Wessex Folk Festival Pub Sessions at Kings Arms and Sailors Return, Weymouth, Dorset

At the heart of every folk festival are the pub sessions and the Wessex Folk Festival has a lot of heart. The sessions were held at the Kings Arms and the Sailors Return where folk music has been a regular feature on Wednesdays for years.


The Irish sessions at the Kings Arms, often lead by local and awesome 'Fingers' Mike McDaid, rocked with fingers flying riotously in a setting with musicians and toe-tapping audience packed like happy sardines (below).




The singing sessions at the Kings Arms during the afternoons included a fine medley of joining in songs and sea shanties.


The Sailors Return was where many more sing-arounds took place. The pace was often much more leisurely and individuals were given a good chance to 'have a slot' and play their favourite tune or sing their favourite song. Encouraging new performers is fundamental to the beliefs of session organisers Roger and Jo Quigley and indeed of the Wessex Folk Festival. Below, Nigel Canter hosts the session.


As always, the survivors session at the Sailors Return was an emotional affair with some wonderful tunes and songs.

Main stage performers Tony and Una of No Fixed Abode joined in with some cracking contributions and Way Out West gave generously their distinctly Western and Cowboy feel to parts of the session.

Sandi O'Donnell gave a marvellous rendition of 'Where Did You Get that Hat' accompanied by Jeff to end the main part of the session (below).


The floor was cleared for the traditional Dorset Four Hand Reel (below).


Then Roger Quigley called for the 'rafters to be raised another couple of inches' as Dave the Bass sang the Sailors Return traditional farewell songs 'To be a farmers boy' and 'The larks they sang melodious at the dawning of the day'.


And the rafters certainly were raised :-)

It seems unfair to mention only a few names because so many played important parts in the sessions so my apologies to anybody who has been left out (so far). If you want to highlight somebody who contributed something special, it's really easy to add comments below.

However, there will be more about the Wessex Folk Festival 2008 in Weymouth, Dorset here tomorrow. I hope y'all be heah as Way Out West would say :-)

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - online writer and avid folk music session goer)