Hampton Hill’s Ceilidhs (From Your Local Guardian)

Hampton Hill’s Ceilidhs

1:50pm Wednesday 21st July 2010 in

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By Community Correspondent Richard Sharp

The Old Fiddle Workshop Band delighted the crowds at Hampton Hill Festival on Saturday 17th July with two fantastic foot stomping ceilidh performances. For those who don’t know, a ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic gathering of musicians (and sometimes dancers) playing cheerful, lively and very catchy music. Fiddles are always very much to the fore along with bodhains, guitars and sometimes drums.

Caroline, Sophie and Hugh headed up Saturday’s fiddle line up with Keith on banjo, Judy on guitar and Geraldine on the harp and whistle. They were joined by Laye Sow, the acclaimed Senegalese musician, for one of the gigs on the old Farmers’ City Market forecourt. The location and the ‘World of Music’ was organised by The Hampton & Hampton Hill Voluntary Care Group, The Greenwood Centre to raise funds for the charity. Fiona Brennan, Director of The Greenwood Centre said, “They were absolutely marvellous, it was lovely to see Laye joining in too. We were lucky, it was a lovely day and we had lots of great acts together with Natalie’s very talented belly dancing team of course!”

The band also fitted in a show down at The Mews as part of The Shooting Star Children’s Hospice’s programme of music for the Festival.

Hugh and Sophie run The Old Violin Workshop in Hampton Hill High Street and specialise in the repair and restoration of violins, violas and cellos, sound adjustment and bow rehairs. They’ve also sell new and used instruments. Hugh said, “We’ve been in Hampton Hill for nearly a year now. It’s such a lovely, friendly village atmosphere. Sophie and I really enjoyed playing at the Festival. It was a great success and we all had a lot of fun. The audiences were so enthusiastic and supportive.”

The Hampton Hill Festival was sponsored by the Parker Car Service with support from The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.