Tag Archives: frittenden

Peter Collins sings at the end of December Frittenden session, 29th December

Peter Collins photographed by Jacqui Ross

We’re greatly looking forward to our session with Peter Collins on the evening of the 29th December.

The session is always a moment of sanity in the madness of the Christmas period, and we’re always pleased to welcome our old friend and session regular Peter to chip in with a well-considered selection of songs in line with a reflective time of year, in between the parties of Christmas and the New Year.

We’ll try not to let things get too conventionally Christmassy, but no doubt there will be the odd old carol – and we will have the Nonsuch Mummers along to entertain us. I expect high drama, costumes, a near fatality (and with perhaps a spot or two of corpsing, which is almost the same), and some spirited ad-libbing.

The sessions take place at the Bell & Jorrocks pub at Frittenden, Kent, and start at 8pm and continue until it’s time to sing Nellie Dean and say goodnight. They’re informal and free, with lots of old fashioned and traditional songs and tunes, and a big emphasis on variety, humour and entertainment generally – as we like to say, if you liked your pub the way it was before the telly and the computer came, this is the event for you.

John Morgan sings at the Frittenden session, 27th January

John Morgan

Local singing star John Morgan will sing at the Frittenden session on the 27th January, starting at 8pm.

John has a fine style and an excellent voice, and specialises in traditional songs, frequently those of the South-East and often accompanied by his melodeon.

However, John also finds space for modern songs in his repertoire, many of which were written by friends – but when you realise just how many of the folk scene’s well known names are old friends that comes as no surprise.

Our sessions at Frittenden’s Bell & Jorrocks pub start at 8pm and are informal and free, with lots of old-fashioned and traditional songs and tunes, perhaps a little stepdancing and a big emphasis on variety, humour and entertainment generally.

If you liked your pub the way it was before the telly and the computer came, this is the event for you. You don’t have to be a performer in order to join us, but if you are, why not bring a song, a tune, a story or a poem yourself?

Harvest Hop Barndance at the Bell & Jorrocks, 24th November

Get ready for the Harvest Hop Barndance at the Bell & Jorrocks pub at 8pm on the 24th November, featuring our favourite dances, party games, surprise entertainments, raffle, and a great candle-lit atmosphere, with our own Rosie Davis calling, music from the Horsmonden Traditional Music Class and friends, and Frittenden favourites Annie Dearman and Steve Harrison adding to the general jollity.

Tickets are £6 and £4 (concs), with all funds raised going to help fund the Frittenden Old Fashioned Night Out day scheduled for the 6th April. Call Gavin on 07985 522734 to reserve your tickets now!

If you play English traditional music and would like to join the band for a few tunes, you’re very welcome.

We’re planning to have a list for the night, so if you’re not too confident about some of them, you’ll know when to dip in and play, and when to drop out and dance with your partner or go to the bar! Among the tunes we plan to use are the following:

  • The Hundred Pipers (march)
  • Cock of the North (jig)
  • Haste to the Wedding (jig)
  • Rig a Jig Jig (jig, natch)
  • Strike the Bell (32-bar step hop)
  • Off to California (32-bar step hop)
  • The Sloe (polka)
  • The Girl with the Blue Dress On (polka)
  • Oh Joe the Boat is Going Over (polka)
  • Donkey Riding (polka)
  • Three Around Three (polka)
  • Shave the Donkey (waltz)
  • Sussex Cotillion (incidental tune, but I guess it must be a cotillion!)
  • From Night til Morn (polka)
  • The Famous Fiery Clockface (jig)

Classic session and barndance tunes, every one of them, and they’re all either on the class pages, or this YouTube page.

PS – Here’s a video showing what a great time we had!

PPS – And here’s another, this time from Annie and Steve’s YouTube.