What’s On at the Folk Club

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 July 26, 2017: Elfen (Wales)

Elfen is the Cymraeg translation for ‘element’ – and the seamless blending of three great musicians. The band started in 2011 when when Stacey Blythe (who works with Lynne Denman in the wonderful duo Ffynnon) and Helina Rees decided to begin working together to create a personal and joyous expression of Welsh Folk. Two years later, the band found the mix they were looking for in Jordan Price Williams and his double bass.

After captivating the crowds at the gigantic Lorient Interceltique Festival in Brittany, Elfen have appeared at venues across Wales, including St David’s Hall Welsh Folk Proms, Wales Millenium Centre and other arts centres. Stacey, Helina and Jordan create a distinctive and soulful soundtrack for a new folk music in Wales. With the ancient songs and tunes of the Cymry at their heart, Elfen are re imagining the traditional. Familiar old words are reworked into bold and inventive arrangements, with newly written tunes. Woven in alongside traditional music from around the world, Elfen manage to remain firmly in a Welsh sound world – and Cardiff Folk Club celebrated by launching the trio’s debut album, March Glas, in December 2016.

“Compellingly sunny, rich and evocative, their fiddle, accordion, and bass are woven masterfully around Stacey Blythe’s jazz-soaked voice giving Elfen their place in a new Welsh Folk” – Rhian Hutchins, Opera Sonic

“Elfen has captured something special with their combination of passion, musicality, subtlety and repertoire. Elfen’s magic is its command of instruments, sympathetic execution and fascinating choice of tunes to reward the listener with the friendliest of sounds and a truly lovely musical experience” – Caryl Parry Jones

“Soulful voice, beautiful fiddle, sweet harp and accordion, velvety bass – an exciting new Welsh trio” – Bernard Kilbride (Admission £8, members £5

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August 2, 2017: Jackie Oates, Megan Henwood & Pete Thomas

The marvellous singer-songwriter Megan Henwood absolutely captivated and amazed the crowded St David’s Hall audience when she supported the Show Of Hands tour in 2016; now, she and her musical partner Jackie Oates (formerly of The Winterset, who evolved into The Unthanks, with many great solo albums under her belt) have released a brilliant, beautiful five-track EP called Wings, with double-bass player Pete Thomas accompanying Jackie’s five-string viola and piano and Megan’s guitar. On the EP, Jackie and Megan harmonise to die for, choosing Megan’s composition ‘Bettystown’, New Order’s ‘Love Vigilantes’, Brian Bedford’s ‘What’s The Use Of Wings?‘ (on Youtube video), Lau’s ‘Ghosts’ and the lovely traditional song ‘Setting Of The Sun’. Ten to one that the CD shop does a roaring trade… (Admission £8, members £5)

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August 16, 2017:  Catherine Craig & Brian Willoughby (USA/UK)

Funny stories, serious songs, great singing, inventive guitar playing – step right up, Cathryn and Brian! With a combined working history reading like a Who’s Who of household names in music (Righteous Brothers, Mary Hopkin, Chet Atkins, Strawbs and many more) they sing and play their own well-crafted brand of acoustic guitar-based material.

Cathryn and Brian met in Michael Snow’s recording studio in Nashville; Brian and Michael had written the song ‘Hard Luck Café’, and Michael said he knew just the person to sing it. When Brian came to record the first album of his own songs, Black & White – which includes ‘Hard Luck Café’ – he invited Cathryn to sing. Together they wrote ‘The Fire’, ‘Alice’s Song’ and ‘Black And White’. Apart from ‘Love Belongs Right Here’, a Mary Hopkin/Brian composition sung by Mary, Cathryn sang on the whole album – and so the duo of Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby was born. They are now settled in County Down, Ulster, near Carlingford Lough. Here are some reviews:

“Long live traditional music, even when it’s only just been written” (The Living Tradition)… “sublime guitar work and one of the finest voices around” (Folking.com)… “A superb selection of material, together with many humorous stories of travels on the road of life. Not to be missed”(Dartford Folk Club)… “If we hadn’t managed to book them, I would have travelled to see them elsewhere” (Saltburn Festival)… “Staggeringly good…truly magical guitar work, vocals to lift your heart and soul, with utterly unforgettable songs” (Folk on the Moor)… “The pairing is perfect and about as good as it gets” (The Acoustic Tearoom).

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August 30, 2017: Eileen McGann (Canada)

Eileen  is an Irish-Canadian folk singer, songwriter and traditional Celtic musician. Her album, Beyond The Storm, was Juno Award-nominated in 2002. She has released seven solo CDs and has established an almost 30-year career touring across North America and Great Britain. Eileen  was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada to Irish parents and was the third of four children. The family gradually moved to Calgary, Alberta, with Eileen the last to join them in 1990, after completing her studies at the University of Toronto and the Pontifical Institute for Medieval Studies, followed by an MFA in Drama in the UK.. She moved to rural Vancouver Island in British Columbia in 1999, where she is now based. Her website calls her: “One of folk music’s most breathtaking voices… her songs range from Celtic and traditional to very contemporary and topical… A gifted lyric poet and musical composer whose gorgeous vocals make her a must-see performer.” (Admission £8, members £5)

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September 20, 2017: Flossie Malavialle (France)

Flossie Malavialle is a Southern French singer, born in the beautiful town of Nîmes, who has been based in the North East of England since 2002. She has become an accomplished performer, playing at folk clubs and festivals all over the UK and beyond, and supporting established performers such as Fairport Convention and Show Of Hands.

Flossie’s powerful yet sensitive rendition of songs combined with her quaint northern twang and humorous banter will entertain and leave you with a smile. She has recorded and released of 12 albums so far, which is a reminder of how much work and dedication she has put into her musical career – from well-established folk songs to jazz standards, from blues numbers to Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel’s classics, her wide repertoire appeals to all.

Flossie says: “I first got involved in the British folk scene in 2000, while I was on a teacher exchange in the North East of England. After 12 years of teaching English full-time in secondary schools in the South of France, I decided to apply for a job as a French teacher in England, as I felt it would boost my English to live abroad for a year. I ended up working in Stockton-on-Tees while living in Darlington – great part of the world to improve on your English, like! As I had been singing for years in France before that, I found it quite natural to turn up at Darlington Folk Club one night to meet the locals and sing a song – I didn’t realise then that this was going to be the beginning of a new life in England for me.”

After Flossie’s exchange was over, she went back to France – but she missed her life in North-East England and decided to return. She is now based near Bishop Auckland. (Admission £8, members £5)

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October 4, 2017: Andrew Sharpe & Amy Kakoura

Those splendid chaps who organise the Ruff Ceilidhs at Cardiff’s Heath Hospital are familiar to Amy and Andrew, singer and pianist with the band Steamchicken. Both have been writing and arranging with Steamchicken, including ‘Oh Mary’ and ‘Western Approaches’.

Amy and Andrew met in 2012 and have been performing as a duo since. They co-wrote the blues opera Songs From A Ledge, closing the show with their translation of the Greek prayer of farewell ‘To My Rest’, which played to five-star reviews and sold out at the Old Joint Stock theatre in Birmingham; played as a jazz/folk duo and band at major festivals around the UK and abroad; played at arts centres, theatres and clubs up and down the country; and laughed, cried, fought, written, arranged, sung their hearts out and learned how not to kill each other.

As individuals and collaborators, they form the backbone of many successful projects across the UK. Amy graduated in 2012 from the Guildford School of Acting with a BA Hons in Musical Theatre. She continues to work as an actress and singer, touring widely with the UK’s number one concert guitarist Richard Durrant on a regular basis, and is writing recording her own album. Andrew is now writing full-time – his second play, Goodnight Poly Jones, has recently been produced in South London. Their two-person show comprises a mix of folk, blues and jazz; songs and stories drawn from Songs from a Ledge, the band Steamchicken and their own take on a few classics – and Amy will showcase some numbers from her solo album. (Admission £8, members £5)

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October 18, 2017:  O’Hooley & Tidow

With a personal invite from Billy Bragg to play Glastonbury, sessions on 6 Music and Radio 2, a five-star live review and feature in The Guardian, O’Hooley & Tidow are regarded as ‘one of British folk’s mightiest combinations’ (Mojo). Their forthcoming new album Shadows is the follow up to groundbreaking album The Hum, which earned them a place in Mojo’s Top 10 Folk Albums of 2014 and a nomination for ‘Best Duo’ in last year’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Having the originality and skill to invite comparison with the most celebrated harmony duos, from early Simon and Garfunkel to the iconic Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Belinda and Heidi’s powerful, deeply moving, and soulful performances are infused with an honesty and empathy that will disarm the hardest of heart. Rave reviews include: ‘Formidably brilliant’ – Independent; ‘Brave, beautiful and full of love’ – Martin Simpson; ‘In the leading ranks of the new wave of folk music aristocracy’ – Tom Robinson, 6 Music. (Admission £8, members £5)

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November 1, 2017: James Keelaghan & Hugh McMillan (Canada)

Called Canada’s finest singer-songwriter by one of the most respected and lauded music journalists of the last 50 years, James is a man for all seasons. For almost a quarter of a century now, this poet laureate of the folk and roots music world has gone about his work with a combination of passion, intent and intensity, and curiosity. for this tour, he is accompanied by Canadian musician Hugh, member of the folk-rock band Spirit Of The West, a multi-instrumentalist who has played guitars, bass, banjo, trombone, mandolins, Chapman stick, piano, and keyboards on the band’s albums.

James says: “Inspiration can come in many forms; I’m always on the lookout for a good story or idea. My sister told me the story that became ‘Kiri’s Piano‘; it was such an image that visits a dark chapter in Canadian history, Japanese interment camps in the Second World War.” Not only does his deep catalogue include timeless originals like ‘Fires of Calais’, ‘Cold Missouri Waters‘, ‘Jenny Bryce’, ‘Hillcrest Mine‘, and ‘Kiri’s Piano’, James is also a possessive interpreter of outside material, a fine example being his gripping take on Gordon Lightfoot’s epic ‘Canadian Railroad Trilogy’ on the Lighfoot tribute disc Beautiful. There are a number of illustrations of his interpretive skills on his 2006 recording A Few Simple Verses. The closing tune on that spellbinding set, ‘My Blood’, written with Jez Lowe, is one of many examples in his career, where he has invited collaboration into his creative process.

Dave Marsh, the award-winning American music critic and historian, said that James is “Canada’s finest songwriter” –  and those few but powerful words of praise say it all about an artist who continues to set the bar at a lofty height. (Admission £8, members £5)

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November 15, 2017: Moirai

Moirai are three fabulous women singers and musicians: songwriter Jo Freya, of the legendary band Blowzabella and Token Women; Sarah Matthews, fiddle and viola player of Derbyshire quartet Cross O’ The Hands, a duo with Doug Eunson and playing with Cupola/Ward; and Mel Biggs, diatonic accordion player with the ceilidh band All Blacked Up. They named themselves after the three female deities in Greek mythology who control the lives of everyone from birth to death, and recorded their debut album for WildGoose Studios, Sideways – William Blake’s poem ‘The Garden Of Love’ was a delightful highlight in a wonderful collection. Their second CD, Here & Now, has just been released – and it has won a four-star review in FolkWales Online Magazine! You can see two YouTube videos; Jo singing ‘Sideways‘ and Moirai playing ‘Peter’s Pint‘.  (£8 admission, £5 members)

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December 6, 2017: The Trials Of Cato (Wales/England)

The Trials of Cato are Robin Jones (mandolin, tenor banjo vocals), Will Addison (Irish bouzouki, tenor banjo, vocals) and Tomos Williams (guitar, vocals). The band formed in Beirut in the summer of 2015 and spent a formative year performing traditional music on the Lebanese music scene and developing their sound. Following their debut at Radio Beirut in September 2015, they went on to regularly fill some of Beirut’s foremost music venues. Since returning to the UK, they are booked up at folk clubs and festivals across the country thanks to a formidable live reputation. Their eponymous debut EP was described as ‘one hell of a calling card’ in FATEA Magazine earlier this year. The band’s live set includes both original and traditional material, featuring fretted instruments alone to achieve a musical presence not often heard on the modern folk scene. With tight instrumentation and rousing harmonies, the music is firmly rooted in the folk traditions of Ireland and Britain, yet the source material is decidedly contemporary.

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December 13, 2017: Xmas party No. 1, with buffet!

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December 20, 2017: Xmas party No. 2, with The Village Quire (Wales)

Here’s a Christmas celebration to beat all Christmas celebrations! The  Village Quire, based in Powys, are going on the road and are presenting their new seasonal show, Golden Gifts For All. The Quire sing in four-part harmony without instrumental accompaniment and with three singers to a part, like so many of the 18th century quires. Each of the programmes includes dramatic readings, given by actor Phil Smith, which have become a popular and essential part of the Quire’s performances. As well as being richly entertaining, these readings help to set the music in a social and historical context for those who are unfamiliar with the genre.

The Quire’s core repertoire is West Gallery Music, but the performances also include other styles of folk polyphony. The power and raw energy of this music, coupled with striking harmonies, make it truly compelling, spell-binding listening. It is, after all, village music – the music of country people – and is born out of the hardships they endured and the emotions that these created.

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January 10, 2018: celebrating Yr Hen Galan with Vrï

Celebrate the Old Welsh New Year with Vrï, the brand-new trio representing Wales and the nation’s music in the fast-evolving world of ‘chamber-folk’. Bringing together the experience of Jordan Price Williams (cello, Elfen) Patrick Rimes (violin, viola, Calan) and Aneirin Jones (violin), they play tunes and songs from the Celtic nations and beyond, attempting to combine the energy of a rowdy pub session with the style and finesse of the Viennese string quartet.  (£8 admission, £5 members)

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 January 24, 2018: Cassie & Maggie McDonald (Nova Scotia, Canada)

“Nova Scotian sisters Cassie and Maggie are among the top musical acts in demand on the Irish/American/Canadian scene” – that’s a five-star compliment from Irish Music Magazine, and the Folk Scene couldn’t agree more.  And Live Ireland Radio-Dublin enthused, just before awarding the sisters Singers Of The Year and New Group Of The Year: “What an unbelievably gifted duo – the train is just gathering steam and leaving the station on these new stars. It is going to be a glorious journey, and it is already well-begun.”

Chicago Irish-American Newspaper’s Female Vocal Album Of The Year winners, Galaxie Radio Rising Stars, Independent Music Award World Song Of The Year nominees, multiple Canadian Folk Music Award, East Coast Music Award and Music Nova Scotia Award nominees, Cassie and Maggie are lighting up the world with their unique blend of traditional and contemporary Celtic Roots music. Exciting and innovative, they have found a perfect balance between musical integrity, and sheer entertainment. While staying true to their Nova Scotia Celtic roots, they have explored and tested the boundaries of traditional music. Take a look on their video!  (£8 admission, £5 members)

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February 7, 2018: The Brother Brothers (USA)

Based out of Brookyn, New York City, twin brothers Adam and David Moss are a musicial duo unlike most others. As Sarah Jarosz, stunning songwriter and their friend, explains: “While they’re technically a new band, The Brother Brothers have been in this together for life – and their familial connection comes through in the music, harkening back to some of the greatest family harmonies ever made. They approach their poignant and often charming songs with an almost startling sense of ease, and the tight harmonies are enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. Their ability to pull the listener into their quietly energetic musical journey is a joy to behold. I can’t wait to be out on the road with Adam and David and hear their heart-wrenching songs and spot on harmonies night after night!”

The Brother Brothers offer rich harmonies and thoughtful songs, accompanied by guitar, cello, violin and banjo. Already established players and composers in a wide spectrum of genres throughout the New York musical circuit, they are finally teaming up to bring their individual experiences together. (£8 admission, £5 members)

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February 14, 2018: Rattle On The Stovepipe

Rattle On The Stovepipe are Dave Arthur (guitar, five-string banjo, melodeon, percussion, vocals), Pete Cooper (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), Dan Stewart (five-string banjo, guitar, fiddle, harmony vocals). The trio first got together in 2003 to explore the connections between British, Irish and Appalachian songs and tunes that passed back and forth across the Atlantic, carried by waves of immigrants and visitors: morris tunes that cropped up in the Southern Mountains as fiddle and banjo breakdowns, black-face Minstrel songs that took root in the Cotswolds in the nineteenth century, the classic folk ballads whose themes of love, betrayal, murder, revenge and adventure appealed equally to North Carolina mountain people, Scottish travellers and southern English agricultural workers.

The wonderful Dame Shirley Collins, who collected Appalachian tradition with Alan Lomax, enthuses: “Whenever Rattle On The Stovepipe are booked to play at my local folk club, I’m first in the queue to make sure I get my seat in the front row. This engaging trio inspires in me the same devotion that old Virginia musicians like Wade Ward and Uncle Charlie Higgins do. There is that same sweetness, ease, subtlety and good humour, every song and tune so well understood, so deftly played and so perfectly paced. They are all master musicians, but there is no sense of ego, no promotion of themselves as stars, although they certainly can dazzle. They are completely at home with the music they love… both Dave and Pete have that rare gift of drawing you into a song.”  (£8 admission, £5 members)

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March 14, 2018: Pilgrims Way

This band are off the wall, colourful, energetic – with influences starting in early music, passing through Playford and the Morris traditions, picking up prog, soul and pop, it’s impossible to categorise the sound they make as folk music is fed through their unique steam-driven sound-mincing engine.

Formed by default under a Stockport pub table in early 2010 by Edwin Beasant (melodeons, guitar, bass, electric Mars Bar etc), Tom Kitching (fiddle, mandolin) and past member Lucy Wright, Pilgrims’ Way has grown to incorporate a dazzling array of instrumentation and millinery. With the extraordinarily omni-skilled musician Jon Loomes (22 instruments played on Red Diesel), and champion Renaissance woodwind parper and oboe wrangler Jude Rees joining along the way, the prospect of an early night is slim. No cow is too sacred, no juxtaposition too ambitious. Pigeonhole at your peril! Wear a yellow carnation in your buttonhole! Password: ‘How’s your father?’

Off the back of acclaimed albums Wayside Courtesies (2011) and Red Diesel (2016), the band are out on the road again. Prime the mild pump, waterproof the revolving mirror ball, and strap on your dancing trousers! (£8 admission, £5 members)

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March 21, 2018: Sara Grey and Kieron Means (USA)

Sara and her son Keiron had to postpone their lengthy 2016 tour when Sara suffered bouts of ill-health – but now they are coming to Llantrisant Folk Club again. Sara and Keiron perform American tradition as opposed to Americana – theirs is the Real Deal. Musician and singer Brian Peters endorsed: “Sara is one of that rare breed of singers who have been involved with traditional music over many years and absorbed its vital essence. In Sara’s performance, the art of the singer and that of the story teller merge to produce a web of tales and songs capable of transporting an audience from the concert hall or club room to the intimacy of a kitchen fireside.”

Living Tradition Magazine paid this tribute: “Kieron has such a tremendous passion when he sings; it goes right to the very core of himself, he’s totally immersed the songs. He is a terrific performer on account of just that passion. His voice is especially striking, achieving the rare combination of a high lonesome edge with a warm richness of timbre, and it has a power to move the listener that few of his generation can match. His guitar playing is unconventional, its spareness a mile away from any notion of fancy picking, but it’s highly effective, while his stage presence is charismatic, yet laid-back. His songs range from old-time, through the blues – which he sings with startling conviction – to the work of tradition-influenced songwriters, and his own compositions have people, who know a good song when they hear one, nodding in approval.”

A little-known fact about banjo-frailing Sara and guitar master Keiron is that they nearly became members of Llantrisant Folk Club… Sara was so taken by the Club that she settled in a village near to Llantrisant, with seven-year-old Keiron in tow. However, they moved far, far away instead… now Sara lives in Rockland on Maine’s Atlantic Coast, and Kieron lives in the town of Malta, New York State. (Admission £8, members £5)

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April 4, 2018: Debra Cowan (USA)

Debra, who lives near Worcester, Massachusetts, was once asked what kind of songs she writes. Her reply? “Bad ones – besides, there are so many good songs out there written by others and they should be sung.” Her captivating warm alto carries each folk song she chooses with such emotion that you’ll forget that they were written by others. She performs a cappella and with guitar in the great tradition of folk singers like Joan Baez and Judy Collins, with a clear vocal that calls forth the ghosts of long past but can also offer a more modern urban landscape. In her album, a live recording entitled Among Friends, she demonstrates her ability to connect with her audience and have them enthusiastically sing along on choruses and refrains.

Debra left a career in education to pursue a career as a folksinger, and she held the Monday night residency at Sandy Bell’s Bar, Edinburgh’s premier folk music pub. She is included in many compilations, notably the 2006 Free-Reed Records box set RT – The Life and Times of Richard Thompson, and has worked with many prominent musicians such as Dave Mattacks, Brookes Williams. Bill Cooley and John Roberts, the veteran British singer with whom she performed on her last Llantrisant Folk Club gig.

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April 18, 2018: John Conolly

John is the acclaimed singer/writer of his ‘hit’ song ‘Fiddler’s Green’, which has been recorded by many musicians the world over, including The Dubliners, The Wolfe Tones and Liam Clancy. John, writer of ‘The Trawling Trade’, ‘Punch and Judy Man”and many more songs, has been a presence on the British folk scene since the folk revival in the early 1960s, and was among the founders of The Grimsby Folk Song Club, which opened its doors in 1964.

Many of his early songs, written in conjunction with his old friend and songwriting partner Bill Meek, tell heartwarming stories of the lives and labours of the East Coast fishing community, and these songs have earned John a welcome at folk and maritime festivals worldwide. He has broadened the subject-matter of his writing – tender love songs, hard-hitting political protests and outrageously funny ditties which he describes as his ‘Saucy Postcard Collection’.

Many of John’s songs have been covered by well known national and international performers like Roy Bailey, Liam Clancy, Malinky, The McCalmans, Stormalong John and George Hamilton IV, to name but a few. The original versions, however, can be heard on John’s own CDs – and his album The Man From Fiddler’s Green, recorded and produced by Rob van Sante, was released in August 2013. (£8 admission, £5 members)

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May 2, 2018:  Sadie & Jay (Australia)

Sadie and Jay sing captivating songs accompanied by intricate finger-style playing. Their contemporary and original folk music styles have leanings to the alternative with a tinge of blues and roots. Blending vocals of rare calibre with an evocative back-drop of traditional folk instruments this duo perform intimate, expressive and resonant music.

With her Welsh heritage, Sadie’s love for singing is instinctive. Born in the UK and raised in Australia, Sadie’s distinctive voice and versatility led her to perform in bands, theatre and cabaret. From singing jazz & blues to world & roots music, Sadie has performed with accomplished musicians enriching her spellbinding vocal ability. Born in Scotland and raised in New Zealand, Jay grew up in a musical family immersed in traditional British folk music. For many years Jay has been a member of The Penmans, a four-part family acapella group. This collection of brother, sisters and father have entertained at folk festivals and concerts in New Zealand. Their album Homemade Jam is a celebration of the traditional folk genre.

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May 16, 2018: Granny’s Attic

Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (melodeon, concertina, vocals), George Sansome (guitar, vocals) and Lewis Wood (fiddle, mandolin, vocals) are are a fantastic young folk trio from the Worcester area who play the tradition with verve, energy and their own inimitable style.  They are all exceptional musicians and fine singers and play a range of English, Irish and Scottish traditional music as well as their own compositions. Formed in 2009, out of a shared passion for folk music, they have been playing at clubs and festivals up and down the country, and have been heralded for their lively performances and maturity beyond their years in their delivery and selection of traditional songs. Their sound attracted the ears of Doug Bailey, WildGoose Studios producer and co-director, who invited them to Wherwell, Hampshire to record their second album, Off The Land (awarded four stars by FolkWales Online Magazine).

Lewis is the band’s principal tunewriter. He has been playing folk music for most of his life, with most of his efforts in recent years concentrated on playing for dance. His duo with Helen Gentile focuses on tunes from all over Europe, both played as concert material and for dancing. In 2015, he performed alongside renowned Galician Gaita player Carlos Nunez. Folk music combines a good few of George‘s interests – singing, history, people and pubs. He wrote his dissertation on folk clubs  George also plays euphonium and occasionally dips his toes into the murky waters of the brass band world, as well as with the Leeds-based hardcore brass-pop oompah band The Brasswursts. Cohen has been involved in folk and traditional music for over a decade and is well regarded as both a musician and a singer. In 2014, Cohen had the fortune of winning Bromyard Folk Festivals Future of Young Folk Award for young folk singers. Outside of Granny’s Attic Cohen performs as a soloist with a repertoire of traditional English songs and tunes, as well as performing in various other line-ups. (£8 admission, £5 members)

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May 30, 2018:  James Hickman and Dan Cassidy

James comes from Shrewsbury, Shropshire where he was raised on a diet of folk and bluegrass music; his avid bluegrass musician father bought him s guitar at the age of 13 and started performing with him at local folk clubs; Dan was born into a musical family in Maryland, USA, and gained a solid background in music after taking up the violin on his tenth birthday. James and Dan first formed a duo in 2008; their sound flows from the connection between British and American folk and is bursting with all the humour, heartbreak and excitement of these genres. James’ lively English wit is set against Dan’s bone-dry irony and American drawl as they take you on a dynamic transatlantic journey.

Les Barker writes strange poems and comes from originally from Manchester, but he’s now emigrated to North Wales and become a shining example of a fluent Welsh speaker. He was an accountant before he became a professional idiot. He’s written 85 books, which sell in large numbers at his gigs because people don’t quite believe what they’ve just heard. His poems have spawned a number of folk heroes: ‘Jason and the Arguments’, ‘Cosmo the Fairly Accurate Knife Thrower’, ‘Captain Indecisive’ and ‘Spot Of The Antarctic’, to name but two…

Mr Barker began his career as assistant to Mrs Ackroyd, a small hairy mongrel who lay around in folk clubs, bit people and became famous. Mrs Ackroyd was the only dog ever to own her own record label. Since her sad demise, Les is mainly a solo performer, though he has taken to working with humans from time to time. The Mrs Ackroyd Band gradually evolved from an ever-changing Who’s Who of the folk scene into a tightly knit, well-rehearsed group. The band are now playing as a trio, without Mr Barker, and will be far more tightly knit and well-rehearsed. Mr Barker’s Welsh songs are occasionally performed by a trio of Welsh musicians who have had the good sense to keep him out of the band.

Mr Barker has several solo albums to his credit: Dogologues, An Infinite Number of Occasional Tables, A Cardi and Bloke, Up the creek Without A Poodle, Arovertherapy and The War on Terrier. He has travelled the length, breadth and height of Great Britain, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and – both solo and with the band – the United States and Canada, and has more recently won prizes for his Welsh poetry, including five small chairs, a big one and a stool.

There are five highly acclaimed albums of his serious work; the folk opera The Stones of Callanish, Some Love, The Wings of Butterflies, Airs Of The Dog and Twilight Of The Dogs, all involving a galaxy of talent. His serious songs have also featured on albums by Martin Carthy and the late Dave Swarbrick and by June Tabor. June invariably includes a smattering of Mr Barker’s serious and comic songs in her live performances. (Admission £8, members £5)

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August 15, 2018: Bob Wood (Scotland)

Bob was born in the West Coast of Scotland but is based in London; he’s a warm and engaging solo singer and performer with an easy going sense of humour and a highly accomplished finger-style guitarist. Exploring a range of open tunings, his playing and song interpretations have been described as displaying a rare sensitivity, lightness of touch and great technique.

He has produced a couple of solo albums, When The Moon Sits Fat On A Scudding Cloud and After the Swithering, which the national folk magazines have described variously as delightful, haunting, reflective and exquisite. As a departure from his regular repertoire, Bob also loves gigging as a duo with Benny Gallagher (McGuinness Flint, Gallagher & Lyle) and features extensively on Benny’s most recent studio album, At The Edge Of The Wave, providing harmony vocals and second guitar parts. “Every time I sit down and play some music with Bob – I come away feeling feel enriched”, says Benny. “If I should ever write a song that I never get the chance to perform, Bob Wood is the man for the job.”

Some other reviews: “An artiste with an eclectic and entertaining repertoire of song which he accompanies with an innovative and always sympathetic guitar style” (Archie Fisher)… “Bob Wood is one of the deftest pickers and tastiest arrangers of songs it has been my pleasure to hear – a real delight!” (Steve Tilston)… “The man has an innate ability to elevate a song. His playing is brilliant and his singing and phrasing are in lock step with the intent behind the song. He’s covered a couple of my own works and I sincerely hope he will do more in the future” (David Francey).  Here’s a Youtube video of Bob at The Ram Folk Club in Surrey (which he founded), chatting to the audience and performing Garnett Rodgers’ song ‘All This Is’. (Admission £8, members £5)

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September 19, 2018: Colum Sands (Ireland)

Fabulous songwriter, guitarist, singer and commuicator, Colum reaches out to his audience and paints soundscapes inspired by his beloved Rostrevor in County Down, where he is one of the renowned Sands Family. He

has performed in over 30 countries around the world, confirming the universal appeal for the songs and stories with which he observes the minute and often humorous details of life. He established his reputation as a songwriter with the release of his first solo album, Unapproved Road, in 1981. Songs like ‘Whatever You Say, Say Nothing’ and ‘Almost Every Circumstance’ were soon in the repertoire of artists from Billy Connolly to Maddy Prior and June Tabor. His second album, The March Ditch, inspired a special BBC television documentary and songs like ‘The Man With The Cap’ and ‘Looking The Loan Of A Spade’ confirmed his unique ability to observe locally and appeal universally. On his travels around the world he soon discovered that many of his songs had arrived before him, carried by other singers and in recordings by fellow performers like Andy Irvine, Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, Roy Bailey, Mick Hanley, Gerard van Maasakkers, Rosemary Woods, Iain McIntosh and Enda Kenny.

The endless range of venues around the world inspired the title track of Colum’s seventh album, Look Where I’ve Ended Up Now, released in 2009. Meetings on the road with Scottish Gaelic singer Maggie MacInnes lead to another fascinating project and a new album released in 2010, The Seedboat (Bàta An t-Sìl), investigating musical and linguistic links between Ireland and Scotland. Between touring and recording, countless other performers have been introduced to the air waves through Colum’s work as a presenter of BBC Radio Ulster’s Folk Club programme, he has also broadcast a series of programmes for BBC Radio 2.

His work in radio and studio production earned him the Living Tradition Award for services to Folk and Traditional Music. Colum has also produced countless albums for traditional singers and songwriters, and he also produced four tracks on the Sound Neighbours CD, released by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, an album which was short-listed for a Grammy Nomination. In 2012, Colum took time out from touring and his weekly radio programme to write and record his ninth album, Turn the Corner, released during the 2013 Fiddler’s Green International Festival. (Admission £8, members £5)

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