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NEWSLETTER ~ NOVEMBER 2007
Now in our eighth year, Rooting Around must be amongst only a few bands who can boast of an unchanged line-up for the best part of a decade. The four of us remain committed to the group and have maintained our regular Wednesday night practices through all sorts of crises, big and small, individual and collective. We've come to know each other so well; perhaps it's akin to a musical marriage!
Despite the stable line-up the music hasn't stood still, and we have continued to bring our broad brand of folk-roots songs and tunes to an ever-widening audience. We now have affiliate membership of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) which, amongst other benefits, provides us with Public Liability Insurance cover for events with up to 200 audience members/ participants.
We had a fantastic summer, despite the unseasonable weather, and all of our gigs at Colyton Station (for Seaton Tramway) were blessed with blue skies and numerous happy holidaymakers, whose positive comments inspired and energized us. One Antipodean traveller was so impressed with our rendition of 'South Australia' that we played it again as an encore especially for him, and he subsequently bought a copy of our CD 'Landfall' upon which the song appears. It's great to think that Rooting Around's music has made it to the other side of the world, brought back as a souvenir of a holiday in England.
Also while playing on the platform at Colyton Station, we were sketched by a local artist, and a couple of weeks later we were presented with a full colour portrait of the band. You can see the painting in the gallery section of the website.
This year we have again played for a number of weddings and private functions, several of which were within marquees. Luckily none of these were adversely affected by inclement weather, and even if the temperature was a few degrees below the seasonal average, Laurelie's energetic dance calling kept everyone insulated from the cold!
There's a sense of occasion whenever we play for a wedding party or special event. No two are the same, but we are always aware of the importance of the contribution we make to each happy couple's big day. There must by now be many wedding photo albums which include a picture or two of Rooting Around, and it's a privilege to know we have been a part of people's life stories through our music. The Reviews page of the website includes some of the feedback we've had from such events.
Our long-awaited third CD, provisionally entitled 'Sacred Ground' is being recorded and mixed as 2007 draws to a close, and should be ready for release early in the New Year. It will feature several wholly original pieces to which all the band members have contributed. We hope our own songs and tunes will add something new and more personal to our set, while sitting comfortably alongside our traditional music, both thematically and compositionally. Lyrics of love, loss and mankind's irrevocable relationship with the world about us are interwoven with the multiple layers of instrumentation that characterize a Rooting Around arrangement.
Well, that's about all for now. Remember to check the website for updates to the gig list, and keep an eye open for Jim busking on a street corner in your town! Please don't be shy about getting in touch, especially if there's a venue near to you that you think we should be playing at. We'd love to hear from you!
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