More About St Audries 2007
Beryl Jukes attended the St Audries Holiday Week in 2007 and wrote this poem as an account of the activities. It is reproduced here with her kind permission. Information about St Audries 2008 is here.
Our goal is St Audries Holiday Club
As we serpentine down the lane
In cars piled high with instruments
The 'Folkies' have come back again
Although it is brilliant sunshine
We're in a shadowy place
Tongue-ing, plucking, controlling our squeeze
Putting a run in the bass
Rod and Aidan are in full charge
Of the many-tiered squeeze-box row
With fiddles, keyboards and double bass
Plus various things that you blow
This year is decidedly different
We're aiming to make a CD
Ring Rod for the magic password and
Tunes tumble from your PC
Ninety five tunes we've been given
We have no time for romance
They're all for promoting action
To encourage people to dance
This year we have to be friendly
We're sardined together real tight
Festooned with wires and cables
And microphones slung from a height
The Tower of Babel residents
Would have welcomed recorded sound
For when the red light winketh
The silence is profound
Never has been such bated breath
Chattering tongues suppressed
Never those gurgling tums controlled
Those tapping feet at rest
So we play to the best of our powers
The concentration's intense
And as the recording comes to an end
The relief of the group is immense
But not all is labour and toil.
Other events do occur
John Leslie is teaching his students
Legato, portato and slur
There was Wednesday's brain-teasing quiz
With many a witty quip
Throat muscles of steel poor Rene must have
To control such a noisy ship
In the bar of an evening Harry plays on
He's always a regular sight
But he's still sitting there in the morning.
Has he been playing all night?
There are rambles and walks in the country
And even the odd cream tea
But make sure your transport's replenished
To get you from A to B
Hi ho hi ho, it's to Rene we go
In sunlight and cushioned seats
After furious playing on hard backed chairs
Sitting passive's one of life's treats
But it's back to work in the morning
Those microphones hanging low
All those dots on the paper
My eyes won't focus - Oh no
The double bass rumbles, the violins shrill
The bass clarinet gives a toot
The keyboards vibrate, the accordions expel
We're getting ready to shoot
We're making a CD for dancing
For movement, laughter and fun
Made by aspiring players
Involving everyone
We're making it here in St Audries
Unique in every way
So when it's finally finished
It's a Souvenir Take-away
Apply to Mr Rod Stradling
For copies to give to your friend
Your problem of presents at Christmas
Could shortly be at an end
But the cost of making a CD is high
And Rod is paying out
If he's sighted busking in the street
You'll know he's broke, no doubt
But if you purchase our CD
And everything goes well
Then Rod can tell the bailiffs
To take a trip to ****
We've cut a CD of dance tunes
We've learnt so much on the way
We've managed minutes of silence
And had many laughs on the way
Our thanks to Rod and Aidan
For their skill, forbearance and tact
And as they're returning again next year
The course is sure to be packed
There's a scramble for the booking desk
The places are going fast
Don't be outsmarted. The next one
Will supercede the last!
If you would like to contact me, please call 01543 257419
or email me from my Home Page.