Some Usual and Unusual Suspects...

Katie Howe

Membership

KT stumbled into filk in a side room at a roleplaying convention nearly 15 years ago and has never quite left... This year, she is responsible for membership and member queries, and generally enthusiastically cheer-leading on other fronts where possible! After helping to run the last pre-pandemic UK Filk con and then organising her civil partnership which got postponed twice due to said pandemic, she clearly felt her life was missing some event planning. Either that or her pet ferret has hidden her remaining marbles. The online filk circles and concerts have been great, but KT is looking forward to seeing filkish friends in person to check that you are all actually three-dimensional and still have legs (eye-witness evidence, and optional hugs, sought).

Lexi Hewett

Guest Liaison

It's all Bine's fault! In 2006 she told Lexi about this gathering in Freusburg where people would sing their own songs and cover others or perform parodies and how relaxed and open a community - in short, the 10th FilkContinental was the first of what would become her annual highlights. Of course her children (the boy with the book and she who writes prequels to Oldies) got infected to the same degree.

Having been a passionate harmony choir singer but super shy she got online singing lessons from Annie Griffith during the Covid years and found voice, fun in performance and "how to make a song her own", first with zoom concerts in Online Cons and live concerts since. A strong believer in paying forward she is now apprenticing with the concom.

She'd also found Rick and a new life in the UK in Filk but that a different story.

Mike Richards

Publications and Treasurer

Mike Richards^* has been instrumental in keeping various parts of the UK filk community together over the last few years - from organising small monthly Zoom circles, enticing newcomers to join us, and encouraging shy filkers to let their voices be heard, to standing up to lead a bid for the 2024 con when it looked like nothing might happen. He has been on the committee for multiple past conventions, after once making the mistake of asking what con-running involves. Alas, the reward for a job well done is generally another job. For Triple Time, Mike found our beautiful venue, and is responsible for publications as well as being our treasurer.

When not running filk conventions or writing songs about dragons and/or Mars rovers^**, he has a bad(?) habit of tempting people to have a go on his harp.

First time's free.

^* the curse of the multiple Mikes strikes. But they're all lovely, so we're keeping them.

^** yes, there is at least one that features both.

Miki Dennis

Artist-in-Residence and Hotel Liaison

Miki Dennis has been involved with Folk and then Filk for around 30 years. She managed to avoid organising the first Filk con by being inconspicuous but since that was one of the only times in her life she achieved this she has since been on six committees and the last Glasgow Worldcon. This is slightly unusual as she can't sing a note and disguises this by writing and performing poetry [or 'pietry'.] She is also a high ranking noble of the Far Isles Medieval society and has run many of their events as well as being an award winning sci-fi costumer.

Rick Hewett

Web and Tech Liaison

If there is a Con in England or Germany, chances are Rick is attending. Try the tech desk or adjustable microphones or the beeline in between.

Rick got into filking via The Harp List (hi Annie and Gwen!) and Usenet (hi everybody!) and attended his first ever Con in Blankenheim in 1998. That was after Annie had hauled him into the Filk UK list and he realized how much great filking was happening, and how he wouldn't leave a housefilk, swiggle, or con unattended (rumours go he tried to make up for the 20 years since his inconsequential first encounters with fandom at uni - let's say he simply felt so at home).

Rick joined the nMC in '98. (That t-shirt still exists. For certain values of exist or t-shirt.) He will happily sing the bass part in any Con harmony workshop. He will also lend his voice to guests of Honour should they come down with a sudden throat infection. Just give him the lyrics and kindly push him towards the stage. And push him kindly, too.

Triple Time will be the fifth UK FilkCon with Rick on ConCom. He is the guy behind the webpage. It's also the fifth time he's been on a ConCom with Miki and Mike.