For the 15th time around the annual ‘Berkenhagestage’ (A well-known Dutch Folk Musician Workshop weekend for whistle and fiddle) is organized again.
Normally the Saturday evening of the workshop there’s a session, but this year, to celebrate this triple lustrum from 19:00 until 20u30, there is also a ‘Free’ concert scheduled… B)

Performers are :

- Joe Mullen - Singer-songwriter (Ir)
- Jean Michel Veillon - houten dwarsfluit (Fr. - Bretagne)
- Wim Poesen - houten dwarsfluit (Bel)
- Dirk Insleghers - altsax - basklarinet (Bel)
- Luc De Cat - viool - (Bel)

Doors open at 18u30 (places to sit (or stand for that matter) are limited so if you want to secure a seat, be in time).

After the concert there will be a big Jam session headed by Jean Michel Veillon & Wim Poesen for everybody who wants to bring an Instrument, a Voice or those that just want to sit and listen to the live music & enjoy the craic going on. :woohoo:

Where: Zedelgem (near Bruges) - 'Kaffee Metropool' (close to the Church)
When: Saterday 27 oktober 2007.
What kinda music: Irish - Breton - Flemish.
What Time: from 20.30 u (after the concert).
The session ends at: 24.00 u

Source : http://www.folkroddels.be

Loads of fun. Belgium is going to resound with the steady beats of our goats that week end.

Too bad we cannot be at both places...

It sure is Vincent, and judging by the Jam and Gig agenda on Folkroddels this is not going to be the only occasion for great stuff to be going on at the same time. I for one i'm looking forward meeting up with Dirk De Bleser again, He's a regular visitor at the ‘Berkenhagestage’ session, I missed his performance at The Irish Celtic Festival last saterday...

For all You out-landers, www.folkroddels.be is by far the best Folk Web-page in our little country (to my knowledge anyway), pitty it's only in Dutch but If You visit the top left link (woord/beeld) and go into the 'Foto-reportage' section You can at least enjoy some wonderfull high quality pictures of the booming Belgian Folk/World Music scene...

Greetz all ;)<br><br>Post edited by: JoBo, at: 2007/09/30 22:27

Thought I tell you all how it went B)
Due to circumstanses I missed the free concert but this Berkenhage Stage Session was great, My friend The Squire who accompanied me said 'It was the best one yet'. Loads a Whistlers around, normal if You know this was A Whistle Stage (Stage is dutch for Workshop). Next time around it's going to be fiddlers again. I reckon there must have been 20 to 25 musisians playing all sorts of Instruments, among them I noticed, Guitars, Fiddlers, Bones, Spoons, Boxplayers, a Banjo player, an Accordioniste to name a few and I counted three Bodhran players. The first was Dirk de Bleser who's playing I always enjoy... He has sucha smooth, easy effortless way of playing I can only admire. Then there was Willem ???, In our after ses talk he mentioned he was playing for over 30 years, His first Bodhran he had to build himself as nobody ever heard about that kinda drum overhere and he did not find one anywhere..., Then there also was a Lady player who I did not have the chance to chat with, but who also played some mean spoons by the way... A nice surprise was that when I arived I noticed a few members of the flanders Irish Trad band 'Green Jacket' who had joined in the Ses. If Your living in West or East Flanders and You dont know them, You must be living under a rock. They must be without any doubt the hardest working band around, playing/gigging all over the place all the time. While I'm at it, there next gig is on Sunday 11/nov/2007 10u30 at the Staf Versluys Centre here in Bredene (My home town) at an event called walking for Peace &amp; Tolerance. The bands Bodhran player is Jerry Steyaerd and more than worth checkin out. There web page is : http://www.greenjacket.be/index.php.
So neadless to say I had a great time, I only hope that by next time my Loefke will have had her facelift so I can take her along... Rob???...).
I keep You all posted about the next session...

Greetz All,

PS. Raf (the BSS organizer) if You ever read this, Thanks for all the time and effort You put in all of this...