April 2015

Posted by Ed Hicks on April 24, 2015

It’s the end of another term, but this time we get to celebrate with a day of performances at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.  This is all happening tomorrow (Saturday 25th April) starting at 12:15 (full timetable below).  Everyone on the tunes course and the flat footing courses has been working really hard on their performance pieces and the Sea Shanty Choir are all warmed up and ready to go.  If you’ve ever done one of our courses come down, see your friends and enjoy big afternoon of dancing and entertainment all for free.

We’ll be celebrating St George’s Day starting with a set from the Trad Academy Sea Shanty Choir at 12:15.  If you enjoy their singing you’re welcome to come along to the Round Chapel next Thursday 30th April and join the choir.  The choir now operates on a subscription basis and only takes on new members once a term and Thursday 30th is the next opportunity to get involved.  Your first session is free and non-commitment, but if you want to join the choir you’ll be asked to sign up for a subscription.  The choir’s got a really active social scene and is loads of fun.  We’re all are going to Paimpol Festival in France this summer to perform so come join us and go on an international tour!

After the choir there’ll be sets from Beacon Tree Brass Band and Cecil Sharp House choir, then at 15:00 the dancing commences.  First of all they’ll be a set of tunes played by the Hedge Pigs.  The Hedge Pigs learned a lot of their repertoire at the Trad Academy and some of them even met through attending tunes courses (which are now up to their tenth term).  If you want to know about the dates of upcoming tunes courses drop me a line or make sure you’re on our mailing list (which you presumably are if you’re reading this) and like us on facebook.

After that Alice Cade takes over and she’s prepared routines of Lancashire Clogging and Flat Foot dancing with the people from her dance course.  We’ll definitely be running more dances courses in the future again so if you want to be kept informed send me an e-mail.  The fun doesn’t stop then as we’ll have another Ceilidh played for by the tunes course graduates.  These guys have only been playing together for six weeks, but they sounded amazing on Thursday and they’re going to smash it.

At the end of the day we hand back over to Mr Pete Gruin (formerly Truin) and the Sea Shanty Choir who will shower us in neo-traditional harmonies and are also going to sing for dancing!  Come on down it’s going to be great!

Looking further into the future at the start of June we’ve got another old time fiddle workshop at the Harrison pub this time with Aaron Jonah Lewis and Luke Richardson.  I found some nice videos online and put them on the website including one of me and Aaron playing a gig on a big stage under flashing lights on a tour where we decided it was a good idea to wear matching tracksuits.  Anyhow, if you’re a fiddle player, save the date and look forward to seeing you all soon!

Last of all here is a picture of Sea Shanty Choir stalwart Anna Cornish with a boat!  Contrary to popular rumours this is not the boat that Pete Gruin lives on or the one he’ll be sailing to France in (we hope).

As ever, there’s more details below and a full running order for tomorrow.

Take care

Ed

PS:  The Trad Academy’s Sea Shanty Choir’s album launch is also tomorrow, but is now completely sold out.  If you want to see them save the date of Friday 17th July when they should be performing at Wilton’s Music Hall.

PPS: The Trad Academy will also once again be programming the workshop yurt at Fire in the Mountain Festival which is also completely sold out now.  I’m afraid for that one if you haven’t got a ticket you’ll have to wait for next year.

Sea Shanty Choir – April – May 2015
Thursdays ∙ 7:30pm – 9:30pm ∙ 16 April 2015 to 21 May 2015
First session free then monthly/quarterly subscription
The Round Chapel
With Pete Truin
Please email us to reserve your place

Old Time Fiddle Workshop with Aaron Jonah Lewis and Luke Richardson
7:00pm – 8:00pm, Wednesday 03 Jun 2015

£10 for the workshop (email us for information about concessions)
The Harrison Pub, Kings Cross
With Aaron Jonah Lewis and Luke Richardson
Please email us to reserve your placeA day of performances in the Museum of Childhood
12:15pm – 5:30pm, Saturday 25 Apr 2015
Free and open to the public
Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green
With Ed Hicks, Pete Truin, Alice CadeProgram for the 25th April St George’s Day Celebrations at Museum of Childhood

12.15-12.35 – Sea Shanty Choir

12.45-13.30 – Becontree Brass Band

13.35-14.05 – Cecil Sharp House Choir

14.10 -14.55 – Becontree Brass Band

Main Trad Academy Section of the Day

15:00 – 15:20 – Hedge Pigs

15.25-15.45  – Flat foot and Lancashire Clogging demo

15.50-16.10  – Ceilidh with the Trad Academy tunes course

16.15-16.35  – Sea Shanty Choir

16.35-16.45 – Sea Shanty Choir and dance