A PASSIONATE band leader and cultural conservationist is calling time on his spell reviving Teesdale’s folk heritage.
Neil Diment, from Barnard Castle, is ending his tenure with the Cream Tees youth folk band at the end of the school year – but not before the group takes on two of its biggest gigs to date.
The group will perform its “Rooted – a Teesdale suite” piece at the Sage Gateshead as part of the Durham Music Service showcase concert on March 17.
The following day will see the youth group collaborate with the Opera North youth choirs to perform a concert at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington.
Mr Diment said: “It’s just amazing to be given this opportunity.
“It’s kind of a reflection of the work we have done over the past six years.”
The 65-year-old is planning to move to West Yorkshire at some point in the summer leaving behind him a legacy of musical adventure and Teesdale folk revival.
When it formed, Mr Diment had originally wanted to call the youth group the “Yellow Rattle band” in a nod to the native botany of the dale.
The Cream Tees moniker stuck but it was a trip to Romania and a chance meeting which sowed the seeds of the project in the first place.
Mr Diment said: “I was in an area with some of the finest upland hay meadows left – with the same sorts of plants you see in Teesdale.
“I was with a family and at the end of the trip and four people came out in traditional costume and they did a little dance.
“There wasn’t much room and it was very simple but the thing that really stuck with me was the pride in their facial expressions – you could tell it wasn’t something they just did for the tourists.”
With the seed planted, Mr Diment set about distilling the identity of Teesdale with the help of folk musician Mike Bettison. The rest was history, and with financial support from Heritage Lottery funding, The Music at the Heart of Teesdale project offered a creative outlet for 11 to 18-year-olds and attracted dozens of artists and volunteers to help coach the youngsters.
Mr Diment added: “I think my generation had forgotten about it but by working with young people we could start to revive the traditions of folk music in Teesdale.”
The project has helped several youngsters grow into folk including dale twins Fiona and Rachel Todd who have secured a place on a folk degree course at Newcastle University.
And once Mr Diment goes, the Cream Tees will go on without him under the leadership of Rupert Philbrick.
Mr Diment added: “It’s almost as if we have turned full circle.
“What’s been fantastic for me is I’ve been playing with my kids. The project has been really successful with the Durham Music Service and Teesdale School being really supportive.
“It’s taken over my life and I do need a break – I’ve done it for six years and the great thing is Rupert has come on board. He is a fantastic musician and really gets the best out of the kids.
“It’s great that he’ll be stepping into my shoes and he’s a local Barney lad as well.”
Away from the Cream Tees, Mr Diment’s background in conservation and passion for haymeadows also provided the perfect expertise and equipment for replanting schemes on the Demesnes in the town.
Before he goes, he is planning a 200 mile hike through Northumberland in August alongside friends to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Alfred Wainwright’s 1938 work “A Pennine Journey”.
However, a new CD is in the pipeline and there is plenty of work still to be done before his retirement.
“I’ve still got six months to go and it’s a really exciting programme,” added Mr Diment.
To find out more about the Cream Tees spring programme, go to: http://music attheheartofteesdale.com/cream-tees/
