Easter 2009

Easter weekend (10-12 April, 2009) will see the beautiful high country town of Naseby presenting the 4th Bards Ballads & Bulldust Festival. The weekend activities will be presented by 'Tui Award' winning high country balladeer, Phil Garland and based around the historic Ancient Briton Pub, which is hosting the event.

Festival goers will be treated to some top quality Kiwi Country / Folk music and bush poetry relevant to the New Zealand High Country. As well being home to Ross 'Blue Jeans' McMIllan, one of the finest bush poets in the country, the Naseby festival will also play host to a trio of fine bush balladeers from across the Ditch.

The Bards, Ballads & Bulldust festival is the only one of its kind in the country, where the emphasis is on the spoken word in the form of bush poetry, which has a huge following throughout Australia. Bush balladry has been an integral part of our national heritage since the 1890s, but its profile has remained small, going largely un-recognised until the birth of Bards Ballads & Bulldust. Our bush poets are finally getting some of the accolades they richly deserve thanks to Naseby and the Bards, Ballads & Bulldust Festival.

Naseby (2000 feet above worry level) is the historic capital of the High Country and home to curling. Where better to experience high country life at its exhilerating best. Visitors can see a town changed little from the earliest beginnings of the Otago goldrush, whilst at the same time visit wonderfully preserved and historic buildings set amidst some of the oldest gold diggings in Central Otago.

(Naseby Buildings: The Ancient Briton Hotel, a miner's cottage, the old post office, the offices of "The Chronicle")

2009 featured guests

Milton Taylor
Highly entertaining award winning bush balladeer from Australia returns by popular demand.

Melanie Hall
Acclaimed bush poetry reciter from Australia.

Susie Carcary
2008 champion prize winning bush poet from NSW. Originally of Scottish ancestry & respected singer of Scottish songs.

(Melanie Hall, Milton Taylor, Susie Carcary)

Marcus Turner
Mere words cannot describe this brilliant singer/songwriter & multi instrumentalist from Dunedin. (Marcus' webpage here.)

Martin Curtis
Highly acclaimed and popular Kiwi reciter & balladeer from Cardrona.(Martin's webpage here.)

Ross McMillan
Famed local poet & High Country balladeer.

Des Styles
Local goldfields poet from Naseby.

Keith Scott
Expat Maniototo oral historian & playwright now living in Sydney.

Roger Lusby
Popular Kiwi balladeer and bush poet from Nelson.

Dusty Spittle
Legendary Kiwi story teller and country balladeer, who has just been inducted into the American old-time Country Music Hall of Fame.

Basil Fitzpatrick
Popular performance poet from Chch.

Bush Telegraph
Renowned Kiwiana bush band and barn dance specialists from Canterbury. (The band's webpage here.)

Phil Garland
Multi award winning folklorist, singer/songwriter and backblocks balladeer from Culverden. (Phil's webpage here.)

(Martin Curtis, Phil Garland, Roger Lusby, Marcus Turner)

Programme

Good Friday
Welcome and informal gathering in the Ancient Briton Pub, Naseby with music session from Phil Garland & Bush Telegraph - a chance to join in!

Saturday
Live performances throughout the day from invited poets and musicians in the Ancient Briton Pub.

Saturday Night
Miners & Musterers Ball with Bush Telegraph in the Naseby Town Hall.
Admission $20
Supper included

Sunday Morning
High Country breakfast with live poetry, songs & yarns from invited guests and local Syndicate farmers.

Sunday
Live performances continue throughout the day from invited poets and musicians in the Ancient Briton.

Sunday Night
Open poets night at the Ancient Briton, when invited guests will share the stage with all comers.

♦ Busking throughout the weekend in the Main street and outside the local cafe - hosted by Basil Fitzpatrick.

♦ Tickets to the Miners & Musterers Ball, including supper, are $20. Admission free to most other events.

♦ Well priced meals & snacks available from the town hotels and local Cafe throughout the weekend.

♦ Accommodation should still be available at the two local hotels, two motels and the camping ground. Further accommodation can be found at Ranfurly, only 20 minutes away. However early bookings are advised!

♦ For further information contact the programme oganiser Phil Garland at pgarland(at)xtra.co.nz. *

♦ Accommodation sources in Naseby are found at http://www.accommodationz.co.nz/naseby-accommodation2.shtml