Monthly Archives: June 2016

Traditional and old fashioned songs, dances and tunes in mid-Kent

Songs and tunes at Marden’s The Unicorn, 18th June

June 7, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Upcoming events

It's summer, so many of our usual events have ceased for a few months. The next scheduled event is the First Sunday session at the Gun and Spitroast, Horsmonden on the 2nd of September from 8pm. As usual, I expect we'll be playing mainly classic English session and dance favourites, and all are welcome to come along and play along...

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What Julie and Gav have been up to…

Gavin’s YouTube channel for workshop tunes, songs etc

Julie and her Squeeze

Gavin Atkin’s album – The Running Tide

Hear and buy downloads of Singdanceandplay organiser Gavin Atkin's new online album of mainly traditional sea songs: The Running Tide Individual tracks:

Maggie May
The City of Baltimore
The Dark Eyed Sailor
Go To Sea No More
Jack Tar On Shore
The Young Sailor Cut Down In His Prime
Homeward Bound
The Green Bed
La Pique
South Australia
The Rakish Young Fellow
The Greenland Whale Fisheries
The Saucy Sailor
Sea Fever
All For Me Grog
The Orkney Rope Waltz

Sing, dance and play – English traditional and old fashioned music, dance and song in the heart of Kent

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Julie and Gavin’s CD is out now!

Sentimental Journey is the nostalgia-laden new CD from Julie and Gavin Atkin, featuring 19 tracks of old fashioned songs from Julie, accompanied by Gavin's duet concertina and melodeon.
It's perfect for Christmas, and just the thing to play on a traditional boat from the middle years of the last century!
Order it from: Red Admiral Records
'Such a joy' 'Accomplished, delightful and charming' - Amazon reviews
Here's a sample of the kind of thing to expect!

What is English traditional music?

England can easily match any other country for the richness and diversity of its traditional dances... So, if there's all this wonderful stuff lying around, why aren't we more aware of it as an everyday part of our national culture? Why aren't we all doing it, and valuing it, and treasuring it? ... it is, or was, mostly done, and valued, and treasured in the country... preserved most tenaciously by the least privileged layers of society... because even if there's little in the way of material wealth or worldly possessions, at least you know who you are... '

Leading box player, singer and dancer John Kirkpatrick explains here.