Over the years individual members have done much to champion the work of George Gardiner, see Folk Songs from Hampshire and Dorset which was first issued in 1974, re-issued in 2005.

HSG founder member Bob Askew has given illustrated talks on Gardiner's collecting and Hampshire songs in local venues and at Sidmouth Folk Festival, Gosport and Fareham Folk Festival and Cecil Sharp House, as part of the recent Take6 project.

Working with his daughters Emily and Hazel Askew and CMR, Moira Craig, Sarah Morgan and Carolyn Robson, Bob has helped put together shows and concerts showcasing Gardiner's work and Hampshire songs.

The most recent series of concerts is "The Axford Five" featuring the songs collected from five women singers in Preston Candover and the surrounding villages.
Craig, Morgan Robson combined with The Askew Sisters in a show consisting of traditional songs collected from Sarah Goodyear, Marty Munday, Elizabeth Randall, Charlotte Hall and Emma Hopkins, linked with narrative.
The show premiered in Preston Candover village hall in March 2009, where it was supplemented by a display of old photographs of the village and some of the singers, from Hampshire Record Office's Archives. Since then the show has been put on a several village halls and folk festivals.

Craig; Morgan; Robson and The Askew Sisters were part of the Take6 Concert which was held in Cecil Sharp House on 27th June 2009. The concert featured songs from each of the collectors: Janet Blunt, George Butterworth, Frank Collinson, George Gardiner, Anne Gilchrist and The Hammond Brothers. Well-known and well-loved standards of the English repertoire were performed alongside some of the hidden gems gleaned from the thousands of items in the archive.

A pre-concert talk on George Gardiner was given by Bob Askew and the launch of The Axford Project CD by Craig; Morgan; Robson and The Askew Sisters also took place on the day.

Hampshire Songs Group members have staged these Gardiner Centenary Events 2009/10:

Oct-Nov 2009: Hampshire Songs Exhibition and Talk - Westbury Manor Museum, Fareham.
19th Jan: Toasts and Singaround at Hyde Tavern, Winchester.
28th Jan: Hampshire Songs and George Gardiner - Bob Askew Lunchtime Lecture at Hampshire Record Office.
26th Feb: Hampshire Folk Map launch at Hampshire Record Office - Rob Mills and Wickham Morris.
27th Feb: The Song Goes On at Twyford - Exhibition of old photographs, C;M;R Harmony workshop and Concert - Craig-Morgan-Robson, Madding Crowd, Geoff Jerram and Ron Coe.
13th March: Hampshire Songs at Westbury Museum Fareham - Rob Mills and Anne Winter.
4th April: Hampshire Songs Concert at Fareham Easter Festival - Askew Sisters, Anne Winter and Rob Mills.
13th April: Some Hampshire Songs at Nonsuch Folk Club, Bishops Waltham - Steve Jordan.
13th May: Hampshire Songs Singaround at the Royal Oak (Winchester Folk Festival).
22nd April: Axford 5 Show at St George's Festival, Hedge End - Craig-Morgan-Robson and Askew Sisters.
18th Sept: Hampshire Songs Concert at Petersfield - Pitchpole Jack, Tangle, Anne Winter and Haden and John Dodd.
6th Nov: Hampshire Songs at Village Folk Club, Catisfield - Geoff Jerram.
10th Dec: Isle of Wight Songs from the Dollymops at Focsle Folk Club, Southampton.

Gardiner Appreciation Group Links
Bob has put up a website for the Gardiner Appreciation Group which will have more information and details of events, etc. To visit the site click here.

To read the Gardiner page on the SCoFF website click here.

To read a transcript of Bob Askew's Talk on Gardiner's collecting in Southampton click here.

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