BMC's Songs, Tunes & Dance Competition winners over the decades

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Bush Music Festivals from 1979 to 1993 included Song, Tune, Verse & Dance competitions. Categories changed over the years, & not all winning entires were published, sometimes winning entries were not even named!

1979

The first competition in 1979 was for Original Dances with Original Tunes (Mulga Wire no.15,  Oct 1979) and led to a publication, Six new Dances composed for the Bush Music Club's Silver Jubilee, 1970 which is held in our Library. 

1980

The winner of the Dance competition was the New Parliament House Jig by John Coleville, & was published in MW 23, Feb 1981.

1981

The first Songwriters competition was held this year with three categories - Original words & music, New words, old tune & New tune, old words, but results were not published. (MW 27, Oct 81) 

1982

The Song Competition was won by Denis Kevans who put music to John O'Brien's Riderless horse. This was the only prize awarded.  (MW 34, Dec 82)

1983

Dance competitions had been held yearly since 1979. Competition rules were the same as for 1982 - and there were 2 new categories - Dance tune/air & Verse.  (MW 39, Oct 83) 
Song, Tune & Verse competitions attracted 67 entries (MW 40, Dec 83)

Original Song - Drover's Boy by Ted Egan (MW 40, Dec 83)
New words, old tune - Bottom of the Harbour by John Quiggen (MW 40, Dec 83)
New Tune, old words - In the Days of 84 tune by John Broomhall, words Bedford (MW 40, Dec 83)
Dance tune or air - Eggs & bacon by Ritchie Howett (MW 40, Dec 83) 

Verse - 2 winners   The bastard who squashed the grapes in me bag by Denis Kevans (MW 40, Dec 83) & Prang on the Nullabour by Pam Harris (MW 42, Apr 84)

1984

Original song - Squeezebox, Fiddle & Bow by John Broomhall (MW 45, Oct 84)

New words, old tune - Down under by Alan Mann, Tune Across the Western Ocean (MW 47, Feb 85)

New tune, old words - Black is ... tune by Peter Kamey, words Maureen Watson (not published)

Dance tune or air - Teneriffe by Brad Tate (not published)
Verse - Jack's mate by Marion Downer (not published)
Popular Bush Dance - no results

Dancer's Dance - no results

1985

61 entries

Original song - Battle of Vinegar Hill by Peter Blood (MW 52, Dec 85)
New words, old tune - tie - The Collectors by Denis Kevans & Bobby I hardly knew you by John Quiggen - neither published 
New Tune, old words - Do you think that I do not know? by Chris Kempster, words Lawson. (words & music MW 53, Feb 86)
Dance tune or air - Shearing the Sheep by Pam Merrigan

Dancer's Dance - no results


1986 

24 entries (MW 58, Dec 86)
Original song - Sons of the Father by Paul Hemphill 
Highly commended - The Selector's Wife by Trish Noakes  - MW 59, Feb 1986
New words, old tune - The Robot Shearer by Alan Foster (MW 59, Feb 87)
New tune, old words - Winner - The Good Old Concertina by Bob Bolton, words Lawson  - not published

Highly commended - Labouring with the Hoe by Margaret Walters, words Frank the Poet  - not published
Dance tune or air - I'll show you the bush by Bob Buckley, not published

Verse - no prize awarded

Popular Bush dance - The Funfill Quadrille by Michael Waters (MW 59, Feb 87) 

Dancer's dance - The Floating Point Reel by Michael Waters, not published
Special mention - Chris Brady's Reel by Patricia Early, not published

1987
Popular bush dance - Karen's Farewell by Michael Waters  (MW 65, Feb 88)

Dancer's Dance -  Lynette's Frolic by Noreen Grunseit (MW 65, Feb 88)

Original song - The only road you know by Brian Goddard  (MW 65, Feb 88)

New words, old tune - no entries

New tune, old words - The Beauty of the world by Sonia Bennett, words Denis Kevans, (MW 65, Feb 88)

Dance air or tune - Grand Villains Polka by Errol Lee  (MW 65, Feb 88)

Verse - Small Beginnings by Paul Hemphill  (MW 65, Feb 88)

1988
General bush dance - Nerina, Nerina by Michael Waters (MW 70, Dec 88)

Dancer's Dance -  Seldom Seen Quadrille by Michael Waters  (MW 79, Dec 88) 

Original Song - The Valley of the Waters by Sonia Bennett & Denis Kevans (MW 70, Dec 88)

Highly Commended - Can't see the forest for the trees by Bruce Watson, not published

New words, old tune - The Assistant Commissioner for Crime by Denis Kevans  (MW 70, Dec 88)

Highly commended - The Mill at Rooty Hill by Denis Kevans, not published

Commended - Bagman Jack, by John Steele, WA, not published

New tune, old words - The Teams by Paul Hemphill, words Lawson  (MW 70, Dec 88)

Commended - I Wonder by Sonia Bennett, words Henry Western Price - not published

Dance tune or air - no prize

Verse - Ned's Warning by Denis Kevans  (MW 71, Feb 89)

Highly Commended - North Heavy by Mrs Mayne Wright. Gosford, not published

Commended - Dorrigo 32 by Lionel Bradbury, Pacific Palms, not published

1989
Beginner's Dance - Jenni's jig, by Jenni Stock & Colin Fong  (MW 76, Dec 89)

Highly Commended - Circle for the last trees  (MW 76, Dec 89)

Dancer's Dance - The Emma Waltz by Alison Lee  (MW 76, Dec 89)

Original words & music - Mow ya Lawn by Jim Hayes  (MW 76, Dec 89)

New words, old tune - A book on hats by Denis Kevans  (MW 76, Dec 89) 

New tune, old words - tie - The Sleeper Cutter's Camp by Denis Kevans
& Macquarie Harbour by Andrew Copeman  - neither published

Original tune - Sailor's Polka by Brad Tate - not published

Verse - He's my dog by David O'Connor  (MW 76, Dec 89)

1990 

Popular Bush Dance - The Five Star Polka by Michael Waters (MW 82, Dec 90) 

Dancer's Dance - not listed

Multi-figure quadrilles - not listed

Original Song - The Australian Light Horse by Clive Clayton & Mark Clark (MW 79, Jun 90)

New tune, old words - The Long Road by Patrick Magill (Denis Kevans) (MW 79, Jun 90)

Dance tune or air - no entries received  (MW 79, Jun 90)

Verse - The Abdication of the Bastard from the Bush by Denis Kevans  (MW 79, Jun 90)

1991

Popular Bush Dance - Waltz to the Wedding by Michael Waters (MW 88, Dec 91)

Dancer's Dance - A shortage of men by Patricia Early (MW 88, Dec 91)
Multi figure quadrille - Misty Mountain Quadrille by Alison Lee - not published

1992

Popular Bush Dance - Miss Campbell's Delight by Michael Waters (MW 98, Aug 93)

Highly commended - Nice and easy by Michael Waters (MW 98, Aug 93)

Dancer's Dance - Margaret's Reel by Michael Waters - not published

Highly commended - One over the gumnuts by Michael Waters - not published

Multi figure quadrille - Foundation Quadrille by Don Richmond (MW 98, Aug 93)

New words - as verse or to old music - The Rodney by Dennis O'Keefe - not published

New tune - as simply a tune or with old words - no award? 

New words & tune - 1. The Strike of 1894 by Dennis O'Keefe - not published

2. Ticktackers Blessing,  words by Denis Kevans, music by Sonia Bennett (MW 97, Jun 83)

3. The Ballad of Port Fairy Gazette by Dennis O'Keefe - not published

1993

Popular dance  (5 entries) - 1. Three's a crowd by Michael Waters (MW 101, Feb 94)

Highly commended - The Princess Reel by Michael Waters MW 101, Feb 84)

Commended - Uncle Tom's Barn Dance by Michael Waters  MW 101, Feb 84)

Gulgong Gallop by Patricia Early - not published

Pam's Porridge by Stephen McCann  - not published

Dancer's Dance - 1 entry  - Commended - The Gordon & Louise by Patricia Early (MW 101, Feb 94) 

Multi figure quadrille - no entry

Song or verse, new words to a trad tune - The Green Ban Fusiliers by Denis Kevans (MW 102, Apr 94)

New tune, trad words - The Flour Bin by Sonia Bennett (poet not named) - not published

New words & tune - 1. There's music in the air by Clive Clayton (MW 102, Apr 94)

2. When Blue Swimmers come back to Balmain by Denis Kevans - not published

3. Songs that will ever stay young by Clive Clayton - not published

Commended - Condemned by Clive Clayton  - not published

1994

Poetry - no category. Noel May sent in Kiaramba before competition format was announced and received a special prize. (MW 106, Dec 94)

BMC's Ruby Jubilee was celebrated at Australian Pioneer Village & included Competitions according to this poster, but there was no mention of any competitions in the Festival reports. 

Competitions are not mentioned in MW 106 Dec 94 & following issues. 

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2004 Golden Jubilee

Poetry competition winner - Blue Ocean True by Penelope Grace, Mulga Wire 166, Dec 2004 

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2005 Dance competition

on a railway theme - winner was Railway Polka by John Short.
Highly commended - John Short's Railway Waltz  created to accompany the arrangement of Paling's tune published MW no.167, Feb 2005

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Mulga Wire no. 168, April 2005

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2014 Diamond Jubilee winners

Song - The Reedy River still flows by © Bruce Watson 2013  video

Chorus:
Time goes by, how the years they fly
And fashions may come and may go
But as long as there’s music, as long as there’s dance
The Reedy River still flows
The Reedy River still flows

In the far distant times of the Dreaming
When people first walked this land
There was music and dancing to sing up the spirits
To bring us together, every woman and man

Chorus

And from far distant lands others came
And still come to our bounteous shores
They bring stories and songs that tell who we are
And we dance round the room as did others before

Chorus

In far distant places through the bush of Australia
The song catchers tirelessly roamed
Collecting the stories and tunes of our country
Collecting the dances, the songs and the poems

Chorus

So let’s sing songs of those come before us
And let’s strike up the fiddle and bow
And let’s dance till we drop, and then sing one more chorus
So the River of Music still flows

Chorus

Hi Sandra

I'm absolutely delighted. I really appreciate the BMC running this project. For me it was a great catalyst for reflecting on the Australian folk music tradition and folk revival and what it means in our culture as well as in my life.I'm really pleased with the song I wrote, which I have now dipped into the that flowing Reedy River, hopefully adding to that tradition, keeping it strong and, like a river, constantly renewing.
Thanks to the BMC for making that happen - all power to you.
Cheers
Bruce
http://brucewatsonmusic.com/ 

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Verse - Australian Dreaming by Stephen Whiteside

You talk of old Australia, with the flooding rain and drought;
Of the shearer, of the drover; of the cook, the rouseabout;
You talk of paddle steamer, or of bullock team and dray;
It’s the noisy, smoggy city where we congregate today.

You talk of red Australia, and the hulking Uluru;
Of the emu and the brolga, of the bounding kangaroo;
You talk of Kata Tjuta, like a buried monster’s spine.
It’s in the boutique restaurants we like to meet and dine.

You talk of white Australia, and the mountains capped with snow,
Where only hardy currawongs and wombats care to go;
Or hibernating possums fast asleep beneath a drift.
We like a bright skyscraper with a fast ascending lift.

You talk of blue Australia, with its narrow rim of sand,
Where breaching humpback whales provide performances so grand;
Whale sharks up at Ningaloo, or dolphins in the surf.
The bitumen and footpath offer more familiar turf.

You talk of green Australia, with the moss, the ferns, the trees;
The dew drops in the morning, and the cool and healing breeze;
The nesting cassowaries, or the stealthy thylacine,
But we prefer the steady purr of petrol-fuelled machine.

We don’t think of Australia as we make our busy way
Through the surging hordes and traffic of another hectic day.
“No room for sentiment,” we say, but all’s not as it seems.
Australia comes, with scented gums, and greets us in our dreams.

© Stephen Whiteside 07.11.2013

http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au/

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Tune - Yabby Catcher by Maggie Somerville.

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Dance competition winners  (MW 226, Dec 2014)

General Bush Dance - Bimsey Flyer by John Short

Dancer's dance - Harbour Bridge Quadrille by Keith Wood
Highly commended - Duke's Jig by John Short

Multi figure quadrille - The Mulga Quadrille by John Short

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