Latest News: We can confirm that the two festival concerts are going ahead on 30th May (7.00pm-11.00pm in a marquee at the Bespoke Brewery to the rear of Mitcheldean Mews) and on 18th July (1.00pm-9.00pm in Mitcheldean Church).
With over 20 applications for slots in these two concerts, places are now (as of 17th March) virtually full. If you wish to take part, it is not too late to send in an application form (closing date is 5th April), but we cannot guarantee you a place or at the times you request – though we will do our best!
If you have already sent in an application form, you will hear from us shortly, with details of provisional slots and times.
Greetings from the Mitcheldean Fete & Folk Festival Committee.
Plans are well underway for the 2015 Mitcheldean Fete & Folk Festival, which is due to take place throughout the third weekend in July (Friday 17th-Sunday 19th July inclusive). Following last year’s inaugural event, the 2015 festival is expected to see an increased number of visiting Morris sides from both near and far away. The successful Poetry Recital will be hosted again on Saturday afternoon, and stalls and other events will be held across the town. Musicians and dancers will perform throughout the Saturday in the Showcase Concert, and the evening will see further musical events including a Barn Dance. The festival will be rounded off as usual with the traditional Sunday folk walk.
Folk session in the White Horse pub during the 2014 festival
The Showcase Concert on the Saturday is provisionally planned to be held in Mitcheldean Church, which proved to be a successful venue last year both in terms of accommodation for audiences and its good acoustics. We are planning to book acts for slot times of between 10-30 minutes each to perform in slots between approx. 13:00 hours up to at least 21:00 hours and hopefully up to 22:30.
If you are interested in taking part, please fill in the application form, a copy of which can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of this blog post.
Return it either by post or e-mail to:
Clint Mann, Edgehill House, Plump Hill, Mitcheldean GL17 0EY (e-mail: concerts@mitcheldeanfestival.fod.uk)
We cannot guarantee being able to give every applicant a slot but will do our best to accommodate as many of you as possible. The Festival is a free event being run as “not-for-profit” and unfortunately we are not in a position to pay performers or offer expenses, but we can offer publicity through inclusion on the programme and website plus the chance to promote their own music.
In addition we are planning to hold a separate pre-festival concert on Saturday 30th May, provisionally planned for The Brewery Tap in Mitcheldean between 19:00 hours up to 22:30. Again, do indicate on the application form if you are interested in this event.
We are also planning to produce and make available for sale (at cost) a CD that will feature music and poetry from acts who took part in the 2014 festival and from those who perform locally in and around the Mitcheldean area. If you are interested in being featured on this CD, please send one track in mp3 format to Clint at the above address (or a CD with the track on it). It will probably be possible to record in a studio any musicians who do not have their own recordings. We should also point out at this stage that the CD will be sold at a low price to act as a publicity vehicle for the festival and contributors will not receive any royalties or remuneration for their contributions (although we hope that the publicity and kudos will make it worthwhile); please also only contribute your original compositions or traditional material that is not subject to copyright.
You can find out more at Mitcheldean Folk Club, which is held at The White Horse in Mitcheldean from 8:00pm onwards on the second Thursday of each month.
Despite the Saturday thunderstorms, the first Mitcheldean Fete & Folk Festival was great fun, with grateful thanks to everyone involved!
Much credit goes to the visiting Morris dancers who dodged the showers to perform indoors and outdoors at various locations.
Morris dancers opposite the church.
While the rain washed out events on the playing field, the musical entertainment including country dancing from the primary school was successfully moved to the parish church, and the Morris brought colour to the stallholders in the community centre, with home-made refreshments from the WI.
The poetry recital in the library was a great success, with 25 local poets reading their work during the afternoon, and the evening entertainments — concert in the Brewery Tap, music session in the White Horse and barn dance in the community centre — all went very well too.
The weekend was rounded off by a Sunday “folk walk” round the pubs of Mitcheldean and Longhope, with singing at every one!
A selection of photographss helps to tell the tale, courtesy of our festival photographer Eden Tanner, and we’re already planning the second festival for next 2015.
Morris dancers outside the White Horse pub.
Crooked End performing at the Parish Church.
Local poet and singer-songwriter Dick Brice.
Morris dancers in the Community Centre.
Folk session in the White Horse pub, Mitcheldean.
The Minstrels at the Brewery Tap concert.
Singer-songwriter Tracey Dixon at the Brewery Tap.
The Folk Walk passing through a farm near Longhope.
Folk fans around the Forest of Dean can look forward to a fun-filled feast of music, poetry and dance as the first Mitcheldean Fete and Folk Festival comes to the town.
Andy Scarf and Bill “Pass the Hat” Taylor
The 3-day event starts on Friday 18th July with an informal acoustic session at the Bespoke Brewery Tap. Musicians and singers can simply turn up and play, sing or just listen whilst enjoying some of the award-winning ales which are brewed on the premises.
Saturday will see a traditional “village fete” on the playing fields and at the adjacent Community Centre, which will be opened at 12 noon by a lucky local schoolgirl who will be picked for the role of Fete Queen. Local and visiting musicians will be performing throughout the fete whilst visitors can enjoy a range of entertainments, stalls and refreshments.
Mitcheldean Library will be hosting a poetry event with readings from “Forest Bard” Dave Harvey and tributes to the poets of World War I. Local singer-songwriter Clint Mann will be running a guitar workshop in the Community Centre — suitable for all skill levels — but don’t forget to bring your guitar!
There will also be fun activities and games for children at the Parish Church from 10am until 12 noon. Morris dancing by a number of local and visiting Morris sides will take place throughout the day from 11am. Free parking will be available at the Mitcheldean Enterprise Workshops (MEWs).
Saturday evening will give music fans a choice of venues: the Brewery Tap will be hosting an evening concert with a showcase of music and singing by a variety of groups and solo acts; a barn dance will be taking place in the Community Centre with tickets costing £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions; the White Horse pub in High Street will have an informal session for musicians, singers and poets.
Sunday’s “folk walk” starts at 10am with breakfast at the White Horse, and will set off at 12 noon to visit 5 local pubs with a musical theme for each one. The route will be around 5 miles and is suitable for anyone who can get over a stile. Dogs are welcome but may have to stay outside at some venues.
Many residents refer to Mitcheldean as a village, although technically it is a small town, having a Town Hall and signs giving directions to the “town centre”.
This is the first of what is hoped to be an annual event. It is organised by members of Mitcheldean Folk Club, Mitcheldean Parish Council, The Women’s Institute, Forest Gate Church, and individual volunteers who live locally.
Mitcheldean Folk Club meets on the second Thursday of every month at the White Horse pub in High Street. New members are always welcome.
Contacts for further information or a press interview:
The Mitcheldean Folk Festival took place on 18th – 20th July 2014. We are hoping to hold this event again in 2015 but at this early stage no plans have been finalised. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s event a success!
Folk session in the White Horse pub
Mitcheldean is a small town in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire. Many of the residents call it a village but there is a Town Hall dating back to 1710.
