Life Members - Information on our 28 Life members - Part 6 - Colin Fong, Sharyn Mattern, Allen Davis

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Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 1. Sally Sloane, Duke Tritton, Clem Millward, Val Hennessy, John Meredith

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 2 - Herb Gimbert, Alan Scott, Gay Scott, Brian Loughlin, Pam Loughlin 

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 3. Jack Barrie, Janet Wakefield, Jamie Carlin, Bob Bolton, John Dengate  

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part 4  Dave Johnson, Frank Maher, Don Richmond, Helen Romeo, Harry Kay.

Life Members - information on our 25 Life Members  - part  5. Ralph Pride, Chris Woodland, Sandra Nixon, Wendy Richmond, Mike Young.

Colin at 1985 Subscription Ball
 (Collin Fong collection) 

Colin Fong - For his contribution in giving legal advice over the years and his many years editing Mulga Wire.

Sharyn's first Ball - 1983 Heritage Ball
(Sharyn Mattern collection) 

Sharyn Mattern has been an active member since 1983, attending and helping out at many BMC bush dances and balls. She was on the organising committee for the Club’s very successful 60th anniversary. At many Bush Music Club dances, folk festivals and Nursing Home jobs over the last few years, Sharyn has been playing her concertina and lately bodhran with the BMC Concert Party Band. Sharyn has guided the club professionally over the last 10 years as President, not an easy task especially during the Covid years, and continues to think of ways to encourage members and potential members to get involved in the Club.

Allen at Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, 2015 
(photo © Sandra Nixon)

Allen Davis joined the Bush Music Club in the late eighties and has been an active member ever since. He has been playing guitar and mouth organ with the BMC Concert Party Band for more than thirty years at Beecroft dances, folk festivals and other events. Allen has formed three Bush Bands over the years and has played at numerous Nursing Home jobs with the Allen Davis Trio and at Playford and English Country Dances with Friends of Jane. He has been Treasurer of the Club for twelve years and in that time has provided regular updates of the Club’s finances. Allen promotes the Bush Music Club whenever he can, taking time, for example, to appear on the Ross Fear’s radio program, playing music with a few other members to publicise the Club.

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From the Archives - Memorial Concert held on the 25th Anniversary of Declan Affley's death, September 2010

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(Photos © Sandra Nixon)

Declan Affley – a "rake and rambling man". A tribute after 25 years.   Advertising upcoming Concert on the 25th anniversary of Declan's death,  2010

            Concert at the Gaelic Club, with lunch the following day

Margaret Walters
Bob Campbell
Seamus Gill
Jeannie Lewis
Paddy Affley
Kate Delaney
Mike Flanagan
Colleen Burke
John Dengate
Brian Mooney
Margaret and Bob Fagan

1.  Concert audience 

2. Audience 

3. Performers - Bob Campbell,  Margaret Walters, John Dengate, Paddy Affley,
 Mark Gregory, Brian Mooney, Colleen Burke, Kate Delaney, Bob Fagan

4.  Anne & Frank Maher, Dale Dengate

5.  Audience

 

6. Audience 

7. Audience 

8. Performers - BobC, MargaretF, MargaretW, John, Paddy, Mark, Brian,
Colleen, Kate, BobF

9. Performers - BobC, MargaretF, MargaretW, John, Paddy, Mark, Brian,
Colleen  Kate, BobF 

10.  session

11. Session with Colleen, ?, John, Paddy, Max Elbourne, Kathy McMahon

12. John Dengate, Paddy,  Max 

13.  session

14. session

15. session

16. lunch

17. lunch  - Seamus Gill, John Dengate, Colleen

18. lunch 

19. lunch 

20. lunch 

21. lunch 

22. lunch 

23.  lunch 

 24.  lunch 

25. lunch 

26. lunch 

27.  Lunch

28.  Lunch

29.  Lunch

30.  Lunch

31.  Lunch

32.  Colleen, Seamus, John

33.  Colleen, ?, Dale, Seamus, Bob,  Paddy, Kate Scott, John

34.  Colleen, ?, Dale, Seamus, Bob,  Paddy, Kate, John

35. 

36. 

37. John, Colleen

38. John, Colleen

39. Paddy

40. Seamus, Dale 

41.  Seamus, John, Colleen, Dale

42.   Seamus, John, Paddy

43.  Seamus, John

44.  Seamus

45.  Seamus, John, Colleen

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Bob Bolton collection - Dave Alexander 1944-1997

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(Photos © Bob Bolton, collected for the 1997 memorial concert at The Loaded Dog) 

Dave Alexander tribute @ The Loaded Dog, 8PM, doors open 7.40pm, Saturday 19th August (3rd Saturday) 2017  -  20th Anniversary Memorial concert 

National Library - Dave Alexander collection - 49 audio cassettes, 7 audio reels, 1 computer disc Donated by Patricia Early in April 2003. This collection contains 57 items - List of the items 

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1.  13/10/1996

Dave Alexander, by John Warner, 1997

There’s an empty corner on a Friday night,
That you filled like a giant on the edge of the light,
And your scarlet poncho and your gentle, bearded face,
Were the mood and the spirit of the place.
We heard you stagger up the town hall stair,
And the fearful wheezing as you fought for air,
But you won that struggle and we saw you win,
You sung Northwest passage and we all joined in.

And it’s ee ah I can hew,
How the the whale fish spouted and the ale was new,
Dave has gone and we’ll all go too,
But by God we’ll sing some songs,
Before we do

We’ve sat and talked of Israel and the six day war,
You shared in the harmony of Albion’s shore,
You sang of the union, the struggles lost and won,
And then one day, old bastard, you were gone.
Though we all get together and the choruses still rise,
Your corner still stands empty to my thoughtful eyes.
A taxi swirls by in the drifting rain,
And I know you’ve found the road back home again

And it’s ee ah I can hew,
When the whale fish spouted and the ale was new,
Dave has gone and we’ll all go too,
But by God we’ll sing some songs,
Before we do

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10th Anniversary Memorial Concert - Cornstalk Article

Dave Alexander joined the great chorus in the sky 2 August 1997 – aged 52. He was a big bastard though he slimmed down to about 25 stone in his later years. I reckon if he'd been 5' 6" he would still have been a larger than life force on the folk scene – ever present at country folk festivals, clubs and sessions, belting out unaccompanied chorus songs and shanties. His blusterous behaviour often alienated your regular folkie (other XXXOX's complained that Dave gave them a bad name). But he could also be a gentle fellow and his passion for songs endeared him to many. And we also made allowances because of the pain he evidently suffered. Dave was a regular at the Friday night sessions at the Glengarry Hotel in Redfern where he encouraged others – especially newcomers to the scene. He was extremely generous in lending albums, making cassettes and writing out words for people.

In the year before he died, Dave was drawing up a list of songs to record and wanted various of the regulars at the Glen to join in the choruses. A group of us decided to make his dream a reality posthumously, and at the many wakes and concerts commemorating his death, we collected money for this purpose – with the Folk Federation of NSW kindly lending its facilities for caretaking the funds. Many volunteers listened to tapes that Dave had made over a couple of decades and Mike Reed cleaned them up and in some places, added fresh choruses recorded the team Dave had envisaged (under the title Dave had also selected – The Bilgewater & Fishtackle Ensemble). The CD titled: Singer at Large was put out in 1998. All costs were covered and there was even a little money left over that was made available for other Folk Federation recording projects. (I still have about 70 copies of the CD left – appropriately under my bed – well – you see – it's Dave's bed – made for him by Terry Gleeson – so I feel I can double my weight and still feel well supported!!

Ten years after Dave's death, Miguel Heatwole organised a commemorative session at The Friend In Hand in Glebe on Friday 3 August 2007. Nearly 50 people came – about 20 of which were frequent contributors to the sessions at the Glen; about 15 would have known Dave from clubs and festivals; and about 15 were new to the folk scene since Dave's time. All were people who shared Dave's love of chorus singing – and they were the order of the evening – I noted 50 songs sung. It was grand to see folks again – you only get a chorus that large at the National Folk Festival – and to know that that style of singing is still appreciated.

There was a heart-stopping moment when a young Indian man pulled out a sitar, played and sang; and suddenly everyone realised they were hearing a traditional Irish song with the refrain …"And you never will be able for to plough the Rocks of Bawn" – magic!

There was a collection to cover the rent of the upstairs room and the excess (about $140) was donated to Amnesty International.

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2.  24/2/1996

3.  25/3/1996

4.  14/7/1996

5.  23/11/96

6.  14/7/1996

7.  14/7/96

8. 26/8/95

9.  26/8/95

10.  undated 

11. 13/10/96

12. photo label 

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