Report of 35th Colonial Subscription Ball, Maitland August 2015

The Bush Music Club holds its Subscription Ball in August each year. For many years this has been held at Maitland Town Hall, however, this year the Maitland Town Hall is unavailable for several months due to renovations and we have found a new location for the ball not far away. The Therry Centre has a large dance hall with a good wooden floor, stage and large carpeted foyer for supper. It is next to St Joseph’s Church, East Maitland with the entrance to the combined site on King Street.

 

Coalbrook Band - photo supplied by Catherine Strutt

Report from Stuart Hunt

What a fantastic night of dancing, not that I expected anything less. Although this may have been my first time at to the Maitland Ball it is not my first Ball. After returning to dancing almost two years ago, I have been to several Balls now. Although I went to the Pennant Hill workshop practices last year, I did not feel confident to attend the Maitland Ball.

photo supplied by Catherine Strutt

So what has changed to boost my confidence? Foremost, I am lucky to have an exceptional and very encouraging dance partner. Also, since then I have been to two Parramatta Balls, the National in Canberra, Bundanoon, Flannel Flower Ball and lots of workshops plus the Gosford and Concord rehearsals. 

 

photo supplied by Catherine Strutt

On the night the dancing was, as expected, of high standard. Not sure if I meet the standard for all the dances but I did enjoy myself. The catering was excellent and I also loved the punch and the scones with jam and cream a little too much.

 

 photo supplied by Catherine Strutt

Coalbrook were celebrating their 40th anniversary and must be one of the best bands I’ve heard. Their musicianship was outstanding, their timing superb and the explanation sheet of the Music performed will be a treasure to keep!

photo supplied by Catherine Strutt

Big thanks to my host Richard Fox for overnight stay …..

photo supplied by Bob McInnis

Then, the dancing and company of what I now consider friends, continued at the ‘recovery picnic’! The weather was beautiful it was another great experience. Thanks to Angus and team for the lovely lunch and Arthur for calling the dancing.

Don Richmond - photo supplied by Bob McInnis

I must congratulate all the organisers, especially Julia, for a job well done. 

 

Anthony Simon - photo supplied by Bob McInnis

Guess I have the bug as I’m off to Canberra this weekend, have tickets for Kangaroo Valley and plan to go the Flannel Flower Ball in Gosford again this year!

  
Elizabeth & Ian -  photo supplied by Bob McInnis

 

Antonella & Colin - photo supplied by Bob McInnis

Jen & Cath - photo supplied by Bob McInnis

Ros & friend - photo supplied by Bob McInnis

 

Neil Hardy & Julie - photo supplied by Bob McInnis

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4 photos supplied by Mike Young

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photo supplied by Arthur Kingsland
 

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Duke's Place - Australian songs in concert & session with Mike Martin & Lindsay Martin, 7.30-11.30pm, Friday 13th November 2015 + report

Click images for larger size

Mike Martin has traveled the world as a musician singer/songwriter. He is a respected collector of Australian traditional dance music with which he has spent many years recording, preserving, promoting and performing. He will be accompanied by Lindsay Martin (no relation!)

Instruments -- Anglo Concertina and Resonator Tenor Guitar 

After decades of playing traditional music & singing traditional songs, Mike recently started writing songs & is recording these songs as The Strelley Project.

Mike has recorded with the following bands -

Cocky’s Joy
Collector 
Alan Musgrove and Friends  
Barramundi Brothers
The Blowflies

Mike’s own projects -

Jindi                            CD - Jindi Plays Joe
KBO                            CD - Australian collected dance tunes
The Strelley Project    CD - The Strelley Project
Mike Martin                 CD - Postcard from Candelo

Awards -
The Australian National Busking Champion 2012 
winner of  The Dale & John Dengate Parody Cup, Illawarra Folk Festival, 2015

The Strelley Project. This is not Mike Martin the bush or folk music historian ... This is Mike Strelley Martin ... The musician, songwriter, thinker and philosopher. The Strelley Project is a finely crafted set of songs performed by a bunch of consummate local musicians ... While it is in many ways rooted in Mike's community of Candelo & the Bega Valley, the music will travel well .... There are songs here that will make you laugh ... and think .. and cry ....There are songs of protest ... of the environment .. of love of the bush and community (Review by Tim Holt ABC South East Radio)

Tritton Hall, Hut 44 Addison Road Centre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville 

Door opens 7.30 for 8pm start. Concert & supper 8-10,  session 10.00-11.30pm

BYO songs Cost - $10

Bring something to drink & a plate for supper

Enquiries - Sandra 9358 4886 
 

Artist & musician Helen Romeo with sign she created

Duke's place, named after our honoured early member Harold 'Duke' Tritton (1886-1965), is the place to go once a month for a great night of Australian songs in concert and session. Duke was a powerful singer who supplied BMC with many songs he had learnt in his younger days while working as a shearer and at other bush jobs. He was also a songwriter and poet giving us songs that have entered the tradition such as Sandy Hollow Line and Shearing in the Bar.

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(Photos © Sandra Nixon) 

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Review of Sydney production of Reedy River, Le Courier Australien, Friday 26th February 1954, plus program & costume designs.

Click on pictures for full-screen image

Another of Mark Gregory's TROVE finds, the earliest known review of the New Theatre's Sydney production of Reedy River which premiered in December 1953 published in the Sydney newspaper Le Courier Australien, Friday 26 February 1954 p.5.

Reedy River (published 26th February 1954)

If you want to go "all Australian", see the New Theatre's show, Reedy River. Whether or not you have ever been an admirer of old bush-ballads before, you will be converted into a collector of them and they will come high up in your list of national folk songs. Reedy River contains a selection of the warmest, most rollicking ballads I have ever heard. 

Jack Barrie (BMC archives)

The story which forms the structure of Dick Diamond's musical comedy is not particularly strong in itself. It centres on a group of shearers in the 1890's, struggling to win their cause against the employers, despite the recent defeat of their Union by large companies. Mixed up with the conflict of Unionist versus blackleg is a somewhat vague broken marriage, which is mended when June Cairnes as Mary Collins (the wife), realises that Milton Moore as Tom Collins (the man who looks like blackleg but is not) has actually talked all the other blacklegs with whom he is working into joining the Union, thus forcing their employer to pay Union rates, and employ his mates who have been stout Unionists all the time. 

(BMC archives)

The padding is wonderful. With excellent dialogue and production, the shearers and town-folk become a group of delightful individuals. "Irish", the typically tender, bull-headed type, is outstandingly portrayed by Kenyon McCarron. His handling of the argument scene is magnificent. Edmund Allison (as Thomo) and Milton Moore (Tom Collins) play such typical roles that one cannot imagine them any other way. All supporting roles are excellent, and in particular, Lyle O'Hara takes the character-role of the school-mistress with perfection. Her recitation of The Brook is a highlight of the performance. The other highlights are musical spots. Cecil Grivas (the swaggie) sings one especially haunting ballad--My Old Black. Billy, and the chorus numbers Lazy Harry's, Widgeegoweera Joe and Click go the Shears bring the house down. Milton Moore's voice is pleasing and every word of the shearing songs, sung by quite a large group, is distinct. The traditional musical accompaniment is extremely effective in these spots.

(BMC archives)

There is only one weakness. The mine sequence with the "Bush Picnic Ballet" is out of tone and fails in effect. The good-natured quipping (delivered with just the right amount of bushies' drawl), and the merry clowning in some of the ballads, provide the real substance of the presentation, thoroughly enjoyed by cast as well as audience. Sets of the pub, outside the shearing-shed, and in the schoolhouse are very well executed. Reedy River is showing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

--M.N. 

 (Curtain Call - BMC archives)

Australian Live Performance Date base entry on Reedy River, 1953/54  this production closed 30 April 1954.

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Photographs and, costume, poster and stage designs, mainly for New Theatre, Sydney, 1948-1988 / collected by David Milliss, including a volume for Reedy River is held by the State Library of NSW

These designs were for the first Sydney production of Reedy River, a musical play written by Dick Diamond (1906–1984), set in the outback during the aftermath of the great shearers’ strike of 1891. David Milliss used photographs in the Mitchell Library to source authentic images of nineteenth-century working-class dress on which to base his designs.
Reedy River was first performed by the New Theatre, Melbourne, on 11 March 1953. The Sydney production opened on 5 December.

Three images from the collections of the State Library of New South Wales.
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Program courtesy of Silvia & Tom Salisbury who appeared in this production - Silvia (Shepherd) in the chorus & Tom in Stage Management & Set Construction.

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notes -

John Meredith told Frank Maher that Hazel Phillips appeared in this production & Noel Ricketts has spoken to Hazel who confirmed the story (Noel, November 2017)

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