End of Year Folk Bash
Seasonal songs were the order of the day when the Forties sang at the Folk Federation of NSW’s annual variety End of Year Folk Bash held at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills. Black Joak Morris presented a Mummer’s Play – always the highlight of the Bash. The evening was complemented by some exuberant renditions of English Village Carols at the Shakespeare.
NSW History Week
The theme of History Week in NSW was “Life and Death” and, together with The Museum’s own ‘pirate band’ The Mutineers, 40 Degrees South relished singing some of the more macabre songs in their repertoire.
There were stories about Australian convict pirates and whaling ship disasters followed by rum (courtesy of Peg Leg Tavern) and sea biscuit (made by our own Sue Brian)!
The concert took place in the Conservation Building of the Australian National Maritime Museum.
The Mutineers and the stripey shirted Forties
A new name – “Forty Degrees South”
What was “The Roaring Forties” is now “Forty Degrees South”.
For various reasons we’re changing our name – but we’re not changing anything else. Keep an eye out for us at festivals over the coming season…
PS. We’ve got a new domain name too – 40degrees-south.com, but the old one will keep on working too.
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Folk Club – 40
It was especially significant to join in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Hornsby-Kuringgai Folk Club because members of 40 Degrees South (in any number of guises) have performed there frequently during those 40 years. Margaret was one of the founding organisers back in 1978 and from about 1981, she and Tom ran the club until the end of 1993.
Devil Dodgin’ on the High Seas
The James Craig Music Club featured the Forties, with the theme: “Devil Dodgin’ on the High Seas” – songs that mix the sea and religion, often irreverently. We borrowed a young Dan Kenny for the evening in Tom’s absence, and brought down our average age considerably!
We are as likely to convert an audience to religion as we are to shave our bellies with a rusty razor, and we used to say “In fact, none of us know what a razor is!” and maybe that’s still true of Dan. I was tempted to dress him up as a choir boy.
Click image for video of “Wreckers’ Prayer”. (Video: Sue Brian)
Forty Degrees South 