Hello and welcome to another diary.
It’s hard to believe that the year is half over. I know ‘where has the year gone?’ is a much-abused question – but ... where has the year gone?
South-East Queensland is now in the grip of its usual winter; clear skies, frosty mornings and biting westerlies – but the sun is warm if you can escape the wind. Although the promised ‘greater than average’ winter rain did not fulfil all the weather bureau’s hopes, we did have some good falls and more is predicted for summer.
I’m a little late with the diary this quarter. Like many of the Brisbane folk family, I was struck down with a particularly virulent form of bronchitis which is playing havoc with all our performances and making for meagre attendance at folk clubs. However, I am now back to singing, so if you are interested in any of my future performances, click Performances.
MP3 Affirmations now available: Brad and Maria Davis from Mercury Learning Systems LLC, who distribute my affirmations CDs on-line from America, are now set up to offer my songs of affirmation for children and adults in MP3 format. Individual songs from Special As I Can Be, Love is a Circle and Sing Your Way to Health, Wealth & Happiness can now be downloaded. Go to AcceleratedLearningMethods.com and click on ‘Treasure’ at the top to see my CDs. This information is also on Anne’s Music .
3rd Folk Redlands Festival: Held on the 7th & 8th June, this was another thoroughly enjoyable weekend festival. The performance stages were set up in the café and the garden and both attracted good audiences with the folk aficionados numbers swelled by day visitors to the Indigiscapes Centre and those attending the Indigi Day Out, which focuses on the environment with excellent information available from the profusion of interesting displays and stalls, on a range of environmental subjects from fire ants and bats to native flora. I performed on the Saturday then left early to catch my lift to Maleny for the ABOFOTS Folk Club in the Up Front Café. I returned to the festival the following day which rounded off a very good weekend of excellent folk singing.
Vale Bob Stewart: On Wednesday June 11the Brisbane folk family lost another multi-talented, well-loved and respected member – Bob Stewart. Bob was one of the original Wayfarers, a Brisbane folk institution, and often sat in with my sets, accompanying me on harmonica and penny whistle, which he played marvellously. In his last years Bob suffered from Parkinson’s disease and dementia was unable to continue playing and singing.
Bob’s life was celebrated in a lovely service (which he planned) followed by a great singing session and wake. I was touched to learn from his ex-wife Grace that Bob had requested that I sing at his funeral. I sang the traditional song Singing Bird which he always loved and gave a short talk on behalf of the folk community, which is reproduced below:
Anne Infante remembers Bob Stewart
Like many folkies, I first met Bob when I discovered the Folk Centre and the Wayfarers in the early 60s. All the Wayfarers performed solo sets as well – but where Bob came into his own was with his harmonicas and penny whistles. He was just superb!
Later, Bob began to sit in now and then with my sets, particularly when I played blues or calypso. I was always delighted to have his backing – he made me sound so good. One of my favourite songs with Bob was The Rose – he played a lovely mouth organ break in that and I’ve hardly sung it at all since he stopped playing. It’s just not the same without him. In calypsos, his whistles soared and danced and counterpointed the melodies – I think he had one for every key. I just had to say ‘It’s in C or D’ or any other, and he’d pick out a whistle or harmonica and away he’d go – no practise, sometimes no warning! I’d be singing something that I’d think would sound great with Bob and I’d turn to him, ask if he wanted to hop in, give him the key and know he’d ‘wing it’ brilliantly. I enjoyed hearing him play so much that I often got him to repeat the break - just for the pleasure of it.
One night Bob proved he also had a wicked sense of humour. In the Folk Centre days we all took ourselves pretty seriously – it was the time of the Vietnam War and protest marches and Bob Dylan’s protest songs like ‘The Times They Are A-Changing’ and ‘The Hour That The Ship Comes In.’ Bob amazed and startled us by getting up for his set with his guitar and harmonica holder – into which he’d inserted half a ham sandwich - at least I think it was ham – ham would certainly have been right! He then launched into a parody of a Dylan song in that angry early-Dylan style and when the harmonica break came at the end of each verse, he took savage bites out of the sandwich, reducing us to tears of laughter. It was just so unexpected and funny – except possibly not for the dyed-in-the-wool-Dylan fans – but the rest of us loved it and still occasionally remind each other of that wonderful moment.
When Bob’s hands began to shake too much to play whistle, he still played great harmonica – the Wayfarers had moved by then to the Kookaburra Cafe in Paddington and Bob could still play up a storm when he sat in with me – and I was always proud to play with such a talented musician. Eventually, though, he couldn’t manage anymore and stopped coming.
Grace brought Bob down to the Kookaburra again one night when I happened to be MC. I finished the night by getting all the singers up for a ‘jam session’ in which Bob joined. He led a couple of the old songs and joined in the choruses and I know he enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed having him for what turned out to be his last evening with us.
Wherever Bob is now, I’ll bet there’s great music and he’s sitting in with his whistles and harmonicas - just having a wonderful time.
Thank you, Bob.
Senior Moments : My impromptu, tongue-in-cheek group Senior
Moments continues its life; as well as Mary Brettell, Mark
Davidson and Rose Broe we have now been joined by the talented
flautist Robin Etter-Cleave (who played flute and whistle on my
children’s
CD Love is a Circle.) Robin has now recorded her own very
beautiful CD Notes From Squire Street in Alto and C flutes.
Lovely folk tracks arranged by Robin for flute and available from
her at www.altoflute.com.au.
Senior Moments was booked to perform on July 10th at
the Mad Ass Folk Club which is held on Thursday nights in the Muddy
Farmer Hotel at Annerley. Although Mary and I are both still recovering
from the ‘dreaded lurgy’ we managed one rehearsal beforehand
and our performance was enthusiastically received. |
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Crow Minder: I’m pleased to say that the first draft of this sequel to Kate Campbell’s convict adventures is fast drawing to a close. Of course, after the first draft comes many more revisions, readings, edits, more drafts; an author’s life is one of repetition. However, the initial story is nearly complete in spite of the many interruptions it has endured.
What’s Next?
As usual, many more folk club performances - I am booked in August for a solo set at the Mad Ass on August 28th (see Performances) at one of their regular Singer/Songwriter evenings. I’m also putting together my application to perform at the National Folk Festival in Canberra next Easter. I am still booking ‘special’ acts for the Kookaburra Folk Club and writing the club’s Folk Rag articles, so I’m busy and creative as usual.
May your year continue with much satisfying creativity and success.
Warm good wishes,