the First Five Years, 1997-2001
This open-air music festival started in 1997 in an effort to raise money for charity. It soon became a regular fixture as part of the annual Rural Fayre, which ran until 2000, with the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease causing its demise in 2001. Folk in a Field survived that year thanks to Nigel Matthews, who offered to host it at Ferris Hill Farm, where it soon evolved into Music at the Crossroads. This festival still survives, despite the interruptions of Covid, and is now held at the Brewery. By 2021 the successive music festivals had raised nearly £100,000 for charity.
In its first five years, nineteen bands performed at Folk in the Field, and ninety individuals had helped organise the festival. In 2001 a CD was created highlighting its regular performers in that period, and they all gave Patrick Groome their permission to decide on its future use. We are grateful to Pat for giving us permission to reproduce the tracks here and for providing the sound track.
From the CD’s insert:
From its conception (over several beers, like most good ideas) Folk in a Field was intended to be at least as much about the people who attend as the kind of music on offer. Having food and people in a large field in the middle of summer is a picnic; having great live music and an excellent audience is a party. The balance of folk, rock and blues by local and not-so-local, by well known and not-so well known bands has struck a chord with all who have attended, so that the atmosphere is one of great celebration – celebrating the summer, good music, good food, good beer, good friends, good community. All the profits (£35,000 including this year’s estimate) have gone via The Hook Norton Charitable Association to support local and national charities and good causes -from Leukaemia Research to the village newsletter, and dozens of good causes in between. The success of the event is a tribute to the community of Hook Norton and ; the many businesses and individuals who have donated! their time, money, resources, energies and skills over the years.
Pat Groome and Graham Hendy, Hook Norton, April 2001
June 2022
