Faustus bring a successful Cheltenham Folk Festival to a close

Cheltenham Folk Festival 2010 review

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Cheltenham Folk Festival 2010

Friday 12th to Sunday 14th February 2010
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1QA, England MAP
adult weekend ticket £66, 11-16 year olds £35, under 11 free

Sunday's events follow a similar pattern to Saturday starting around midday with an interview in the Club Room with Niamh Parsons followed by 'Hour or So' sessions from Faustus and Fay Hield who appear in the evening's Final Concert. The lunchtime concert in the Main Hall has further appearances from Maz O'Connor & Matthew Jones , Trio Threlfall and Tom McConville Trio. The Sunday Showcase by “Waltzers and Wonders” by The Ram Company.

The Final Concert is a more sober event than the pervious night, partly because the beer has started to run out. Fay Hield is first on supported by Sam Sweeney and Rob Harbron. Following on from her laidback show is well-respected Northeastern fiddlist Tom McConville Trio, with his band for this concert performance. The band includes Phil Murray whose acoustic bass gives a fantastic depth to the music. The tunes, jigs and songs are all lovely swooping creations which bring out the quality of the sound in the Hall.

Faustus are Sunday's headline act, like Lau they are all accomplished players Saul Rose, Paul Sartin and Benji Kirkpatrick are joined on the night by New Zealander James Fagin, together they create a mass wall of harmony. Unlike Lau they do songs, traditional ones based around the staples of folk songs; death, destruction and fighting. They start with a song about adultery and fighting and finish with one about fighting and drowning, stopping on the way to plumb the depths of misery with a song about cruelty and death that's described as the worst song in folk.

Despite the subject matter the band are engaging; Saul Rose challenges any Morris dancers to come to the stage to dance, when none take up the challenge he simply dances to his own tune. The always-popular Benji barracking and mocking miserable Paul Sartin also provide light relief. Faustus complete the festival and bring it to a conclusion to everyone's grateful applause.

review by: Ian Wright

photos by: Claire Quilley