About

As part of Bradford’s vibrant City of Culture, this year The Yorkshire Society is supporting what we have named ThriddingsFest – a word coined form Yorkshire dialect to mean a Yorkshire version of an Eisteddfod. It will take place over the weekend following the main civic celebrations of Yorkshire Day August 1st which this year takes place in central Bradford and in Ilkley, undertaken as a partnership between Bradford City Council and the Yorkshire Society.

 

Saturday afternoon 2pm – 6pm August 2 

 Session One:   Yorkshire Tunes – Music and words from Young Yorkshire

 A programme to celebrate Yorkshire’s rich and varied musical heritage.

A highlight will be a Piano Recital Piano by Shubhan Iyer a gifted young Indian pianist who lives in Huddersfield. Shubhan’s will include works by young Horbury composer  William Baines (1898-1922) and Bradford’s own Frederick Delius (1862-1934),  but pieces by some of the great late Romantic composers in whom Shubhan specialises.  In complete contrast there will be some stunning traditional Indian music by a young Bradford Gurdwara band, songs from two young Bradford-based Roma choirs, and even a young Bradford Rapper.

Tea interval/art stalls from Yorkshire artists and crafts people.

Saturday evening 7pm – 10pm (ish) August 2

 Session Two:   Songs of the Ridings 

What do you mean – Yorkshire? Popular Yorkshire singer-songwriter, poet, campaigner for all things Yorkshire Eddie Lawler opens our Songs of the Ridings session with a programme of highly entertaining music, poems and songs – all with a strong Yorkshire focus. Eddie will be followed by guest contributions from several well-known singers and ensembles from the West Yorkshire area.

 

Sunday  August 3: Yorkshire Words – Poetry, Drama and Songs

Session Three:  2pm – 6pm  Yorkshire Poetry and Folk Tale afternoon

Young Yorkshire Poets  Celebrated Yorkshire author, poet, broadcaster and raconteur  Professor Gervase Phinn  will introduce the work of up to twelve young poets from all over Yorkshire. Contributors will be separated into primary and secondary school age categories, and be chosen to read their selected poem, celebrating any aspect of Yorkshire which inspires them.

A Garland of Yorkshire Poets.  A taste and performance of the work of several successful established and published local poets who have been inspired in their work about one or more aspects of Yorkshire landscape, history or life. These will include  Aqeel Parvez (Bradford) , Keith Fenton (Leeds) Bruce Barnes (Bradford),  Mike Farren (Shipley), Emma Storr,(Leeds), Fenna Marshall (Leeds), Laura Strickland (Hellifield)

Folk tales’ o Yorkshire –John Billingsley of The Folk Lore Centre, Todmorden will introduce and read Yorkshire folk tales, including tales of Boggarts, to be followed by Robbie Martin and The Buttercups with songs and tales inspired by Yorkshire legends

6pm – 7pm  Tea interval/art stalls from Yorkshire artists and crafts people.  This will also include a bookstall where collection of poet’s work and some dialect collections will be on sale.

Session Four:  7pm – 10pm(ish)   A Reet good Yorksher Neet – coordinated by the Yorkshire Dialect Society

An All Soul’s Night’s Dream.  Burley Theatre Group present the first production for almost 90 years  of a one act Yorkshire Dialect play (with boggarts!) by Professor Frederick Moorman (1872-1919) linguistic and folklorist, one of the founding fathers of the Yorkshire Dialect Society.

John Hartley of Halifax, a brief introduction by Rod Dimbleby Chairman of the Yorkshire Society about Yorkshire’s most prolific and popular dialect poet and storyteller, John Hartley of Halifax (1839-1915) with readings from his poems,

Callin’ Young Tykes:   James Wraith youngest member of Council of the Yorkshire Dialect Society will give a short talk  “A bit abaat West Ridin dialect i’ West Ridin dialect”

Songs o’ t’ Dales Singer-songwriters Nigel Broadbent (Bradford) and Jim Jarratt (Calderdale) will conclude our evening and ThriddingsFest with offer Yorkshire-inspired songs by themselves and others, including 1970s legend Bob Pegg. This will be followed by an open mike session for anyone to willing to sing, play or offer a poem about Yorkshire, and the session might well end with a rendering of Yorkshire’s (un)official national anthem, On Ilkla Moor Baht At.