After an extended journey home from a performance the previous evening, it was a relief to have only a handful of miles to travel to see our good friends at Redbourn Folk Club. (Well, at least we had the local knowledge to deal with the road works that were put in our way this time.)
We arrived at the gorgeous Holly Bush pub, home to Redbourn Folk Club, early and, with the club room being open, we were able to set up before either organisers or audience members arrived. The club room, an old schoolhouse, was a haven of coolness on what was a warm, sunny, evening.
As the start time for the evening approached, the club room filled steadily and, albeit not completely full, provided a good-sized audience for an evening of music.
Redbourn Folk Club is blessed with a range of talented club singers, and we were treated to an excellent version of Richard Thompson's Farewell Farewell as well as great songs from club organisers Malcolm and Jenny, and from fellow club singers Simon and Matt. All beautifully done.
I'm pleased to report that our own two 40-minute sets went down well with several newcomers to the club that evening enjoying them immensely. The Bonny Gardener Boy (Le Garçon Jardinier) had its second run out and we also performed our newest composition, ‘Father, Oh Father’, which rails at the way organisations like (but not exclusively) the Roman Catholic Church shuffle child-abusing problem priests to new parishes, gifting them the chance to abuse again. I’m pleased to report that the audience was very supportive of both the song and the importance of performing it in public.
Redbourn Folk Club members are so welcoming and supportive and both Rob and I were engaged in excited conversations throughout the interval and after the show about all aspects of folk music, folk tunings and instruments. The one mystery of the evening was how one of Rob's guitar strings managed to break when he wasn't even playing it! The need for a string change required a rejig of the set list, but it all seemed to work very well.
It was wonderful to see two good friends of mine from my college creative writing group in the audience. They have given me so much help with my story writing, it was nice for them to see what else I do. Many thanks to Janet and Martin.
Thanks to Martin and Jenny for the invitation to return once more to Redbourn Folk Club and for all their support over so many years. Thanks also to audience members for the warmest of receptions, their singing and their supportive comments afterwards.