Festival of Small Halls Summer Tour 2018

Festival of Small Halls is a series of tours that takes the best folk and contemporary acoustic artists performing at two of our country’s largest festivals, and sends them on the road to tiny halls in communities all over Australia. It is produced by Woodfordia Inc in partnership with many other wonderful Australian festivals, regional partners and great lovers and supporters of folk and contemporary acoustic music. It’s an opportunity for music-lovers from welcoming communities to invite artists from Home and Abroad into their towns, and a way of exploring this vast country in the spirit of hospitality and great fun.

The Rowella Community Hall has had a long and vibrant history of service to the residents of the former Richmond Hill and West Bay district. The Hall was built as the Presbyterian Church of the Beaconsfield gold field. The Hall boasts the fine high timbered walls of a Federation era church and the acoustics are excellent.

When the Beaconsfield mine closed in 1917, the church was purchased by public subscription and moved on a bullock dray to its current site on the border of Kayena and Rowella. This was the location of a booming apple and pear orchard industry with investors and new residents arriving from India, New Zealand and other colonial countries. Today it is the centre of the verdant wine, salmon and agricultural triangle of the north, and residents hail from many international, mainland and Tasmanian locations bringing with them an appreciation of fine wine, food and music.

The Rowella Hall has served the community well, hosting bridal showers, dances, birthdays, farewells and welcome home wartime celebrations. For ninety years, it was the home of rural theatre provided by the Rowella Players and later the Rowella Drama Club. The cricket pitch prepared first grade trophy winners and the oval, playground, and tennis court provided exercise and games for clubs and families of all ages. There are public and wheelchair accessible toilets and a green room off the Stage for actors and musicians.

The Rowella Community are proud to host the Festival of Small Halls and welcome people from all walks of life, for what is sure to be a fantastic night.

The community are invited to join the Rowella Hall Committee at the Rowella Hall picnic area for a pre-performance picnic. Bring a rug or chairs, a picnic basket and enjoy outdoor busking and children’s activities. There will be the LOL Cantonese Food Van on site and a Refreshments bar serving cool drinks, snacks and local wines. Raffle tickets will be on sale for Van Diemen’s Aquaculture Fresh Salmon and local wines.

Supporting the Festival of Small Halls show in Rowella is The Bowen’s Jetty Band, consisting of musicians Steve, Wolfgang and Heike. They are neighbours who came together to play and rehearse some Latin and Salsa Rhythms but their repertoire is quite broad. They will be adding their own jazzy touches to some recognisable folk tunes. Their first public performance was at the Rowella Hall Social Night in October 2017, at which they wowed the audience with their fantastic original music! The Rowella Hall Committee are so excited to unearth such talented artists and to have the means to showcase them alongside international artists thanks to the Festival of Small Halls.

Featuring soulful folk singer Claire Anne Taylor and folk powerhouse pair The Small Glories—Cara Luft & JD Edwards.

For more information, see Festival of Small Halls website.

Tickets are available online or from the Tamar Visitor Centre, Exeter.