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Peter
Rowan Bluegrass Band
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Abigail
Washburn
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April
Verch Band
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Battlefield
Band
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Chris
While & Juile Matthews
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Alasdair
Fraser and Natalie Hass
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BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL
eNews October 2011
Dear Subscribers,
Welcome to our first newsletter for the 2012 Brunswick
Music Festival, which will take place on 14-25 March 2012.
The performer applications for the festival have been
open from the 1 July and will close on the 30 September.
If you are a Moreland resident the applications will stay
open up until the end of October. The expression of interest
form is available on our web site, and is simple and user
friendly, so if you fancy yourself as a performer please
feel free, but be aware that it is highly competitive
with over 350 applications already submitted.
Although it is early days, the indications are that we
will again feature a strong international component particularly
of traditional origins, with, as is our policy, a spread
of genre covering Celtic, world, roots, folk and acoustic.
From the North American continent we’re delighted
to announce the legendary Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band,
who were in Australia April past to perform at Apollo
Bay, the National Folk Festival and Bluesfest at Byron
Bay. Whilst Peter has played the festival solo this will
be the band’s first visit to the festival.
Also from the States we will welcome for the first time
Abigail Washburn, ex of Uncle Earl and surely one
of America’s best and most exciting young banjo players
forging a contemporary journey from traditional roots.
From Canada we will have a return visit from April
Verch and her band, a superb young traditional
fiddle player and singer who began her career bringing
Ottawa Valley fiddle and step dancing to the world and
who now includes more old time and bluegrass in her new
repertoire.
Moving across the Atlantic, we’ll have the return
the superb Battlefield Band from Scotland for the
first time in many years, and from England festival favourites
Chris While and Julie Matthews with their best
album in many years.
So watch this space for more announcements in the next
few months, where we’ll bring you advanced news on
all the festival artists as they are confirmed.
John McAuslan
Festival Director
Other Music of interest
In October the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club will
be presenting the fabulous Scottish virtuoso fiddle
and cello duo Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Hass.
Alasdair has only been to Australia once before (with
Tony McManus), so its a special treat to have him back
in this stunning duo. There is only one Melbourne show
so please book early. Click
here to see the flyer for full dates and info.
In the next couple of months watch out for some great
roots and world music starting with with The Legends
of New Orleans show at The Palace on Wednesday 5
October and featuring Allen Toussaint, The Dirty Dozen
Brass Band and John Cleary and the Philthy Phew.
And believe me these guys are legends, its a fantastic
line up and ticket prices are actually quite reasonable
given the show.
There’s also great festival action starting with:
The
Melbourne Festival is running 6-22 October and
is of course is Melbourne’s premier multi arts
festival. Although it has to be said its glory days
are probably past, there’s always some gems to
be uncovered. My picks for this year are Toumani Diabate,
Kora maestro from Mali with a full band; Konono No 1.
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo; The Manganiyar
Seduction “a fusion of traditional Rajasthani musicianship
with dazzling stage design”; and the blockbuster
at the Myer Music Bowl Notes from the Hard Road and
Beyond with Mavis Staples, Josh Stone, Ricky Lee Jones,
Paul Dempsey and the fabulous Black Arm Band.
The
Maldon Folk Festival is on again on 28-31 October
and the same weekend the fabulous Wangaratta
Jazz Festival
The 4th.
Australasian World Music Expo is on 17-20 November
with an outstanding program of top class world and indigenous
artists on show.
Also early bird ticket sales (and they get earlier
and earlier) have now commenced for Woodford Folk
Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, The
National Folk Festival and Byron Bay Blues Fest.
So an amazing variety to suite all tastes as we get
into the Melbourne spring months and on into yet another
summer of musical delights.
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