Fun and frolics at fantastic folk festival

Musical talent, fun and happiness shone as brightly as the sun at a top notch Priddy Folk Festival this weekend.

From the cream of British folk music to Somerset buffalo burgers on the Green, there was something for everyone at the event that was packed full of activities from Friday night until Sunday late afternoon.

The New Rope String Band was the main draw on Friday night, combining clever musical ability with laugh-out-loud slapstick.

Priddy favourites Kerfuffle and Celtic specialists the Battlefield Band had the Swildon’s Marquee packed out on Saturday night.

However, it was the Sunday afternoon headliners Spiers and Boden who stole the show with an amazing set, full of humour and their slightly modern take on traditional English folk.

Playing a mixture of jigs, which got the audience up dancing and clapping, and traditional folk tales with plenty of audience participation, Spiers and Boden showed why they are top of the British folk tree.

Jon Boden’s fiddle work was exemplary and his voice powerful, crisp and clear, giving him an air of confident control over proceedings.

He is complemented perfectly by John Spiers on accordion and squeezebox, whose harmonies often made the tunes go from the simple folk song to more complex modern arrangements.

In between songs the pair were highly amusing in explaining the stories behind what they were playing, giving the concert an intimate feel, despite hundreds of revellers being there.

It was not all music though, as the festival featured dance workshops and fun for children, including the slightly bonkers Mummers and Puppers.

Local crafts were in evidence at the market section of the village including Woolcake from Westbury-sub-Mendip,the brainchild of Debbie Hiilyerd and Julie Morris and also some astonishingly beautiful chickenwire sculptures from the talented Sharon Honeywell of Dinder.

The best thing about the Priddy Folk Festival is the atmosphere created by young and old, bearded and non-folky, sunburnt and cautious, all having a great time.

2010 could quite easily be hailed as the best Priddy Folk Festival yet, so I wait with anticipation to see what 2011’s event has in store…

For more photos from the Sunday, see our gallery supplied by Jaqui Strevens of Glam Photography & Media.