Purbeck Valley Folk Festival 2024
Venue: Purbeck Valley FarmTown: Harman's Cross
Date: 15th - 18th August 2024
Website: http://www.purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk/
The Purbeck Valley Folk Festival continues to be one of my favourites. Each festival I go to has its own special vibe and Purbeck is relaxed although the "valley" part is accurate and you certainly get your steps in. It isn't that much of a problem though; the views alone make the climbs worthwhile. It has a fun atmosphere, too as it really cater for everybody. For the little ones there are plenty of activities around the circus tent, arts and crafts, climbing wall and space hoppers. The Sublime Science team showed just how much fun learning can be when done properly and their workshops were well attended by young and old alike. Of course, being close to the Jurassic Coast means there's always the chance of running into a dinosaur as well. Food and drink are local, good quality and a reasonable price.
With three main stages, as well a word stage and some smaller tents, the range of music is varied and always high quality. It's a festival artists enjoy as much as the audience and many stay on after their sets just for the atmosphere. Thursday is based around the two main barn stages and includes some quality local acts, such as Murphy's Lore or father and son trio Bob & Connor Burke, who're about as local as you can get. An exciting new act was Just Like Clay, a combination of Good Habits and The Trouble Notes. Four excellent musicians have found a new dynamic and hopefully they stick around.
That was just the warm-up for the full on festival, and it is. Twelve hours of music a day and, if you're prepared to walk a bit, no breaks. Again there's a mix of solo acts, duos, bands and big party sounds that builds just right. During the day, as the temperature rises, there's a chance to lay back and listen. This is especially true of the third, Fire Stage, on a grassy slope with a dedicated bar area. If you're lucky, as we were, there are planes and birds for all the spotters. The Spitfire was a bit special but the two white tailed eagles were even better. There were several rather jealous musicians who were unfortunate to be facing the wrong direction and didn't see them; that's suffering for your art.
For those who like to join in, rather than watch, there are plenty of workshops along with the traditional beard, fancy dress and poetry slams. Then there's the ceilidhs. In the Big Barn they mark the break between the afternoon and evening sessions, so it's a sign for all the mats and chairs to be put away. From now on you're on your feet and ready to dance the night away.
This year we also had something very special, a brand new dance. The FATEA Fourhand Reel was written around 1330, so just after a rather good lunch, and rediscovered in 1989. It's a drinking dance, with a unique "clink and drink" step and the dancers loved it. As one participant said "Ceilidhs are a concentrated form of weirdness".
Musical highlights are so difficult to pick. There's the high tempo swing of Moscow Drug Club to the divine harmonies of Suthering. The subtle lyrics of Garbriel Moreno, Anna Renae or Laura Loh stand in contrast to Threepenny Bit or Quinns Quinnery where nobody stands still. If you want big names then O'Hooley & Tidow, Michael McGoldrick & Tim Edey or Martha Tilston fit the bill. Music from around the world is well represented, too. Seckou Keita and N'Famady Kouyate gave us the rich warm sounds of Africa. Le Vent du Nord brought Quebecois footstepping whilst Marvara brought Scandinavia to the south coast and sister duo Duea gave Italian style. I could go on as Purbeck Valley has a bill absolutely jam packed with quality.
One slight fly in the ointment this year was the noise around the campsite, with the after parties going on into the not-so-wee hours of the morning. It's something the festival has little control over but hopefully it was a one-off and won't put visitors off from coming next year. Purbeck Valley Folk Festival is a fixture, so get the 14th -17th August 2025 in your dairy as tickets do sell out.
Tony Birch - Words & Pictures
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