Tenterden Folk Festival 2008 Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October

25th September 2008

Late additions to Festival guest list

As Tenterden Folk Festival approaches we are still finalising the line up of local and international guests.

The Buckthorn Band:

The Buckthorn Band was formed in about 2004 and plays a mixture of Irish and English traditional tunes and song.  The band is made up of Les Small (guitar, fiddle and vocals), Dave Auty (flutes, whistles and vocals), Mick Vallentine (banjo, guitar and vocals), Ken Dixon, (mandolin and vocals) and Roger Oakley (bass guitar, bodhran and vocals).  The band’s members are locally based and have played at Tenterden Folk Club on several occasions.  They will be playing in the Evans Bar from about 7.00 p.m. before the Welcome Barn Dance with the Committee Band and no doubt joining some of the Festival music sessions.

 Bells of Revival Choir:

Ashford’s own Bells of Revival Choir have been added to the guest list and will be performing on the Woolpack Stage on Saturday (4th October) at 12 noon.  The Choir’s members now all live in Ashford and recently sang at the Mayor’s Garden Party.  The majority of members, all women, attend the Ashford Christian Fellowship, based in Tufton Street, but come originally from many different African and Caribbean countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago.  They are all Christian women and are sisters in Christ and their songs and dances are in praise to God.  The Choir is part of The Bells of Revival Worldwide Ministries, a registered charity set up by Dr Rose Mutabaruka to preach the gospel to mankind and minister to women in need worldwide.

The Morena Slovak Dance Company:

The Morena Slovak Dance Company has joined us at Tenterden Folk Festival in the past and we are very pleased that they will be joining us for the weekend again this year.  They will be dancing in the High Street and joining the Festival Procession on Saturday.  This professional dance group was set up in December 2001 and is the only Slovak dance group in the UK, which adds a very different dance style to the Festival.  All the groups members are professionally trained Slovak dancers living or studying in London.  Morena offers a very colourful, energetic, fast, physical and acrobatic show based on traditional Slovak dances.

Festival information:

More details of Tenterden Folk Festival 2008 can now be found in the free souvenir programme which can be picked up from Tenterden Library, Ashford Tourist Information Centre, most festival venues and other outlets in Tenterden and Ashford