Ceilidh will spread hope round globe

Oct 6 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

A FORMER teacher from Northumberland is organising a massive scale ceilidh event which will see enthusiasts from the North East to Nigeria dancing in unison.

Since starting his search for participants in The Big National Ceilidh, David Oliver, of Tynedale Terrace, Hexham, has been contacted by 73 different groups who want to take part.

As well as attracting significant support in the UK, dancers from Washington state in the USA and Nigeria have also confirmed an interest.

At 10pm GMT on October 18 they will each dance the traditional Circassian circle to the tune of the Northumbrian song Jamie Allen.

Mr Oliver, chair of Folk Arts England and a former deputy head at Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth High School, plays the piano accordion in a folk band with his family.

He and his 27-year-old son Joey – a tin whistle player and winner of the BBC Radio Two young folk award with his band – came up with the idea for the joint ceilidh nights when watching the general election on TV.

Mr Oliver, 60 today, said: “We just thought it was incredible that everyone in the country was doing the same thing at the same time and wondered if we could do it with ceilidh.

“Then it was a case of thinking how to get people interested and we thought if we did it for one charity that meant a lot to us then we could generate more interest.” All the money raised from The Big National Ceilidh will go to Water Aid who help to provide clean water to those who desperately need it.

“It’s incredible that 80% of the people who die in the world through illness do so because they don’t have clean water,” Mr Oliver said.

“There are women who have to walk miles for water and if they go they face the risk of being raped and if they don’t go, their families are at risk of dying.

“It’s a cause we feel very strongly about. Hopefully we can raise tens of thousands of pounds.

“For us it is also very much about the music.

“In this country folk music is often seen as trivial when, in fact, it is very exciting.”

Events are confirmed at The Sage, Gateshead and Newcastle’s Centre for Life, while Hexham, Mickley and Allendale, all in Northumberland, will also host dancers.

For more information about the event, and to find out where your nearest ceilidh is being held, visit www.bignationalceilidh.co.uk