Bards, Ballads, Bulldust: Rural Mail, Wardrop, Hidden Talent

The Bards, Ballads and Bulldust Festival, a mix of New Zealand high country-folk music, poetry, stories and folklore, was started in Naseby in 2006 by the late Folk Legend Phil Garland, and Warrick Brock, with help from Ancient Briton Hotel owner, Roch Sullivan.

This unique festival featuring spoken word, highlights the importance of stories and songs of New Zealand history.
This year the festival organiser, Roger Lusby, originally of Roxburgh, Central Otago, has arranged a series of concerts before and after the festival in Naseby, to bring Bards and Ballads to as many people as possible.

Nine talented performers will bring a bold set of songs, stories and poems to the stage to entertain and refresh many memories of ‘The Good Old Days’

Featured performers are:
Graham Wardrop: World famous singer, songwriter, acclaimed fingerstyle guitarist, luthier, straight out of ‘Two Paddocks’, Sam Neill’s vineyard in Central Otago, and a pre-virus tour of five weeks of concerts and festivals in Canada.
Graham has just added two new CDs to his self-penned collection of songs and is really looking forward to playing some of them for you.

Rural Mail: Paul & Chrissie Bond, Roger & Deirdre LusbyA quartet started by Rogerto perform New Zealand ballads, songs and poems, both traditional and self-penned, the group has a unique sound, featuring harmonies and variety and has been receiving very positive feedback and always delivers in time!

Paul Bond: Spent his childhood years on farms in Thames and Pukekohe and became interested in poetry and folk music from the 1950s onwards. Influenced by ‘The Kingston Trio’ Paul has written and recorded many well known pithy NZ songs. Paul is blessed with a beautiful tenor voice, and Chrissie and Deirdre add clear harmonies to lift the group’s performance levels to a new height.

Roger Lusby: A published songwriter and award-winning poetic balladeer, has been performing for over 50 years. His songwriting programme for schools ‘Sing Out Kiwi’ has produced many songs children sing in schools today. They feature the NZ way of life, with an environmental theme. Roger has recently performed his work in Alaska and Mexico and has featured in the last 17 years of the Tui Farm Folk Festival.

Hidden Talent: Jane Edmed & Gary Elford, Sue Galvin & Tony Kiesanowski, is a combination of two Christchurch couples. All members of this band had performed on stage before so, had a lot of folk experience to draw on. They present songs, wordless tunes, and tuneless words, especially enjoying the music and poems of New Zealand and Australia, old and new, including a few composed by their own good selves.

Sue Galvin: An extraordinary musician with a beautiful voice and performance ability, always adds sparkle to every show. One half of the renowned folk duo, ‘Peninsular Envy’.

Gary Elford: Wears many hats and performs with style, humour and talent. A natural performer, Gary can sing, play, call a dance and spin a poem that will have you on your feet calling for more. His love of the unexpected gives his poems the added twist that everyone loves. Joined by his wife, Jane Edmed with her flute or trombone, they never fail to entertain.

Tony Kiesanowski: Has been performing his own songs at festivals and gatherings for long enough to have received the greatest compliment of them being picked up and covered by other professional performers. His songs tell of the romance of backcountry roads of NZ, leading home to the love of his life.

Guaranteed to entertain and confirm the importance of singing our own songs about New Zealand, one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

You will get a seat if you arrive close to 7 pm.
Door sales cash only: Supper available during the break, also bar facilities for cold refreshments throughout the night, Eftpos available for bar purchases only, no cash-out facility.