Cygnet Folk Festival 2011

We spent this afternoon at the Cygnet Folk Festival. I rode on the back of David's bike, for the first time since we moved to Tasmania, as the owner of the lovely Old Bank B&B in the centre of Cygnet had kindly said we could park in their driveway. The weather certainly smiled on the festival today, the third and final day. First up we went to see the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra, who we have seen several times in Sydney before and really enjoyed. You just have to see the woman who plays the cimbalom - just amazing. There was also a young woman who played the bayan, a type of button accordion, and the lead domra player was also fantastic.

Next up we saw local singer/songwriter Amy Kendall down in the scout hall. As odd as this sounds, the sweet, reflective melodies were a perfect match for the relaxed venue with a backdrop of stars behind her. We were lucky to catch her - it was her last gig for some time with a baby due soon. After that we saw part of one act which I didn't enjoy and then couldn't get in to see another as the venue was full. So we wandered back down to the scout hall in the camping ground and saw the last few numbers by traditional folk singer Mandy Connell, and finally the brilliant Spooky Men's Chorale that I'd read about but never seen. An afternoon packed with sunshine, a huge variety of talented musicians, some Vietnamese food and an ice-cream - hard to beat. I forgot to take the camera and so only have these crappy mobile phone photos to post. Ah well.