Lenore Somerset

Debut album

By June 1963, Lenore Somerset's debut album had been released. She was pictured on page 18 of the 20 June 1963 issue of The Age. By that time, she had already appeared on all three of the television stations in Melbourne. Her album was reviewed by "Orpheus" on page four of the edition.^[11] It was speculated by Billboard that the album should secure a personal management contract with Woomera Music.^[12] The album, Lenora Somerset Sings featured fourteen songs which included "All My Trials", "Moreton Bay", "Andy's Gone with the Cattle", "The Ox Driver Song", "The Riddle Song", and Little Moses".^[3]

Australian Newport folk festival

Somerset along with Marian Henderson, Gary Shearston, Tina Lawton, Martin Wyndham-Reade, Jeanne Lewis, and compere Leonard Teale were scheduled to appear at the Australian Newport Folk Festival which was held at the Newport Oval in Newport, New South Wales from 8–10 January 1965. According to The Canberra Times, the festival was expected to bring in up to 12,000 people over its three-day run.^[13][14]

The event was recorded, and according to the 4 March issue of The Canberra Times, there were six programmes. The first of them was to be broadcast by the A.B.C on 7 march. Paul Marks, a jazz / blues singer & guitarist was the featured artist. The second and third programmes would be of Tina Lawton and Lenore Somerset respectively.^[15]

Further activities

Along with Judy Jacques, Hans Georg, Brian Mooney, Martin Wyneham Read, Kirk & Jane, Juan da Montagne (Spanish Guitarist), Somerset was scheduled to appear at the Melbourne Folk Festival on 9 April 1965.^[16]

It was written in the 14 May 1965 issue of The Australian Jewish News that Mike Seeger, brother of Pete and his band, the New Lost City Ramblers would be playing two concerts at the Melbourne Town Hall on Wednesday 26 May and Tuesday 1 June. The stars of the Australian Newport Folk Festival, Marian Henderson, Gary Shearston, Paul Marks, Tina Lawton, Lenore Somerset, The Wesley Three, And Sean and Sonja etc. would be on the same programme.^[17]

Somerset was pictured with folk singers Doug Owen and Margaret Smith in the 22 July 1965 issue of The Age. They were to appear in a variety show, televised on GTV-9 on the 29th. A song they were expected to perform was "Follow the Drinking Gourd which was described by the paper as an American Negro freedom song, which references a constellation pointing the way to freedom. Also scheduled to be at the event were Chris Beard and his sister Robina, Toni Lamond, Bon Maguire, Judd Laine, Roger McDougall, and Mary Hardy.^[18]

It was reported by Billboard in the magazine's 13 November 1965 issue that Somerset had released her self-titled EP and was in the process of recording her third album release.^[19]

In a December 1966 article Garry Raffaele of The Canberra Times, she was described as lengthening and broadening her musical scope, so unlike some other folk singers, she was able to make a full-time living from her music. While her musical recordings were in the folk genre, her television appearances and cabaret work were more commercial.^[20]

According to the 16 July 1966 issue of Billboard, popular W&G Records artist Lenore Somerset was doing well with her low-priced album.^[21] It was described by Cash Box as an interesting set of early Australian tunes drawn from old miner and sheep drover songs.^[22]

With Normie Rowe, Maureen Elkner, Phil Lanham, Pauline Murphy and Danny O'Meara the compere, Somerset appeared on stage at Nui Dat, South Vietnam on a government sponsored show to entertain Australian troops. The event was held on 25 April 1969.^[23] She was also photographed that month at Nui Dat by David Reginald Combe, giving a letter from home to Private David Jones of the 3rd Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment.^[24]

According to the "On-the-scene" section in the 21 May 1969 issue of The Altona Star, Somerset had changed her singing style from the days when she was at Frank Traynor's club.^[25]