South Wind CD Reviews 
18 July 1997 - The first review of the C.D. which appeared in Folk Roots.
The Director of a folk festival somewhere on the south Devon coast once
described the BVB to me as "the best kept secret on the English folk
dance scene". Alas! With the release of The South Wind
the secret is secret no more. Issued to coincide with their twentieth
birthday celebrations this album is much more than a souvenir of two glorious
decades of dancing - it is quintessentially all that is wonderful about
English traditional social dance music; vibrant, contagiously danceable
and tuneful. And what tunes. Several deserved favourites are here; the
Primrose Polka, The unfortunate Tailor and the stately title track. But
the album is choc-a-bloc with numerous melodies possibly unknown to those
of you not in the secret, some written by the band themselves, some from
research into tune books and manuscripts and others simply down to their
knack of knowing a good tune when they hear one at a festival workshop
or session. Although the tunes have their origins from all over the British
Isles the BVB's style bears the distinctive stamp of Southern England
in general and Bursledon in particular - largely due to the influence
of such seminal musicians as Scan Tester upon Dave Ingledew's Melodeon
playing. And while we're singling out individuals, Joyce Ingledew's fiddle
playing is spot on throughout, not least on Pat Shaw's beautiful Margaret's
Waltz. Yes, even allowing for the hyperbole of liner writers (and reviewers),
Hugh Rippon's sleevenotes may well have a grain of truth in them - this
could become a "classic" dance band recording. At last the secret's
out.
Lawrence Heath
The following appeared in FOLKWRITE July-Sept 1997
The Bursledon Village Band have been playing dances for 20 years, & their experience comes through on the recording. Fourteen tunes, or sets of tunes, are given here, all chosen with suitability for dancing in mind - 5 polkas, 3 waltzes, 2 jigs, 2 Reels, a hornpipe and a rant. Introductions are given to most of the tunes & each track is long enough to give a good number of times through so that the CD can actually be used for dancing to. As a dancer, I have to say that leaping around to a stereo system in the corner of a village hall is not my idea of a wild Saturday night - give me a live band every time! - but for those that like to do it that way, here is an excellent album to use.
There are some cracking good tunes here, some familiar, some less so - mainly English (Sussex Tune Book & the Hardy Collection well represented) with the occasional excursion to Ireland and Scotland. The chunky English sound with Tuba & Percussion is in danger of becoming a bit wearing on tracks where a single tune is used for a whole dance length - fine for the dance floor, but less so if you are just sitting & listening in your front room. However listen to this band steaming into The Unfortunate Tailor, or powering their way through The Kirkgate & Miss Thompson's Hornpipe and you know you are listening to some first class dance musicians.
Chris Beaumon
This next one came from Peeping Tom's August 1997 Newsletter. (Why oh Why did I give them a copy???)
For the first time ever we give a review - this time by Tool and Ben on The Bursledon Village Bands CD.
Now. Let's get this straight. We quite like the Bursledons. We think they're all top lads - even the one in the frock and Eb the Tuba. We had a good time with them at Whitby this year. If you don't believe us, Laurence has the photos.
This CD doesn't accurately reflect the live atmosphere generated by the Burbledon Dribble Band. We like it for the memories it provides - such as playing Roxburgh Castle for twenty minutes to accompany Taffy Thomas's Morpeth Rant led by Ian while Ben resolutely stayed at the bar!
Peeping Tom and the Wurzelden Silage band joined forces for a magnificent session on the last night at Whitby this year and blagged a copy off their leader Dave Ingledew in return for a review in our newsletter. Forgetting all that, the Burgling and Pillage Band play straightforward English country-dance music, which is infectious and good to dance to. This album is a good representation of the band's programme for a night of dancing - but three sets of waltzes is, we feel, showing off a bit. In the olden days, when Ben was our guitarist, the rhythm section NEVER played waltzes.
So, for an evening of cosy, fireside listening, this offering from Dave and Joyce Inglenook and the boys is worth getting the firelighters out. And the sleeve notes are worth getting to add to your collection of superlatives by that master of overstatement - none other than our old sparring partner, one H.Rippon, aged 103.
The Following was in Shreds & Patches (Local Folk Magazine for Shropshire & bordering counties)
The Bursledon Village Band have been playing for ceilidhs for at least
20 years but have only recently found time to go into the recording studio.
A few years ago they produced a fine tape that didn't get as much publicity
as it should have done. Now they have produced a real cracker of a CD
that should be in everybody's record rack. In our house we have listened
to it over and over again - if you enjoyed the music of Old Swan Band
and Flowers & Frolics then this ranks with them as the best in ceilidh
band music. Don't hesitate go and buy it now.
Ray Langton
From Folk On Tap October 1997 edition.
1997 sees the 20th birthday of the Bursledon Village Band.
During those twenty years, many musicians have passed through the ranks,
but the "core" of the band (Dave Ingledew - Melodeon and Joyce
Ingledew - Fiddle) has stayed the same. The current line-up sees them
augmented by concertina, keyboard, tuba and percussion. Fads and fashions
in dance music have come and gone over the years, but Dave & Joyce
have remained true to their original vision of a "no-frills"
English Country Dance Band, honing and refining the music to the point
where the BVB are now firmly established among the front rank of the country's
folk dance bands, regularly booked by leading festivals such as Sidmouth
and Whitby. "The South Wind", suprisingly their first CD album
is a faithful representation of the music to be heard at a BVB gig - fine
tunes played in a wonderfully rhythmic style, with rock-solid tempos (polkas,
jigs, reels and waltzes) that defy the feet to keep still. The tune sets
are played through either six or eight times, long enough for the album
to be of use to dance clubs, but short enough to hold the interest of
the sedentary listener. Doug Bailey's production is crisp and sympathetic,
and the album is unreservedly recommended to all lovers of English Country
Dance Music.
Pete Harris
From Buzz, Spring 1998.
They demonstrate an enviably precise, rhythmic sense and their phrasing and timing is almost metronomic which makes for an invariably controlled dance response. Arrangements are well worked-out, the musicians are all very competent and I particularly enjoyed listening to Joyce Ingledew on fiddle and Matthew Parker on keyboard......... its danceability is undeniable, particularly in a fine version of the Primrose Polka. A milestone recording.
Jenny Coxon
Folk Roundabout Sept 97
Normally, I would have passed by this type of album in shop or on a festival record stall, but I am grateful for the opportunity to hear it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Essential listening to anyone interested in dance music and early versions and variants of songs and tunes popular today, as well as more unusual material. The album includes both excellent performances and sleevenotes and is well worth a hearing.'
Don't forget you can listen to a sample Here