Folk Festival Packages from Life & Times

“It’s a pleasure to recommend these strong singers with their unusual repertoire, good workshop potential, to listeners and festival bookers alike.”

ROY HARRIS

“Always good value.”

JOHN KIRKPATRICK

“Efficient, effective and effervescent.”

WOODWORKS FESTIVAL

“If you want to know where our musical heritage lives listen to Life and Times

– it’s that simple”

TIM CARROLL of www.folkwords.com

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Life & Times’ song and music options form an impressive package worth considering for your festival. Many festivals have taken advantage of a package of Life & Times’ performances in the past. Add to this the possibility of booking our E-Ceilidh band Time of Your Life and the package becomes even more attractive see below. Established in 1983, Life & Times has appeared, performing at many festivals over the years – see below.

CLUBS

With years of experience, Life & Times’ performance style is particularly suited to the intimacy of a club atmosphere. A good rapport with the audience always makes the event all the more enjoyable for all.

CONCERTS

Our songs and music are just as well suited to larger arenas. Our club performance style translates well to a larger stage and has done so on many occasions at festivals and other events.

SINGAROUNDS

A wealth of chorus songs makes Life & Times well suited to informal song sessions. Many festivals have taken advantage of this over the years.

SHOWS AND

PRESENTATIONS

multimedia presentation

A more formally organised but just as lively and informally presented version of our material is offered in the form of shows like TREASURES OF THE HEARTLANDS and those presented in past years like Shropshire Iron and Strawplait & Bonelace. In addition to the interesting, informative and humorous patter, these shows can include contemporary readings and visual presentations.

WHERE THE WORKING BOATS WENT is a multimedia canal-themed show described more fully with our other shows on our Shows page.

SESSIONS

A massive range of dance tunes, many from the repertoire of our dance band Time of Your Life, ensures Life & Times can easily take charge of musicians’ sessions. Indeed, Barry has, in his time, run his own regular sessions in his home county of Hertfordshire.

WORKSHOPS

melodeon workshop

songwriting workshop

1. PLAYING THE MELODEON

Barry Goodman offers a workshop in playing the melodeon. Techniques can be geared towards the beginner or the more advanced player. Themes include playing for the Morris, accompanying song, playing in a band, arranging tunes and making your playing more interesting. Barry plays Castagnari, Saltarelle and Hohner melodeons.

2. SONGWRITING IN THE TRADITIONAL IDIOM

Graeme Meek and Barry Goodman offer a workshop dedicated to writing songs in the traditional idiom. What are the characteristics of traditional songs which make them different from any other styles of writing? This is a discussion workshop in which everyone is allowed to have their own say. In addition, we welcome the performance of songs that participants have written, together with constructive criticism from all those attending. With the attendance of several people who have dabbled in songwriting, this part of the workshop has proved particularly fascinating, enlightening and successful in the past, making it clear to us how many talented individuals there are whose work deserves a wider audience!

E-CEILIDH

english ceilidh

english ceilidh band

With Barry Goodman on melodeon and calling the dances, Graeme Meek on electric bass, Debbie Chalmers on fiddle, Steve Poore on guitar and Howard Newton on drums, Life & Times becomes Time of Your Life, an E-Ceilidh band established in 1984 with experience of performing around the country from Yorkshire to Kent, Herefordshire to Norfolk. If you require more information, Time of Your Life has its own dedicated website click here.

CHILDREN/

EDUCATIONAL

educational show

educational presentation

Life & Times is composed of two qualified teachers - not a new phenomenon for the folk world, perhaps! – who can offer their long-established teaching and performance skills in a package designed for the education and entertainment of children. Essentially geared up for KS1 and KS2, our one-hour long Hats Off To History, More Hats Off To History and Yet More hats Off To History performances (with more shows promised for the future) give a great mix of music, song, dance, drama, visual presentation, history, tradition and story to educate and delight children. For Life & Times’ dedicated educational website click here where you can find out more about what you can expect to see in a performance. Clear access, parking for at least one vehicle and one hour’s set up time are required before a performance. NB: this is not children’s entertainment per se, it has a specific educational content.

Our thanks to our good friend Barbara Griffiths of Tollhouse Company for her assistance in this venture. Thanks also to Suzanne Meek for assistance with props etc. and Gill Goodman for assistance with costumes & publicity and KS1 advice.

SPECIAL PACKAGE

ALL SINGING, ALL DANCING!

With this package you get the songs of Life & Times and the dances of Time of Your Life.

NB: SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY

SPECIAL SHOW

ALL SINGING, ALL DANCING WITH BELLS ON!

THE SINGING, DANCING YEAR

A show which combines our songs with Redbornstoke Morris dancing the Ampthill & Marston Traditions. Even includes an appearance of mummers: The Brafront Guizers. See our Shows page.

AS SEEN AT CHIPPENHAM FOLK FESTIVAL

& SHREWSBURY FOLK FESTIVAL

NB: SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY

FUNDED FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES

If you can arrange funded KS1 and/or KS2 school shows/workshops as a run-up to your festival, Life & Times may be very inexpensive for our appearances at the festival itself. This approach has been used by festivals in the past including Whittlesey Straw Bear and Raunds.

P.A. REQUIREMENTS

If the venue is small enough, as in a typical club room, we project well and can easily perform without P.A. If a P.A. is being used we will require a maximum of 5 microphones. Graeme requires a microphone each for voice and guitar. Barry requires a microphone for voice and one for each end of the melodeon or concertina. It may be possible to DI the melodeon (XLR or jack) and the concertina. Looking towards the stage from the audience, Graeme stands to Barry’s right (see plan). Time of Your Life can provide its own P.A. (clear access to venue and 1 hour set up time required).

FESTIVALS WE’VE PLAYED

Life & Times have appeared on the bill at these festivals:
SIDMOUTH	SHREWSBURY
FYLDE	TOWERSEY
BROMYARD	WARWICK
CHIPPENHAM	CHELTENHAM
BROADSTAIRS	CORNWALL
SHEPLEY	BEDWORTH
DURHAM	BRACKNELL
WHITTLESEY STRAW BEAR	WHITE HORSE
TENTERDEN	ELY
RAUNDS	NETTLEBED
ALL FOLK AROUND THE WREKIN	WOODWORKS
LEDBURY	WATH
RHYTHMS OF THE WORLD	ECMW
WOBURN SANDS	DUNSTABLE
SUMMERFIELD	MID WALES
STANFORD-IN-THE-VALE	ST ALBANS
POYNTON	HOLFORD ARMS
ST NEOTS	HARROW
WALTON	FOLK EAST
FOLLY FOLK n BOAT n BEER FESTIVAL	LUTON
E.F.D.S.S. M1 FOLK DAY

MC SERVICES

Both Barry and Graeme are experienced MCs at club level and Barry also has enormous experience in being a festival MC with regular appearances at Sidmouth, Chippenham, Towersey, Cheltenham and Shepley under his belt.

BOOKING & PUBLIC LIABILITY

BOOK NOW

YOU WON’T BE

DISAPPOINTED!

landt@lifeandtimes.me.uk

07724 186124

01462 456811

Life & Times and

Time of Your Life

have £5,000,000

Public Liability Insurance