving rhythm, or pull wicked licks out of thin air
Galician and Breton music10:00
–
11:30		Jim OakdenLearn some wonderful tunes from Celtic Spain and France with some cultural background, including some commentary on playing them for dances.  Jim is a master multi-instrumentalist.
Popular Music of the English Renaissance12:00
–
1:30		Shira KammenExplore the wit, humour and melancholy of the High Renaissance in England. We’ll look at dance melodies, ballads, madrigals, rounds, drinking, love, and newsworthy songs from a number of different sources: ‘Pills to Purge Melancholy’, Ravenscroft, Playford, Shakespeare’s plays, among others.
The Broad Church of Contra Music12:00
–
1:30		Dave BartleyTo its Celtic base, modern contra dance music adds inspiration from all sorts of genres – Quebecois, Cape Breton, rock and roll, jazz, techno and even TV theme songs and symphonic music.  Dave Bartley has written hundreds of tunes and played with numerous bands in various genres.  He’ll use this workshop as an excuse to indulge in an eclectic menu of tunes and influences.  All musicians welcome, with no intent to play for dances required.
Not Everything in 3 is a Waltz12:00
–
1:30		Jim OakdenExplore the mysterious world of mazurkas, hambos, bourees and more.  Jim started playing piano and clarinet at an early age and stumbled into early music from the classical music scene, from whence he discovered the world of traditional and ethnic music. Having diverse tastes (or a short attention span), he performs on an absurd number of instruments, from accordion to zurna (to name a few). A dancer himself, he specialises in playing for dancers in a bunch of bands and genres.  This workshop is best for music readers.

See rogueryband.com for bios for the band members. See also individual web sites, Shira Kammen, Dave Bartley and Brooke Friendly.

Tickets: https://trybooking.com/BADSB or cash at the door if available: $35/ $30 concession for two different workshops. Limited space. Booking advised. Discounted weekend tickets and online tickets available.

Workshops will be held at the Lenah Valley Community Hall, Creek Rd, Lenah Valley, or adjacent buildings. Please be at the venues 15 minutes before the workshops for registration.

Dances and Dance Workshops

DanceTimeArtistsDescription
Saturday 27th April
English Country Dancing: Lyrical to Boisterous, Silly to Sublime11:00
–
1:00		Brooke Friendly and RogueryExperience the variety of texture and mood as well as the qualities of movement and phrasing distinct to English country dances old and new.  No dancing experience or partner required.
Impropriety – the dances of Brooke Friendly and Chris Sackett2:30
–
5:00		Brooke Friendly and RogueryEnjoy a whole session focusing on the dances of Brooke Friendly and Chris Sackett, published in Impropriety volumes 1-6, and perhaps some new, unpublished dances. Come dance to the great tunes—old and new—that have inspired the figures, phrasing, progressions, and nuances that are the signature of this duo’s work.  No dancing experience or partner required.
Rogue’s Ball – English Country Dance + Contra7:30
–
11:30		Brooke Friendly and RogueryRaucous to serene trad-inspired music by Roguery (USA).  A dance party with English country dance, contra, and ceilidh style dances.  All dances taught.  No dancing experience or partner required. 
Sunday 28th April
Dancing the Whole Dance10:00
–
11:30		Brooke Friendly and  Deanna DeversExperience dancing all roles in a dance. Enjoy a variety of fun, accessible English country dances while we play with global/positional terminology — a great way to build community and learn (and dance) the whole dance.   No dancing experience or partner required.
Dance Here Now12:00
–
1:30		Brooke Friendly and Deanna DeversDance, laugh, and experiment as we focus on dancing rather than dances. Build learning, helping, and partnering skills.  Be ready to accept mistakes as an opportunity to get better at recovering. Dance more, worry less. No dancing experience or partner required.
Rogue’s Farewell3:00
–
5:00		Brooke Friendly and RogueryA final chance to dance to the raucous to sublime music of Roguery, featuring the English / American connection – exploring the blurred area between what is defined as English Country Dance and Contra (American) dance (and a little dash of Scottish) — figures and styling that have crossed genres.  No dancing experience or partner required.

Tickets: https://trybooking.com/BADSB or cash at the door if available: $15/$13 concession for each Saturday day time and Sunday afternoon dance. See above for ball. $35/$30 for the pair of Sunday dance workshops. Discounted weekend tickets and online tickets available.

Our caller, Brooke Friendly (USA) is known for her warm yet commanding personality, her clear and concise teaching, her creativity, her sense of humour and whimsy, and her attention to community. Brooke teaches throughout North America and England. A dance choreographer, she and Chris Sackett are publishing their sixth book of dances (Impropriety 6). See Brooke Friendly.

All Saturday dances will be held in the magnificent Hobart Town Hall, 50 Macquarie St, Hobart. All Sunday dances and dance workshops will be held at the Lenah Valley Community Hall, Creek Rd, Lenah Valley. Please be at the venues 15 minutes beforehand if you have a tickets for an individual dance (rather than a weekend or day ticket).

Weekend Schedule

FD20190426-28_Roguery Weekend – schedule v6Download

Tickets and Info

Tickets: trybooking.com/BADSB

Info: folktas.org/roguery, 03 6273 2127 or folkdancetas@gmail.com

Facebook: Dance Folk Tasmania or Folk Federation of Tasmania

Meetup: Dance Folk Tasmania

#hobartfolkdances

Folk Federation of Tasmania Inc