Music / National Folk Festival wrap. At Epic over Easter. Reviewed by CASSIDY RICHENS.

THE 55^th National Folk Festival, was held at Exhibition Park over Easter, presenting more than 1000 artists in concerts, workshops, and forums.

Outdoor pop-up performances created colourful moments and a lovely festive vibe. Spontaneous sessions, took up every available space in Session Bar, playing everything from folk/jazz fusion, western swing, and old time American through calypso and Celtic, literally all weekend.

The simplified site felt appropriate for a festival that was openly focused on recapturing the character and essence of earlier years and there was a marked sense of community, exhibited by happy artists, volunteers and staff. Many key roles in management, programming, and operations were performed by staff returning to take up roles they’d held formerly.

Dave O’Neill and Jo Cresswell returned as artistic program managers. Together with Graham McDonald, they presented a well-balanced and diverse program. The number of young performers on stages and in sessions noteworthy.

Too many to mention, international highlights included UK sing/songwriter Billy Bragg and folk duo Chris While and Julie Matthews, US sister duo Natalie and Brittany Hass and Scotland’s Tony McManus.

National highlights included The Waifs, We Mavericks, The Pigs, Royal High Jinx, Simpson Three, and The Lost Clog. The impressive line-up of Aboriginal performers from across the country, included Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse and Leroy Johnson and the Waterbag Band.

A bolstered dance program brought people together. Everything from Scottish to flamenco, contra, Chinese, swords, clogging and Morris was on the bill.

Choral groups, choirs and singing sessions were heard everywhere in pop-up performances and programmed concerts. Circus acts and roving performers filled the streets with colour and amusement.

“The fun is back at the National Folk Festival” is how interim festival director Chris Grange summed it up at the closing concert and awards nights.

Moya Simpson and the Festival Choir opened Monday’s finale concert with a short set of songs, learnt over the weekend, finishing with a wonderful performance of The Seekers’ 1967 song “Georgy Girl,” with Keith Podger.

“The Festival Fiddlers,” a pop-up string orchestra led by Natalie Haas also performed a set of tunes learnt in just a few short days. A new and spectacular example of people participating in the festival.

Southern Highlands’ fiddler Bob McInnes won the “Lifetime Achievement Award”. Other award-related performers in the showcase concert included “Infinite Song Competition” winners The Pigs, reciters Cat Kid, Laurie Webb and David Hallett, and young musician Felicity Down and Fred Smith, who won the award for this year’s best song for social justice. Sydney based sister trio the Fallen Robins took out “Festival Pick” also graced the stage.

Paying tribute to Judith Durham and the entire folk family, Podger welcomed John Shortis, Moya Simpson and the festival choir to join him for the final number – “The Carnival is Over”.

Programming and production choices, a renewed sense of community and the overwhelming positive words spoken by everyone I met demonstrated that the ethos of the 2023 National Folk Festival was alive and well.