Bell Folk Club Christmas Concert

The Bell Folk Club concert committee; John Ekers, John Richards, Elizabeth Holmes, Davey and Sheena McCormack would like to thank all those who made this year's Christmas concert such a run-away success. Two great nights of music and laughter in the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the recently revamped Institute. Thanks to the efforts of Dr David White and his colleagues on the Institute Management Board, the old place is gradually being renovated and restored to its rightful place at the heart of this wonderful village. We are pleased to report that we raised over £700 for local charities; namely The Institute Restoration Fund and Katharine House Hospice with the balance going towards the kitty to promote Party in the Park 2008.

We are so lucky in Adderbury to have such a wealth of talent available to stage a show like this. Where else would you find such a rich mixture of music; from folk to rock and blues with the occasional Morris dance and Irish gig thrown in along the way. A professional sound system was provided by Richard Watkins while the entertainment was freely given by members of the ever popular Bell Folk Club which is hosted every first and third Mondays of the month by John and Trish Bellinger at the Bell.

The younger set were well represented by Immie Leslie and Jess Hin playing and singing in beautiful harmony, Sarah Tindall and Jossie Evans - both now maturing into consummate performers, Tommy Ekers and Kathryn Tindall - barely in their teens, but holding the audience in rapt attention with their soulful singing and bluesy guitar playing. Two young chaps from Cullworth, Danny and Dean raised the temperature of all the ladies present and brought the house down with their final number featuring nine year old sister Leyna  on sleigh bells. Gill Allcock's Blue Coyotes and Wychwood gave us their own, unique renditions of some popular favourites, while the visitors from Chippy; Pete, Pen and Gill gave us some wonderful three part harmony acappella, followed by Jane Gridley playing her own self-penned songs and leaving the audience cheering for more. Jed Mugford defied gravity with his fiddle playing and mid-tune switch to mandolin. Sandra Shallis, who we suspect has been paying midnight visits to the cross-roads, gave a scintillating performance on melodeon and Butch made us all laugh - and cry - with his medley of songs embracing both types of music; country and western... The Tindall family - Banbury's first family of folk - gave an impeccable, blistering set, and the big chorus numbers were provided by the usual suspects from the Bell Folk line up; Jeremy, the two Johns, Davey, Sheena - and soon to Adderbury resident, Sue Halls. We rounded off the evening - the cast and audience joining together - in what has become the Adderbury carol, Sweet Bells. Finally, we would like to thank all those who worked so hard behind the scenes to make the concerts possible; John and Trish, Rob and Sally, for selling tickets, Hilary, Lloyd, Sally and Phil for hosting the bar and the lovely Di for manning the door and helping to make such a success of the raffle.

D. McC on behalf of the BFCC committee.

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