Faith, Folk and Clarity

Does anyone else remember the songbook with that title from the 1960's? It summed up yesterday evening anyway - it was the Annual Folk Evening for our friend Dave Ford, who does mission work through 'Africa Aid', and Bob was the Sound Guy [he is so Very Sound!] in charge of the PA for the evening.

A crowd of us arrived early to set up the Village Hall at Quorn [that is the village, not the meat substitute]

It was a great help having Jonny there helping lift the heavy stuff, and assist with all the cables. Dave's golden curtain, combined with Bob's new LED Parcan lights and haze machine made a fabulous backdrop

Unfortunately it was all a little too reflective for me to manage any good photographs!

As in previous years the quality of music was superb with performers from 17 - 70. We were all very impressed with young Sam Rodwell, who is studying to be a classical guitarist. He is incredibly gifted

The evening ended with a whole crowd of the musicians on stage performing "Drunken Sailor" and much raucous joining in from the audience.

The usual suspects [Dangerous Dogs, and Eric The Turtle, et al] performed with enthusiasm - great entertainment all round.

What is it about folk musicians though? [I wonder if Floss has noticed this] So many of them are either all and beanpole like, or short and bearded.

I was going to say 'and all the females have long hair which they toss artistically as they sing, a la Maddy Prior' until the "Average Folk Band" got up to sing. These are my friends from church, often found leading worship at KMFC on a Sunday - but Gwen and Linda had come in disguise, wearing amazing nylon  'page-boy' wigs!

Sadly my attempt at taking a picture did not come out at all because of all the gold reflections, and Gwen took the wig off later as it was itching. But she reminded me of someone, and I just could not think who it was. This morning I remembered. It was Anita Manning, the Scottish 'Antiques Expert' from BBC 'Bargain Hunt'. So, especially for Elizabeth in India - last night your Mum looked strangely like this...

[but without the old clock]

Dave had a heart attack just after Christmas, and asked me to interview him during the evening so he could tell people about it - and how it hasn't stopped him wanting to serve God and go and help others. So I did as requested and held a mic in front of him [memo to Kirsty Young, I think your job on Desert Island Discs is quite safe!]

AFB sung a favourite hymn to an old American folk tune and it was absolutely superb

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

[btw - to raise an Ebenezer' is an OT term, meaning to set up a marker/memorial signifying 'God has helped us this far and He won't let us down in future either']

Dave said we raised around a thousand pounds for the charity - really pleased about that, makes all the hard work well worth it.

At the end of the evening lots of people helped with clearing up - but it was still around 2am before we got to bed. This morning Bob's cough/sore throat is much worse. So the sound guy is the silent guy now. Not a good state for him to be in before a busy Sunday.