Gwerincymru — o Gymru o’r byd

NEWS

MARTIN Simpson, the incredible Brendan Power and Tim Edey and Welsh harp and fiddle duo D&A have been booked for the Tredegar House Festival in the city of Newport, which runs from May 18 to 20, 2012.

Martin is in the middle of the Purpose And Grace CD promotional tour. New Zealand virtuoso harmonica player Brendan Power and breathtaking button accordion and storming guitar player Tim Edey are taking a break from each other, while Brendan goes off on a four-month tour visiting and playing several exotic countries – but he flies back to Britain to appear at Tredegar House Festival.

Mother and daughter Delyth and Angharad Jenkins play their debut spot at the festival. Harper Delyth, an ex-member of original trio Aberjaber, has recorded her third solo CD, Aros. Angharad, who is fiddler with young five-strong band Calan, recently took her place as project officer for trac, the all-Wales folk development organisation.

Other mouth-watering artists booked include the Ulster songwriter and singer Anthony John Clarke and The Hut People, with Sam Pirt playing fiery accordion. CAMRA are running the real ale bar again, but Sue Oates, chair of the festival, has not released the names of the international, Welsh and English dance teams booked.

THE well-loved BBC Radio Wales show Celtic Heartbeat, presented by musician and personality Frank Hennessy, is moving from Saturday evenings to Sunday evenings from January 8, to make way for rock and pop shows.

THE New Inn Folk Club, Pontblyddyn, is moving to The Cross Keys in Llanfynydd, between Mold and Wrexham, on Tuesday, January 10, 2012. The New Inn is closing on December 31 and will be being converted into homes. Organiser David Petie said: “The Cross Keys is a 17th century pub with open fires, real ale and a real olde worlde atmosphere. Paul has promised chips on ordinary nights and chips and sandwiches on showcase nights.”

RUFF Ceilidhs are holding their annual Christmas Ceilidh on Saturday December 10 when the mighty Juice will be appearing, along with RUFF Ceilidhs founder and caller caller Dave Parsons. Ruff Ceilidhs start at 8pm, and there’s a real ale bar.

LLANTRISANT Folk Club are holding their Christmas Party No. 2 on Wednesday, December 21 when The Village Quire deliver some thrilling West Gallery carols and hymns. The Quire, from Glasbury-on-Wye, was formed to sing West Gallery music – what 18^th and 19^th Century churchgoers would have heard. The Folk Club meets in The Windsor Hotel, Pontyclun, at 8.30pm.

OVER the Border, the Shrewsbury Folk Festival runs from August 24 to 27, 2012 – and they have announced a host of guests, including Richard Thompson in a solo setting, Kate Rusby, Show of Hands, a marathon ceilidh with Blowzabella, The Sweetback Sisters from New York, Madison Violet and Old Man Luedecke (Canada), Jonathan Byrd from the US and Anxo Lorenzo from Spain. Bad Anna, the former Uiscedwr line-up which comprises founders Anna Esslemont, North Wales fiddler and singer, and percussionist/bodhran player Cormac Byrne, have been booked for the second year.

RAYMOND Greenoaken, well-known editor of the South Yorkshire folk magazine Stirrings, had a double bypass heart operation in December and has now recovered.

OBITUARIES

VETERAN guitarist and much-loved singer Johnny Silvo has died after a short illness. Johnny had already cancelled his November tour after he was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney and lung. His condition had already deteriorated by the time he was admitted to hospital.

Richard Rees, much respected Pembrokeshire musician, morris man, dobra player and gentleman who was a regular at many music venues locally, died on Thursday November 3. His funeral was at Narberth crematorium.

Dave White, hammer dulcimer player of the Ripponden session and a leading contemporary potter of Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, has died. He sold his work all over Europe, and took his annual holiday trips abroad, selling and demonstrating at potter's festivals.

Grant Rule, Appalachian dulcimer player with South-East England group Pig’s Ear, a sailor, archer, historian and stalwart of the Croydon Folksong Club, has died after a boating accident.

Tributes have been paid to Scottish singer-songwriter and former Doll By Doll band member Jackie Leven, who has died of cancer aged 61. Leven, born into a Romany family in 1950, enjoyed great critical acclaim but little commercial attention for his soulful music inspired by his colourful life. His career spanned four decades.

He slept rough, spent time busking and became addicted to heroin as well as a heavy drinker – But his distinctive works were hailed as masterpieces, taking in the characters and experiences he met with on his travels.

Bill Tapia, the master of the Hawaiian ukulele, died at his home in Southern California, just a month short of his 104th birthday. He was born in Hawaii on New Year's Day, 1908, and took up the ukulele when he was 15. He used to delight audiences by introducing a number as "a song I learned during World War I."

Bill was arrested while playing in speakeasies during the United States Prohibition.