My concert was on Saturday night in the Restaurant. I was honoured to be included with the great Frankie Armstrong (hearing her lovely voice raised in my choruses was a real pleasure); Sandra Kerr, a fine singer, songwriter and concertina player; Bob Blair, one of Scotland's best singers of lyrical songs and traditional ballads; John Dengate, truly an Australian national treasure with a vast repertoire of songs, poems and yarns; Keith McKenery, poet and president of the Festival Board; and, for me one of the 'finds' of the event, Les Barker, described as 'a strange English poet who used to be an accountant but he's better now.' I can't recall the last time I laughed till my sides ached and the tears ran down my face. I am supremely thankful I opened the concert and was not obliged to follow Les who finished with a tragic poem about a myopic Armadillo who fell in love with a concertina at a ball and couldn't wait to consummate his passion - and sex with a concertina can never be discreet. When Sandra got up to perform - with her concertina - she had to do two songs with guitar until the audience recovered.

I've written a review of the festival for the June Folk Rag.

I did two chalkboard concerts, which was also lucky, as there were always more performers than spots available. I'd also put my name down for the children's festival, as so many folkies have told me that their kids love Special As I Can Be (See Anne's Music). I did a half hour there, and was delighted to meet up with Helen, a woman who, years earlier, had made a point of meeting me in Brisbane when she was travelling through from NSW, especially to tell me how much her children enjoyed Special. It was lovely to see her again and she helped me illustrate Better and Better by standing up in front and putting her hands on the various parts of her body (as you just have to do when you sing Better and Better.) Roger Holmes conducts the Hymn Singing every year on Easter Sunday, so I got to sing lead in three hymns, including Just As the Evening Sun which is fast becoming one of my favourite songs (Ross Roache introduced me to it, from the singing of Ed Trickett).

We also had luck with the weather. After being told for years how cold Canberra is in April, and having packed all our winter gear, we found it was mostly sunny - and quite hot during the day. Like Brisbane in July, if you can get out of the wind. We had to buy sunhats! Okay, yes, it was cool at night, but I feel the horrors have been greatly exaggerated!

I came away with various new CDs and many great memories, all jumbled together in a glorious, confused mixture. In spite of the huge number of simultaneous events, we saw just about everything we wanted (sometimes by the sheer good fortune of strolling into the right venue at the right time). We were highly impressed by the environmental commitment that sees the major part of all the rubbish recycled/composted.

The whole event was impressive, inspirational and addictive. I'm thinking of making this a yearly 'must do!' date on my calendar.

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May 2003

This year is continuing in a music vein. For those who keep asking when am I going to write another Micky Douglas whodunit, I do have that in mind, and lots of other writing projects, but so far this year, music has taken top priority. I guess, as much as we'd like to, we just can't do everything at once.

I'm delighted with people's reaction to Seasons, which was released at the end of March. I received the following comments from Arthur Elliott, who presents the folk programme 'Sidestream' at Radio 99.7FM and who was kind enough to email me his critique. 

Arthur said, 'Let me start by saying that I also received a CD from a modern "folk" singer (who shall remain nameless) from the USA. The recording quality was crystal clear, the songs were embellished with the prettiest mandolins and other instruments, it SOUNDED lovely - but in my humble opinion it was still a bit empty. To me the songs seemed insubstantial - like gorgeously wrapped presents of little value. I found it hard to get interested in what he was singing, because there wasn't really much there.

On the other hand, I was interested in the songs on your album from the very first one - they tell stories, they involve the listener, the melodies are interesting, the backing is accomplished but unobtrusive - and so far I haven't found a song that I haven't liked. Your music sounds genuine, it has character and integrity; it has substance. 

'Thank you for sending it to me. I'll certainly be including it in my programme a lot.

'Best regards,

'Arthur Elliott.'

You can hear a couple of 'grabs' from Seasons on Anne's Music.

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June 2003

The good news for June was the continued success of the music book and CD of children's affirmations, Special As I Can Be (see Anne's Music). Southern Cross Creative are marketing the CD/music book package into schools and we are all delighted with the positive result.

If you are interested in this package for your school, contact Southern Cross Creative. They are also handling some bookshop sales. Click Here for Details.

July 2003

It's hard to believe that it's July already. The big question for this month is, am I going to the 38th National Folk Festival in Canberra in 2004 - and, if I am, I'd better download the Performer Application form and get it posted before the August 31st deadline.

I had such a great time at the 37th NFF last Easter (see Anne's Diary April 2003) and I reviewed the festival in the June Folk Rag. Next year I'd like to offer a workshop or some sort of themed concert, but don't know what, yet. I'm working on it - and it's nearly August already …

August 2003 :

After UK aromatherapist, Shirley Price, was kind enough to mention my tape of affirmations for adults Sing Your Way to Health, Wealth & Happiness in her new book Aromatherapy Workbook, I began to receive requests for it to be released on CD. That's the way forward, folks, so for the past couple of months I've been bringing that CD into being. The lovely and talented Mary Brettell, who is also my Webmaster, developed my very rough initial sketches into a delightfully colourful and positive cover and I had the tape transferred to a CD master.

Just picked up the completed CDs and they look great. If you'd like to check this one out, go to Anne's Music now. You'll also find a few bars to listen to, just to whet your appetite.

And, I've finally decided what to offer as a workshop/themed concert at next year's NFF, and have posted in my application. Just under the wire, but, as you can see, I've been busy. I'll tell you what I'm presenting if they accept my idea, so stay tuned. I just hope the weather is as warm as it was this year. I'll take my 'festival sunhat' just in case.

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Where has the year gone? Is it just are or me things really speeding up? Here we are in the final quarter - amazing!

Micky Douglas: For those who have been asking about my writing, I can finally bring you the good news that since September I've been revising and updating an old Micky Douglas whodunit, which was never published. It's been fun to revisit Micky and his new girlfriend Peta Ryde. I completed it in November and have submitted a book proposal to a publisher. So, fingers crossed.

Researching Convict Brisbane: Some of you know that between 2001 and 2002, I spent an absorbing 18 months researching convict Brisbane from 1824 to 1830, incorporating Patrick Logan's time as commandant, with the idea of writing a whodunit featuring a female convict detective. This researched also inspired the song Striped Jacket Girl which I recorded on Seasons. (For info re Seasons, click here)

The idea for a convict whodunit came originally from Bill Scott, singer, songwriter and folklorist extraordinaire, who fired my imagination with tales of Brisbane's convict past and its fascinating characters.

During my research I came upon intriguing references to a Miss O'Beirne, Patrick Logan's sister-in-law, who apparently lived with the Logans during some part of their time in Brisbane. Further investigation down this promising path revealed practically no further information, other than two tantalising entries in what remains of Peter Spicer's diary (he was Superintendent of Convicts at Moreton Bay and the longest serving officer of the penal settlement's staff) and a few lines in Charles Bateson's Patrick Logan, Tyrant of Brisbane Town.

If the mysterious Miss O'Beirne lived with the Logans and I was about to introduce my convict lass into the household, for historical accuracy I needed to know a good deal more. My wonderful Webmaster, Mary Brettell, who is a genealogy researcher for her own family history, put a request on the Net for me. Months later an American, Dora Wode, contacted Mary and Dora and I have corresponded via email ever since.

Dora is directly descended from the Logans through Patrick Logan's younger sister Janet (Jessie) who married Scottish minister, John Edgar, Dora's Great Great Uncle and loves researching her family history. She knew little about Patrick's wife Letitia's side of the family but threw herself into the search with gusto, studying letters, wills and other documents.

The results have been fascinating and fruitful. We now know more than we ever dreamed about Hannah Charlotte O'Beirne who, at 22 years of age, travelled out to Australia with the Logans, lived with them in Sydney and Brisbane, and returned to England with Letitia after Patrick's death. We also have considerable information about the O'Beirne family and their movements and have had an absorbing time delving into the lives of one Irish family and its connection with Australia's convict past.

Striped Jacket: So the original manuscript Striped Jacket is next on the list for revision, to add Hannah to the characters. As Dora seems to have discovered more than any other researcher, I'll collate all her information into an Author's Note and include it for those interested in our past history. (You may also email me if you'd like the information sent to you.) Thanks to an unexpected American connection and the tireless tenacity of the amazing Dora Wode, our Australian history is now a little richer than before.

New Children's CD: I'm now well into writing the affirmations for a new children's CD and am aiming for this production early in 2004. Keep your eye on New Releases.

I don’t know about you, but I’m writing Christmas cards and letters. It’s that time again. As the song says, who knows where the time goes?

I have a ticket to the Woodford Folk Festival this year. It’ll be my first time – yes, I’m a Woodford virgin! Although not an official performer, I hope to sing at some chalkboard events and am contributing to Maree Robertson and friends’ workshop Misery Loves Company. Saturday 27, 6 pm, Backstage Club, for a (hilarious) tear-jerking sing-along session of songs of love-gone-wrong and relationship misery. Tissues provided.

So far most of my knowledge of Woodford comes from Terry Jacobs’ brilliant The Woodford Song (also known as The Promised Land) so if the event is even half as crazy, I’m looking forward to my first experience.

I wish you all a happy Christmas, a joyous New Year – and may we all have peace throughout 2004.

Cheers until next time

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Welcome to another update of Anne’s Diary.

Woodford: The highlight of the New Year was, of course, Woodford. I’d been warned how hot it could be and was armed with water bottle, water cooled necktie and sun hat. To my great relief the weather was mostly comfortable, although walking to the Amphitheatre every day for choir practice was sometimes a challenge. After expecting last year’s National Festival in Canberra to be cold and finding it pleasantly mild instead, I’m beginning to think I must be lucky with festivals.

While Woodford does have its often-controversial share of ‘New World’ and ‘Alternative’ music, there was ample traditional acoustic, gospel, blues, shanties, etc, to please the most dyed-in-the-wool purists. Highlights were many: Martin Pearson and John Reed’s Snap, Popple & Crap breakfast show; the Johnson Stompers; Harry Manx; Bernard Bolan; Danny Spooner; Margret RoadKnight; Jenny Fitzgibbon; Tulca mór; Colcannon (a favourite from last year’s NFF); the fabulous Roaring Forties with John Warner and Margaret Walters; the insane Sensitive New Age Cowpersons – indeed, if you couldn’t fill six days and nights with your kind of music you’d be pretty hard to please. For outrageous humour Martin Pearson went head-to-head with JRR Tolkien in two hysterical parodies of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy – I’m still not sure if I’m an Elf or an Ent – and for those who love to step it out, the Dance Pavilion offered a never-ending stream of dances from all around the globe.

Alongside the continuous performances were excellent market stalls and a variety of food to delight any palate. The organization was outstanding and the festival ran smoothly and well, thanks to the multitude of volunteers. It was also nice to see environmental sensitivity - a considerable sum was raised for further tree plantings on the site. Woodford’s own radio station Planet Woodford broadcast from the site throughout the festival keeping information, interviews, news and music flowing.

I performed in Maree Robertson’s Misery Loves Company – I won a ‘comfort’ chocolate - and again in Margaret Walters’ Feisty Females session in the Singing Shed and joined the choir for the fabulous Fire Event in the Amphitheatre. Although the choir was positioned too close to the action and was showered with potentially hazardous burning cinders, which occupied us for a while beating out the sparks in each other’s hair and clothing, a good time was had by all.

ABOFOTS: No, it’s not some strange new language. ABOFOTS (A Bit Of Folk On The Side) is an excellent blackboard folk club held on the first Saturday of the month in the Upfront Café at Maleny, north of Brisbane. I discovered it late (only started going there in December) but have only missed one session since. It attracts fine performers from all around the district and from as far away as Hervey Bay – and a regular Brisbane contingent. It’s well worth the trip up from the city but be warned and be early to get a seat. Delicious, inexpensive food is served from 6:30pm and the café is licensed. Add to that a responsive, enthusiastic audience and what more could a performer desire?
The 38th National Folk Festival: Sadly I am unable to attend the National this year but will be there in spirit. The wonderful Roger Holmes left Brisbane with a box of Seasons for the Festival Shop and I armed him and the equally wonderful Shez Wright with Seasons posters and Blu-tack to poster every available corner of the site (including the loos.) Warm thanks, guys – I appreciate your valiant support. Hopefully no one will be able to visit the amenities without finding me smiling at them.

This year my creative agenda is once again full and bursting at the seams:

Micky Douglas: Micky is still languishing at the publishers. Watch for more news.

Striped Jacket: Thanks to my American researcher, Dora Wode, I now have all the information about Hannah Charlotte O’Beirne that I need to revise my convict manuscript Striped Jacket and am well on the way with that project.

New Children’s Affirmations CD: The affirmations are ready for the new children’s CD (as yet untitled) and we’ll start seriously working on recording after Easter.

New Adults’ Affirmations CD: I’ve begun collating affirmations for a new adults’ CD, gathering the songs together as they arrive in my head. Sounds good, so far. Watch New Releases for both of these CDs.

CD Distributor – anyone? I’m now seriously searching for a distributor to take my affirmations CDs into ‘new age’ and other book/CD stores Australia-wide. If you have any contacts, email me at ainfante@eis.net.au and win a permanent place on my gratitude list.

Happy Easter and may the Easter Bunny (or more correctly the Easter Hare – but who remembers in these ultra-commercial times?) bless you with every happiness, new life, new birth, new growth – but not too much new chocolate! Sorry, chocoholics, but I calls it like I sees it!

Remember Wednesday nights at the Kookaburra Café folk club, upstairs room, 280 Given Terrace, Paddington, in sunny (mostly) Brisbane. Come on up and enjoy some great singing and excellent pizza and say hello.

Cheers until next time

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April – June 2004

Winter is finally upon us in sunny Brisbane. We enjoyed such a long Indian summer it felt as if the cold weather would never arrive. Now, as I write this, I have a heater warming my toes and a raw south westerly battering my window.

Stan Arthur: On the 14th April I was devastated to receive a phone call from June Nichols with the sad news of Stan Arthur’s death from a heart attack. Stan, singer, songwriter, folklorist, collector and historian, was one of my oldest friends and mentors, as well as the leader of the Wayfarers, the resident group at the Kookaburra Café. His wife Kathy had been ill, so he’d missed the previous Wednesday night’s session and I’d recorded several TV programmes, which I knew he’d enjoy and wouldn’t have had time to see. I was left holding the videotape with a sense of deepest loss as my mind grappled with the unbelievable concept of a future without Stan.

That night, shocked performers began to gather upstairs at the Kookaburra Café as news of Stan’s death slowly spread through the folk family. His funeral was held the following Wednesday afternoon and later Stan’s many friends, old and new, packed the upstairs rooms of the Kookaburra Folk Club, all wanting to sing him one last song and send him off in style. There were so many singers we were restricted to two songs each – and it was a memorable evening.

The remaining Wayfarers, Ross Roache, John Lewis and Ian Clark, have decided to continue the Club, taking turns to run the evenings, so you’ll still find us there on Wednesday evenings, singing and sharing songs. Stan is very much missed for his amazingly wide repertoire collected over nearly sixty years, his special solo sets, his lovely voice, and his generosity in sharing his large collection.

The folk community is planning a Stan Arthur Memorial Concert for the 25th September. This will be an annual event to raise funds for a grant or award in Stan’s name to support collecting/recording folk music. Check the Folk Rag for further details.

A Folk Rag reader generously paid for a tribute page for Stan. I wrote the following and include it here with the permission of the Folk Rag.

Stan Arthur Tribute

I might never have become a singer/songwriter if it hadn’t been for Stan Arthur.

In 1962/63, my sister Juliette and I first discovered The Folk Centre, a dark café down a laneway behind the Salvation Army Hall in Ann Street. It was typical ’60s - candles in bottles on the tables, meals on toast, tea and coffee. The resident group, the Wayfarers, comprised Stan Arthur, Garry Tooth, Bob Stewart and Theo Bosch. Some of the excellent floor singers were Sue Edmunds, Danny and Peter Gillespie, Keith Smith, Michael O’Rourke, Evan Mathieson, Bill Scott and Rhys Owen – to name but a very few.

We loved the atmosphere and the songs (we’d been raised on traditional folk songs but never knew it until then). We quickly became regulars, attending three wonderful nights a week.

I decided I had to sing. I timidly approached Stan, wondering why I was putting myself through that level of fear. He was kind, supportive and generous with his time and material. Stan was passionately committed to encouraging beginners to ‘have a go’. With a typical ‘Of course, Lovey,’ he asked what songs I knew and ran through them with me, accompanying me on guitar while I tried out the many Irish, English and Scottish ballads and calypsos he taught me, finding my tentative way and developing as a singer on a rich diet of wonderful material Stan considered suitable for a 17-year-old.

Eventually I taught myself guitar and plucked up the courage to accompany myself. Many years later I found within me the gift of making songs.

Although I left Brisbane and The Folk Centre to live and sing for a while in New Zealand, returning to run The Barley Mow Folk Club on Thursday nights in the late Cecil Hotel in George Street, those early years with Stan remained with me. He inspired in me a love of and respect for folk music, an appreciation of songs that ‘tell a story’ and an insatiable thirst for folk history.

Years ago Juliette rediscovered the Wayfarers – a different line-up but still led by Stan – playing in a basement café in Edward Street. Stan welcomed me with typical enthusiasm and I started performing there, later following the group to the Kookaburra Café in Paddington.

I am deeply grateful for the kindest of Fates that brought me back to Stan. I’m grateful for the many years of listening to the old familiar Wayfarers songs – and many great new ones – and all of Stan’s excellent solo sets. And for his continual support and generosity in sharing his music to the end.

Stan’s passing has brought the end of an era. He will be deeply missed and I am eternally thankful for having known him, for his friendship, encouragement, inspiration, enthusiasm and love.

Thanks, Stan.

For other Stan Arthur tributes, click here for the Folk Rag Rogues Gallery Tribute Page.

After the grief had settled I put my thoughts into a song for Stan.

My Friend Stan
© Anne Infante 27th May 2004

My friend Stan, he was a singer
He had a way with a song, all right!
My friend Stan had a voice like an angel
And he sang most all of his life
Though I’m sorry to say Stan passed away
I know he got to Heaven all right
And there’s one thing I know for sure
Stan is singing with the angel band tonight

My friend Stan served in the Navy
Loved the ships and the sea and the life
My friend Stan sang the songs of the sailors
Focsle songs and shanties and the like
Though a heavenly choir wasn’t quite his style
I reckon he’ll be all right
’Cause there’s one thing I know for sure
The angels are singing sea shanties tonight

My friend Stan came to Australia
Loved an Australian lass
Told an Aussie yarn just like a true-blue
You’d swear he was born in the Aussie bush
Travelled the country collecting the stories
The folklore and songs of the life
So there’s one thing I know for sure
The angels are singing Australian songs tonight

My friend Stan championed the cause
Of the working man all of his life
My friend Stan supported the unions
And sang of their struggles and strife
Sang of labourers and miners and the factory floor
Stan stood for the workers’ rights
So there’s one thing I know for sure
The angels are singing union songs tonight

My friend Stan, he liked a bit of bawdry
Liked a song with a bit of a bite
My friend Stan sang Music Hall songs
Just like he’d been born to the Music Hall life
Henery the eighth, the flying trapeze man
The hole in the elephant’s tights
So there’s one thing I know for sure
The angels are singing Music Hall tonight

My friend Stan had the blood of the Irish
A rebel Irishman to the life
My friend Stan was a friend of the Clancies
The Irish Rovers and the like
Up the republic! Follow me to Carlow!
He sang them with all of his might
So there’s one thing I know for sure
The angels are singing rebel songs tonight

My friend Stan he sang calypsos
Sang songs of Caribbean life
My friend Stan had a mean sense of rhythm
And he strummed his guitar, man, with all of his might
Sang the songs of Jamaica, Trinidad and Haiti
Of islands in the sun and of tropical nights
So there’s one thing I know for sure
The angels are singing calypso songs tonight
One more time now … the angels are singing calypso songs tonight
A little softer … the angels are singing calypso songs tonight
A little louder… the angels are singing calypso songs tonight

My friend Stan ran the Folk Centre
Folk music was the love of his life
My friend Stan formed the Wayfarers
A group with a permanent extended life
Members came and members went
But Stan kept them going all right
So there’s one thing I know for sure
The angels have joined the Wayfarers tonight

My friend Stan he gave me my start
And I knew him for most of my life
My friend Stan encouraged beginners
And gave them a share of the light
And many owe a debt to a generous man
Who shared his music the whole of his life
So there’s one thing I know for sure
We’ll all be singing Stanley’s songs tonight

For my friend Stan, he was a singer
He had a way with a song, all right!
And there’s one thing I know for sure
We’ll all be singing Stan Arthur’s songs tonight

www.com: Have you noticed my new Web address? If not, then you arrived at the old address on my email page and were linked to the new page. In future, go to www.anneinfante.com. Yes, I’ve finally joined the World Wide Web. My amazing Webmaster Mary Brettell is busy working on a whole new page design, which should be up and running soon.

Micky Douglas: No news about Micky yet. Stay tuned.

Striped Jacket: I’m happy to announce that the Striped Jacket revisions adding Hannah Charlotte O’Beirne have been completed and a publisher contacted. After reading my book proposal they asked to read the full manuscript – so, fingers crossed. Much of an author’s life consists of waiting for news from publishers. However, it gives us time to begin the next project, which is …

Fiddle Cakes: The second of my Brisbane convict tales. The title refers to an instrument the convicts called a ‘fiddle’ which was a grater made from a piece of tin or zinc with holes punched in it with the end of a file and nailed onto a piece of flooring board. With this ‘fiddle’ they grated down stolen cobs of maize for meal to cook and eat on the sly. The maize meal was mixed with boiled sweet potatoes and the whole baked as a damper. One convict described fiddle cakes as ‘better than any pie going’, which explains why they risked punishment via the lash and the treadmill to make and bake these treats. There is a grisly story regarding the acquirement of a piece of tin for a ‘fiddle’ – which gave me the inspiration for this new story.

New Children’s Affirmations CD: This project has been put on hold for the time being. All sorts of disruptions have made me realise the time isn’t right yet. Keep watching New Releases.

Remember, if you’re in Brisbane, drop up to the Wednesday night Kookaburra Café Folk Club, upstairs room, 280 Given Terrace, Paddington. Enjoy some great singing and excellent pizza and say hello. Floor singers are always welcome.

Cheers until next time

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July – September 2004

October – December 2004

I read a wonderful quote today by Anais Nin …

The Stan Arthur Inaugural Memorial Concert:
What a wonderful night that was. The hall was packed with folkies from the Folk Centre days to the Kookaburra Café – 40 years worth of friends to catch up with – a spectacular evening. Garry Tooth, one of the original Wayfarers, came up from New South Wales and joined Brian Whitlow and Peter Robinson for an ‘old’ Wayfarers set – except Peter claims he was the only man in the room who hadn’t been a Wayfarer! They sounded wonderful – that old gutsy energy! The current Wayfarers were tremendously impressed that these guys could produce such a great sound after only one afternoon’s practise when they hadn’t seen each other for years. If you’ve got it, you never lose it. Mary Brettell took a swag of photographs. Here we are, having a great time.

The Wayfarers - Don, Ross, John H, Ian and John L	Anne
The audience certainly had a good time	A gathering of Wayfarers past and present

The concert raised over $1000 and we are now in a position to call for folkies seeking funding for a project to apply. If you think you might qualify for a grant application forms can be obtained from

or tel: (07) 3366 2248 or by writing to Anne Infante 37 Bennett Road, The Gap, Qld 4061.

The Londonderry Country, Blues & Folk Festival: I enjoyed my time at this festival. It was held over the weekend of 6th & 7th November but sadly, although the organization was professional, from the sound engineers to the festival staff, the audience was poor – surprising for a rural community asked to support their own fire-fighters; heroes every one, who fought bravely in the Canberra fires and who volunteer to risk their lives every summer defending others’ property. The poor public response meant that performers relying on CD sales to fund their trip were disappointed. The festival was held on the Londonderry Oval, so was all outdoors. Some were happy to sit outside, but most sheltered from the very hot sun during the day under a large marquee provided some distance from the stages. On the Sunday more shelter was provided closer to the stages.

On the plus side, two sound stages, side by side, meant that as one act was performing, the next was setting up, making for minimal delays with sound checks etc, and smooth shifting from one act to the next. This excellent idea saved hours of boring delays between setting up groups and individual performers – and kept the festival running pretty much to time.

Another definite plus was the quality of the performers. While I didn’t catch all the acts, those I did see could mostly be graded from very good to outstanding. Graeme Johnson ‘The Rhymer from Ryde’ was MC and also gave us some excellent bush poetry – traditional and contemporary, delivered with vibrancy and humour. I last saw Graeme at the 2003 NFF. An excellent choice for MC, he worked tirelessly all weekend.

Latitude, a three-piece folk, blues and bluegrass band sang a lovely version of Poor Wayfaring Stranger to a model tune I’d never heard before. Gael Mor from Hornsby performed mostly Irish and Australian music accompanied by accordion and guitar. They did an excellent upbeat version of Hard Times.

I particularly enjoyed Henry Correy and the Correydors – a swing/blues band from Wollongong whose music has an attractive rock’n’roll/jive beat. Alan Kash (no relation to Johnny Cash, to his regret) performed Neil Diamond, Guy Mitchell and Johnny Cash songs in an attractive mellow country style. Craig Pittendrigh from Victoria sings original songs about an ordinary bloke and his trials – written in a simple, almost William McGonagall style - which were a big hit with the audience. The Sign from Victoria played a couple of excellent sets of their original songs, with a compelling rock/blues beat, and won my heart by having a ‘domestic’ on stage. Dharma, a trio of singer/songwriters performed with electric keyboards, bass and guitar. Brian Elkington also sang his excellent original songs – a pleasure to hear.

Another band playing original music, and definitely worth hearing, was Strum, a 3-piece country/rock band from Wollongong. One of their songs The Weatherman has been in the top 10 on the country lists and they have another charting. Also making a name for himself is Brock Colley, a 17-year-old country singer/songwriter from Armidale. Brock is a young man going places in a hurry. He has a good publicity team behind him and a single just under the top 30 on the country lists. His voice is mature, his original songs appealing and he sang a sensitive and warm version of Woody Guthrie’s You Were Always On My Mind. I can see Brock becoming a major country music star –he’ll probably take Nashville by storm.

Bob Bolton fronted two bands - Bushfolk, a traditional bush band with violin, guitar, banjo and accordion, singing songs like The Road to Gundagai, All For Me Grog, Croajingalong and 5 Miles From Gundagai as well as playing some spritely waltzes, designed, according to Bob, to show a glimpse of the ladies petticoats as they danced – shocking! - and the Blue Mountains Bushfire Brigade German Band, which played polkas, mazurkas and waltzes from the 19th century German settlers’ homeland, using an attractive mix of trombone, concertina, trumpet and banjo. They also played some Berlin Schottisches, which, when all things German became unacceptable during WW1, were renamed Baghdad Schottisches. Now we worry about Baghdad – oh, well!

Lost‘n’Found are a folk duo who call themselves ‘modern swaggies’, having traded their home for a caravan in which they travel the folk circuit performing at festivals and country fairs. They play a mixture of contemporary and traditional Australian and Irish songs, backing themselves on guitar and tin whistle. They delivered a completely strange version of Augathella Station – presumably a ‘southern’ version – which managed to not mention any of the place names along the stock route but concentrated on the drovers themselves. The tune and chorus were the only recognisable bits. Celtic Fire also played a mix of Irish and Australian material using guitar, whistle, bodhran and accordion. Barefeet, an acoustic country trio from NSW sang some good original songs and the Mothers of Intention, a female group (except for their male fiddle player – a Father of Intention?) played a couple of excellent sets in a 'Steeleye Span’ mode, accompanying themselves on bodhran and guitar. They did bright, dancing versions of The Raggle Taggle Gypsies and The Rocky Road to Dublin, as well as a couple of Crosby, Stills & Nash songs – a lovely version of Helplessly Hoping – and a charming Irish traditional ballad Mantle So Green.

Marea, a lady with an excellent blues/gospel voice, teamed with guitarist Bob Spencer to deliver original songs in a funky/blues/modern jazz style. Anni Piper also sings blues, has an outstanding voice and is getting lots of airplay on ABC radio. She plays electric guitar but was also backed by an acoustic guitarist, Alan Van Der Linden.

As well as the singers, there were two dance groups - the Australian Heritage Dancers demonstrating colonial dances from the 1850s, the ladies dressed in pantaloons, petticoats and hooped crinolines – and fanning themselves vigorously in the heat - and the Sydney Playford Dancers performing English country dances: the men in knee breeches, white stockings and brocade waistcoats; the women in attractive dresses of the Jane Austin period.

One of the festival highlights was Col Ray Price from Tumut. Col Ray sings Delta blues on a range of guitars, including two Dobros, with a hard driving, infectious style that delighted an appreciative audience. On Sunday, ‘Reverend’ Larry (Harp Dog) Gorden, Col Ray’s friend from the Central Coast, joined in his last set on mouth harp. They were brilliant and I could have listened for hours.

Raelene Bruinsma from Melbourne has joined up with guitarist and singer Stephen Pinzone as Two’s A Crowd. Raelene has performed in Brisbane and at Woodford. She has a lovely strong voice for blues and gospel as well as being an accomplished flautist. They closed the festival with the final set that had the last remaining die-hards clapping, dancing and calling for more.

Altogether, it was good weekend with some really great entertainment. The Londonderry Country, Blues & Folk Festival will be back next year and is definitely worth a visit.

Also in November Tired of the Struggle, a song from my CD Seasons, made it to the finals of the Australian Gospel Songwriting Competition – came 2nd in its category. I’ve been invited to attend next year’s National Gospel Happening, a big annual festival in Canberra, and to co-host a gospel workshop. Sounds fun. The songwriting competition is the big finale.

On the 4th of December, I had the pleasure of co-hosting ABOFOTS at Maleny with Brisbane folkie Ian Clarke. Pawl Lawler, our usual host, is a pyromaniac (sorry, that should be pyrotechnician) and is organising the Woodford Fire Event so couldn’t be at the club that night, leaving a breach that we happily stepped into. An excellent evening, as usual, despite rookies being in charge.

I’m ending the year as I began – at Woodford. I’m singing in some sessions, helping out as a volunteer in the Singing Shed, a venue where anyone can get up and sing, and hosting a gospel session with some rousing ‘good news’ choruses. Mary Brettell and Helen Rowe (and friends) will be joining me for the gospel hour and it should be a great session full of tight harmonies and high energy. All in all, I won’t have time to recover from Christmas! I’ll have to catch up with leftover Christmas cake and mince pies in January.

You can catch me at the following sessions – do come up and say hello.

Date	Venue	Time	Session
Monday 27th	Singing Shed	12:00 noon	Blackboard Folk Club
Monday 27th	Singing Shed	5:30 pm	Silly vs Sad Songs
Tuesday 28th	Singing Shed	7:00 pm	Parody Paradise
Thursday 30th	Singing Shed	2:00 pm	Gospel Tradition
Thursday 30th	Singing Shed	8:30 pm	Rock Around the Clock
Friday 31st	Singing Shed	12:00 noon	Blackboard Folk Club
Friday 31st	Singing Shed	7:00 pm	Country & Bluegrass Chorus
Saturday 1st Jan	Singing Shed	12:00 noon	Songs of Joan Baez

Crow Minder: Crow Minder is coming along nicely – however, as Christmas and Woodford are currently taking precedence, writing has been shelved for now until at least the New Year. I was delighted to hear that my American email-pal, Dora Wode, who obtained so much information about Letitia Anne Logan and her sister Hannah Charlotte O’Beirne, (see Anne's Diary: September - December 2003 Researching Convict Brisbane) and who is half Australian, is coming over in September for a visit with her relatives and will stop over in Brisbane for a few days. I’m gong to take her around convict Brisbane and show her where her famous ancestor Patrick Logan lived and worked. They now have his portrait at City Hall, in a new museum there.

I was so pleased to have such a wealth of information on Hannah, where no one had managed before, that I rang the John Oxley library and caught up with a charming man who had helped me to not discover anything a couple of years ago and who remembered me – he was very pleased to hear of my success and had me email all the info over. Apparently they keep a special file for this. At least I can save other researchers all the hassle I went through.

What's Next?

Love Songs for St Valentine’s Day at the Kookaburra Café: Yes, there’s another song writing contest happening at the Kookaburra Café. To celebrate St Valentine’s Day, we are holding a quest to discover the most saccharin, schmaltzy love song in existence. (Think ‘moon’, ‘June’ and ‘honey, I love you!’) I’ve already written mine. Performance night will be the 16th February, the closest we could get to the actual day for lovers. I was very proud to win the Miserable Songs contest with my Sad Orphan Girl song.

The Kookaburra Café is an eminently suitable venue for folk music, with historical links back to 1885. I wrote an article on the building and its interesting background for the December Folk Rag. Check it out in the December (No 92) Issue of the Folk Rag. It's at the top of page 5.


So, if you’re in Brisbane, and especially on the 16th February, drop up to the Wednesday night Kookaburra Café Folk Club, upstairs room, 280 Given Terrace, Paddington. Enjoy some great singing and excellent pizza and say hello. Floor singers are always welcome.

However you celebrate Christmas/Solstice/New Year, may you have a peaceful, joyous and safe festive season … and may you also take the risk to blossom in 2005.

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January – March 2005:

Welcome to another wonderful new year.

2005 is a 1 year for me, numerologically speaking. It is also the year of the rooster in Chinese astrology – and not just any rooster. This is the year of the Wood Rooster. The last Wood Rooster year was the year I was born, so life has come full circle for me and I’m looking forward to a great year full of new beginnings, exciting happenings, creativity and great energy.

I’ve already had a wonderful start to the year with New Year’s Day at the Woodford Folk Festival. Last year I joined the Singing Shed team and enjoyed some superb sessions with some of Australia’s best performers. Can’t wait until December to do it all again!

I spent Easter in Canberra at the National Folk Festival and had a great time listening to the cream of the world’s performers in a breathtaking feast of singing, playing, dancing, storytelling and poetry over five wonderful days and nights. Three of the best from the UK, Keith Donnelly, Bob Fox and Les Barker are continuing with Australian tours and are on their way to Brisbane, so I’m looking forward to seeing them again.

Love Is A Circle: I am finally preparing to produce my new children’s CD of positive songs and affirmations. It now has a name - Love Is A Circle. After waiting months for the right energy, one final song, the title song, arrived and recording should begin in May. I’m delighted by the way it’s now coming together. Watch New Releases for this one.

Crow Minder: Crow Minder is developing slowly, with many interruptions of a folk singing/music kind. These show no signs of abating, so my second convict whodunit is still mostly ‘on hold’ for now.

The Stan Arthur Memorial Award: It’s been such a joy to be associated with this award which keeps alive the memory and work of a great Australian folk singer, songwriter and collector. In March we announced two recipients of the award – see The Folk Rag. The East Brisbane Bowls Club has been booked for Saturday September 24th for the second annual concert to raise funds for the award. We’ve yet to decide on which artists to invite to perform but with so many fine performers, we’ll be spoilt for choice.

Sale ..…. Sale ….. Sale ….. Sale ….. Sale ….. Sale ….. Sale ….. Sale ….. Sale

To clear some space for new productions, I am offering the last of my New Age cassette albums at a reduced price.

		Three cassette albums of songs to uplift your spirits and make your heart sing
	The Four Dragons
	Flight

What others have said:
‘She sings all her own songs which are beautiful and restful. Anne Infante’s voice is reminiscent of Joni Mitchell’s and on The Four Dragons we have a Australian singer/songwriter of great talent.’
(Review by Alan Kennedy, Cleo Magazine)

‘Anne Infante lends her lovely voice to music which blends the spiritual with an earth-like quality. She gives substance to an ethereal host of songs in a popular music form.’
(Critique from Findhorn Community, Scotland.)

All the lyrics are included. These tapes are not available on CD so, if you’d like to enjoy some beautiful songs at almost cost, click on to Anne’s Music for details of how to purchase and some more testimonials from very happy listeners.

I hope 2005 brings you all the success and joy you desire.

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April – June 2005:

We’re having a pleasantly warm winter season here in Brisbane , which certainly helps to fuel my energy. With so many projects coming to fruition, I appreciate the milder weather. I’m usually such a bear in winter – just want to hibernate with a warm drink in front of a heater.

As I expected, this Wood Rooster year is full of new beginnings, creativity and exciting happenings.

Love Is A Circle : My new children’s CD is well under way. Most of the recording has been completed and I’m very happy with the bright combination of guitars, piano, accordion, whistle, flute, piccolo and percussion. I love the way my fellow musicians have joined with me, playfully and creatively, to add their special flair to these positive children’s songs of affirmation. All that’s needed to complete the CD is the children’s choir. Mary Brettell is presently working on the art and text, so … won’t be long now. Keep watching New Releases.

Three New CDs: There’s still so much interest in my ‘New Age’ cassette albums Think Of It This Way, The Four Dragons and Flight that I’ve decided to release them on CD. I’ve just received the CD masters for a final review and they sound great. The music is so beautiful and the lyrics positive and uplifting. Cassettes of The Four Dragons and Flight are still available as cost price, so click here for details and testimonials from other very happy listeners.

An Exciting New Opportunity : Brad and Maria Davies from Mercury Learning Systems LLC, who distribute my affirmations CDs on-line from America , are in the process of converting the songs from Special As I Can Be and SingYour Way to Health, Wealth and Happiness to MP3 format to offer them for downloading at 99¢ per song. They will also make the lyrics available for downloading in PDF format. This exciting experiment with new technology will make these positive songs for adults and children much more widely available. They will also continue to market the CDs, thus giving their clients the best of both worlds. Click here to go to their web page.

Of course, I still sing every Wednesday night at the Kookaburra Café Folk Club (280 Given Terrace, Paddington) and whenever I can on the first Saturday of the month at the ABOFOTS in the Upfront Café in Maple Street , Maleny. I hope to see you there.

I hope that the second half of 2005 is a wonderful a time of creativity and enjoyment for you.

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July – December 2005:

Some exciting Gospel news: Encouraged by the success of Tired of the Struggle (from my CD Seasons), which came second in its category in the 2004 Australian Gospel Songwriting Competition, I submitted a new song to this year’s competition. Sweet Gospel Choir was written especially for the Gospel session I hosted last December at the Woodford Folk Festival and I’m delighted that it has survived the rigorous judging and is now a finalist out of a record number of entries across all states and territories and is eligible for an award at the National Gospel Happening in Canberra . I’m also hosting the Gospel session at the Singing Shed at this year’s Woodford on Sunday January 1st from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. What a great way to sing in the New Year.

After a few brief days of spring-like weather, summer has arrived with a vengeance bringing with it some wild hot winds and early bush fires. I can hardly see the mountains for smoke and the house is full of it. Two great fire-fighting helicopters have been buzzing overhead, dumping tonnes of water onto the worst of the flames with pin-point accuracy.

However, my Wood Rooster is not letting me flop into the cool and relax just yet. So, to update you on my various projects…

The second Stan Arthur Memorial Concert to raise funds to support Queensland folk projects in the late Stan Arthur’s name was held on September 24th and was an excellent evening. I opened the concert with My Friend Stan, the song I wrote after his death. There was a great line-up of performers, a multiple-prize raffle and lots of delicious home-cooked goodies for the attendees. Brisbane audiences aren’t shy about joining in the choruses, so the wonderful singing wasn’t all from the stage.

Love Is A Circle: The recording of my new children’s CD is finally complete; I just need to distance myself from it a little before giving it one last long hearing to make sure I’m completely happy. Mary is well underway with the artwork and I expect to have this CD for sale by the end of October. So - keep watching New Releases. The Love Is A Circle Songbook will follow shortly.

Three More New Releases: The CDs of Think Of It This Way, The Four Dragons and Flight are nearly ready. I’ve just signed off on the artwork of Think Of It This Way and Flight will be ready to go next week. The final art for The Four Dragons is underway – so these, too, will see the light of day very soon and will also be on New Releases by the end of October. Remember, if you’d like to have copies of the original cassettes, they are available at cost price, so click here for details and testimonials from other very happy listeners.

Will I be able to put my feet up then? Not likely. I now have Woodford and the Singing Shed to plan for – and will really enjoy spending the last week of 2005 at the festival, soaking up the music, stories and poetry and contributing my own mite to the fun.

Walking Convict Brisbane : For the last week in September I had the pleasure of spending 5 days with Dora Wode, my American email-pal and tireless researcher into the lives of Patrick Logan (the Moreton Bay settlement’s third commandant), his wife and sister-in-law. (See Anne's Diary: September - December 2003 Researching Convict Brisbane ). It was such a pleasure to be able to take her around Brisbane’s few remaining historical sites dating directly back to our convict roots and show her where the Logans lived. She left fired with enthusiasm for even more research into her famous ancestor’s life. Luckily, we had great weather and she just beat the sudden temperature rise and the fires.

What’s Next? I’m full of creative ideas for 2006, when much of the work I’ve done this year on new beginnings and new projects should consolidate and grow. A fun project in the pipe-line should be launched early next year – more of that later.

If you’re planning a visit to Woodford during the festival, drop into the Singing Shed, say hello and join in a chorus or two. As always, the Kookaburra Folk Club will be closed for the last Wednesday in December and the first in January, but after that brief hiatus, I’ll be back singing on Wednesday nights. The address is upstairs at the Kookaburra Café, 280 Given Terrace, Paddington, Brisbane. And, of course, whenever I can, I’ll be at ABOFOTS in the Upfront Café in Maple Street , Maleny on the first Saturday of the month. Perhaps I’ll see you there.

I wish you a joyous and peaceful Christmas/Solstice/New Year/ Festive season and may 2006 bring you much success and creative fulfilment.

Postscript to Anne’s Diary July-December 2005

Love is a Circle: Well, it took longer than expected but it’s here at last. I collected the Love is a Circle CDs from the factory on the 18th November and am very happy with the result.

These children’s affirmations appeal to children and adults alike. All the feedback has been wonderfully positive. Most of the songs are bright and bouncy, a couple gentle and reflective, but all focus on building positive attitudes of self-esteem, persistence acceptance of self and others, a ‘can-do’ attitude and tolerance of colour, race and creed. Click here for more information.

New Age CDs: November also saw the release of my three ‘New Age’ CDs: Think Of It This Way, The Four Dragons and Flight. These songs have always been very special to me. They are positive, powerful and uplifting, deeply life enhancing and full of joyous spiritual energy. I am always moved by the wonderful feedback I receive from those whose lives they have touched with their beauty. Click here for more information.

Love is a Circle Music Book: Due to delays beyond my control, the music book to accompany the Love is a Circle CD will not now begin production until the New Year. However, the CD’s booklet has all the lyrics printed.

Warm good wishes

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April – June 2006

National Folk Festival: Easter in Canberra can be a lovely time of year with trees flaunting their rich autumn colours and clear, crisp days - although the nights are a little too cold for a ‘north country lass’ like myself. Not surprisingly, as Easter this year fell in mid-April, we had a couple of very cold nights (minus 4 º ) and people resorted to pouring water on their windscreens next morning to de-ice the glass. Brrrrr! Four of us Brisbane girls shared a motel room and were cosy with the air-conditioner’s heat turned up high, and the cold nights at the festival made us really appreciate the best hot chocolate I’ve every tasted, sold right next to the session room, a singing venue for night owls. Queensland ’s being the featured State at this year’s National made it a particularly friendly time as I kept seeing familiar faces from home.

The Tony Miles Tribute Concert at the Palladium on Easter Sunday was a great success. Long–term Tony Miles fan, John Colville, organised and led the concert which was illustrated by a power-point presentation of archival photographs of Tony’s life put together by my amazing webmaster Mary Brettell and projected onto a screen behind the performers. This was greatly enjoyed by audience and singers alike and we all shared some great memories.

The venue was packed, the audience enthusiastic and the performers, awaiting their turn to sing sitting in rows at the two sides of the stage, especially had a wonderful time, contributing many impromptu harmonies and comments. This created a close-knit energy and an atmosphere of camaraderie that the audience really appreciated. During the last song people danced in the aisles and in front of the stage. We generated a lot of interest in and appreciation of Tony’s music, which was the whole point of the concert, and we loved every minute of the performance.

The National Folk Festival presented a tribute concert to Australia’s ‘lost treasures’ of the folk world and Bill Scott and June Nichols were featured as well as others who passed away during the year. There will also be a tribute concert to June Nichols at this year’s Woodford Folk Festival at which I’ll be singing Bahama Mama, my song for June.

The Stan Arthur Memorial Concert: This year’s memorial concert for Queensland folk icon Stan Arthur will be held on October 14 th at the East Brisbane Bowls Club on the corner of Lytton Road and Park Avenue, East Brisbane . Once again we will be raising money with this annual concert in order to provide a grant to support a Queensland folk project (such as a collecting trip, performance or recording) to perpetuate Stan’s name and memory, and continue his legacy of generous support for folk collectors and performers. We have an excellent line-up of the best of Brisbane ’s performers who generously support this project by giving their services free-of-charge.

The recipient of the 2005 Stan Arthur Award was Brisbane ’s Ian Dearden. Ian is another long-term fan and friend of the late Tony Miles and sang in the tribute concert at the National Festival. He will use the funding towards his project to release Tony’s recordings on CDs. As I mentioned in the last Diary, Tony passed away on 12th May 2001 . He was born in the UK but adopted Brisbane as his home and was a prolific songwriter and talented performer. His songs reflect his experiences, life and times and range from deeply moving to wickedly satirical. He left us a wonderful legacy of songs which are greatly deserving of presentation to a new audience and we are very pleased to support Ian’s project. As we always feature the past year’s recipient of the award at the concert, this year we will be reprising a 40 minute section of the National Folk Festival’s Tony Miles Tribute Concert.

Love Is A Circle Music Book: At this stage I’ve made the decision not to go ahead with this project. The CD already has a lyrics booklet and there is presently no demand for a songbook. All the music was written out by Robin Etter-Cleave, who played the wondrous flute, piccolo and whistle tracks on the CD, and I am happy to send this to anyone who would like to have it. Just click on the Contact Anne link.

Crow Minder: This secondbook set in Brisbane ’s convict era under Captain Logan is giving me much enjoyment as the story unfolds itself. There are many misperceptions about this era, often perpetuated through folk songs and the writings of disgruntled convicts and soldiers, and it’s fascinating to research and discover the truth of the settlement’s early days – as much as is available through historical records.

Folk-Redlands: In June I finally made it to Folk-Redlands, a folk cub which operates on Brisbane ’s south side, on the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of the month from 2 – 5 pm. This club is held in one of the rooms of the Redlands Indigiscapes Centre in Capalaba. Entry is free and there are blackboard as well as featured artists. I sang a short set and intend to make this a regular monthly date in my calendar. The Centre is in a bush reserve with abundant wildlife and forest walks and has an excellent café with lovely hot chocolate (it was a very cold day.)

ABOFOTS: The Maleny folk club is still going strong and a Brisbane contingent drives up on the first Saturday of the month to enjoy a visit with our North Coast neighbours and spend a great night singing. I occasionally miss a month, but enjoyed the April and May nights. The club has a monthly theme – May was ‘Maybe, Maybe not’. Always happy to rise to a challenge, I wrote a special song The Maybe Waltz which was meant for a joke but has been so well received I’ve included it in my repertoire and love singing it. Pure country, as you might guess. I missed the June ABOFOTS which was held in the Celtic Tearooms while the Upfront Café enjoyed a refit and general ‘spruce-up’.

What’s Next? As usual, when in the midst of creating a book, I tend to ‘blip’ off the screen for months on end. Crow Minder will be occupying most of my time, but I’ll still be found singing at ABOFOTS on the first Saturday of the month, Folk-Redlands on the third Sunday and the Kookaburra Café in Paddington, Brisbane , each Wednesday night.

I wish you every success for the remainder of the year and hope your life is filled with much joyous creativity.

Warm good wishes,

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