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Dr-Price-and-Folk-Club

 

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THE MUSIC DIARY…

Welcome to our wonderful Folk Club, which is staging live shows every Wednesday in Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club, Castan Road/Palalwyf Avenue CF72 9EH, at 8.30pm. 

Our Zoomaround sessions are held on the first Tuesday of each month (8.15pm for 8.30pm) – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89787380016 Meeting ID: 897 8738 0016 – no password. We hope to see you there.

Wednesdays when no guest is listed are S&M (Song and Music) nights, where everyone is welcome.  £3 entry – come along and join us. (Remember to pay ONLY IN CASH – thank you!)

August 13, 2025: Sian & Rob Colquhoun

Sian and Rob are an acoustic duo based in the southwest of England; they perform a dynamic repertoire largely drawn from Appalachian tradition, Old-Time country music and Bluegrass. With close harmonies accompanied on guitar, mandolin, clawhammer banjo, autoharp and harmonica, they are skilled interpreters of songs and tunes calling on a rich tradition encompassing their own Scots-Irish roots.

Sian is an experienced singer and musician, known for her velvet vocals and gorgeous harmonies. She plays guitar, autoharp and harmonica. Following a career as a TV and radio journalist, she began working as a full-time musician in 2008. She founded Sing Alive community choirs and the White Doves peace choir. Sian has also led large choirs, including Bristol Voices and the Walcot State Choir, running singing workshops and scratch festival choirs. Rob is a guitar player, singer-songwriter, composer and tutor with more than 40 years’ experience. He’s an expert in both finger-style and flatpicking, playing his own beautifully crafted arrangements of traditional and contemporary songs. He also plays mandolin and clawhammer banjo. 

Sam Simmons, editor of Folklife West Magazine, recommends: “Sian and Rob take a deep dive into Appalachian culture, and from the depths come up singing – and playing and clogging. Their empathy for the culture, and the ability to convey that musically, makes for a great performance.” 

Please watch two videos of Sian and Rob performing ‘Cluck Old Hen’ and ‘Soul of Man’.

(£8 entry, £5 members)

August 27, 2025: Dewdropper

Dewdropper are the five-piece band fronted by the fabulous voice of Elaine Morgan. They have worked together and have been close friends for many, many years and are the house band at Rumney Folk Club, Cardiff.

Out of nowhere, and almost by accident, this musical venture was born – and they love every minute. Reworking traditional folk themes, five seasoned musicians – drawn from a wide cross-section of influences – have brought together their own take on this musical form.

Dewdropper are Elaine Morgan (vocals, djembe, percussion), Dave Dearnley (acoustic guitars), Kat Batchelor (fiddle), Gordon Keir (keyboards, octave mandola) and Derek Morgan (bass guitar). 

(£8 entry, £5 members)

September 17, 2025: Showcase – John Prior with  Chris Dale present Jake Thackray (mostly) Acapela

Jake Thackray was a singer-songwriter in the French tradition, a  chansonnier whose writings were convincingly and idiosyncratically English; his work is much loved in the folk scene and almost everybody. John Prior has always been a fan, occasionally regaling us with his take on one or other of Jake’s classics. Tonight he is giving us a bigger chunk of Jake’s repertoire, now and again assisted by Chris Dale on guitar.

(£3 entry)

September 24, 2025: Do Something We’re Not Expecting Night

A Song & Music Night with a difference! It’s time to break away from your usual repertoire and take us completely by surprise…

(£3 entry)

October 8, 2025: The Carrivick Sisters

Twin sisters Charlotte and Laura Carrivick are one of the British folk scene’s best-loved duos with a passion for old stories, American folk music – and a good cup of tea. They love playing together, singing in close harmony and absolutely delighting an audience. Charlotte and Laura have grown up in South Devon, playing music together; the stage becomes an extension of their cosy kitchen, cooking up delicious melodies and tasty instrumentals. You’ll hear lots of traditional American old time and bluegrass music and British folklore on guitars, mandolin, fiddle, banjo and dobro.

(£8 entry, £5 members)

October 22, 2025: Culverake 

Culverake is a new traditional singing trio promising gusto and harmonies a-plenty. The trio is made up of Seb Stone, Matt Quinn and Lizzy Hardingham, and together they breathe new life into timeless melodies.

Matt is a singer and instrumentalist who’s spent over 15 years performing everywhere from small folk clubs to Glastonbury and WOMAD. Primarily a mandolin and duet concertina player, he is also well known for his skills on the melodeon and as a singer, and is always in demand on the British folk scene. Known as one third of The Dovetail Trio, Matt currently works in the ceilidh bands Geckoes and The Discussion Topic, and in a mandolin/guitar duo with George Sansome (Granny’s Attic).

Folk-infused singer songwriter Lizzy sings songs that drive straight to the heart, giving audiences a chance for genuine connection and empathy. She is paving her way as a powerhouse performer, with her wonderful voice grabbing listeners from the very first note and holding on until the last. Think Christine Collister, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny and KT Tunstall all wrapped into one! In short, Lizzy has a dazzling combination of voice and songwriting talent that rarely appears.

Seb is a traditional singer, whistle player and uilleann piper from the Peak District. He draws on a varied repertoire of traditional English and Irish songs, focussing on the stories they have to tell, and their relevance to our modern world, singing them with “understanding, sensitivity & strength”. In 2022, he won Bromyard Folk Festival’s ‘Future of Folk’ award. Seb is also a keen session player, and when he’s not poring over broadsides or field recordings, he can be found playing sessions in Sheffield’s thriving folk scene.

Watch Culverake as they drum up an appeal to make an album!

(£8 entry, £5 members)

November 12, 2025: Will Finn & Rosie Calvert 

Will Finn and Rosie Calvert are an award-winning husband-and-wife duo who came together through their love of music. First coming to prominence with their acapella quartet The Teacups, the pair perform traditional and contemporary folk music with variety and flair – intricate harmonies; the rousing instrumentation of piano, steel pan and ukulele; and joyful, warm stage presence.

Graduates of Newcastle University Folk and Traditional Music degree, Rosie and Will’s music combines influences ranging from old English ballads to gothic Americana, but they are most defined by their spell-binding harmonies. With only two voices, their arrangements have been described as “deceptively full”, and their joy in singing is infectious – chorus songs abound and singing along is encouraged! Audiences are immediately put at their ease by the pair’s inviting stage presence and warm banter, and anticipation for the duo’s second album, Fallow Alchemy, is deservedly high. 

Please watch Will and Rosie’s two videos; first, they’re performing ‘Blue’, and second, they’re singing ‘Paddy’s Lamentation’ live in the famous Bridge Club in Newcastle.

(£8 entry, £5 members)

November 26, 2025: Tim Edey

Absolutely stunning Tim Edey is one of the finest guitarists and melodeon wizards who holds his audiences spellbound with his fabulous music, energy and engaging personality. Tim and the legendary Manchester-Irish genius Michael MacGoldrick have recorded an album, Jamland, and Tim’s Christmas album – A Celtic Christmas – should be on sale in future. 

Please watch an incredible video of Tim’s melodeon and his guitar recording ‘Foxhunters Reel’ – duetting with himself!   

(£8 entry, £5 members)

December 17, 2025: Christmas Show with Jackie Oates & John Spiers 

 

 

Ho, Ho, Ho! Jackie and John tour  their Christmas Show, an idea which was born in the dismal and uncertain 2020 lockdown and has developed into a strong tradition. They have brought out their wonderful album, A Midwinter’s Night; FolkWales Online Magazine awarded it five stars and called it “an utterly heartwarming and entrancing album; it’s a joyous celebration of the festive season and the New Year, a festival of light to cheer us and help us through the colder dark days.” John and Jackie devised a Christmas show during the 2020 lockdown when everyone stayed firmly housebound, and realised that it would be the perfect opportunity to raise a little warmth by making a homemade TV programme-style concert, filmed in Jackie’s living room and in rural locations around Wallingford, Wootton and Headington Quarry. The first Christmas at Home online concert was born,  and was such a success that a second concert, featuring new material, was produced in the following year. Once the covid restrictions were lifted, the duo took their Christmas Show the arts centres and folk clubs across the country – and the show has become an annual well-loved event.

(£10 entry, £7 members)

January 14, 2026: The Guild Hall Players: A Child’s Summer in Wales (Showcase) 

(£3 Entry)

March 25, 2026: Dana Robinson

A number of years ago, Llantrisant Folk Club just soaked up the authentic sounds of Americans Dana and Sue Robinson – and from Vermont, USA, Dana is back again. He’s a songwriter, guitarist and old-time fiddler who combines a warm, open-hearted singing style, with wry humour and astute observations about community and place. For over 30 years, Dana has been a fixture on the folk and acoustic music scene in the United States and the UK, playing his unique blend of songwriting with traditional influences.

Dana’s guitar playing combines British fingerstyle and Appalachian flat-picking to create his own distinctive style. His lyrics delve deep into the natural world with wonder, hope and connection earned through his years of travel and exploration across America’s rural landscapes. His new recording, The Sound of the Word, is due for an autumn 2026 release. Please enjoy his latest video, Cotton Eyed Joe, and another oldie: Shady Grove.

“Dana is a master storyteller, spinning his yarns with the precise skill of an artisan loom weaver.” (Seven Days)

“Rural America explored with elegant simplicity, his music and cleanly poetic song-writing bring to mind the great folksingers of our times.” (Asheville Citizen-Times)

(£8 entry, £5 members)

April 8, 2026:  Steve Turner

(£8 entry, £5 members)

April 22, 2026: Sarah McQuaid

(£8 entry, £5 members)

May 27, 2026: Over the Moon

(£8 entry, £5 members)

June 17, 2026: Lynne Heraud & Pat Turner

(£8 entry, £5 members)

June 24, 2026: Kenny Speirs

(£8 entry, £5 members)

August 12, 2026: Sherburn Bartley Sanders

(£8 entry, £5 members)

 

October 7, 2026: Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby

(£8 entry, £5 members)

October 21, 2026: Winter Wilson

(£8 entry, £5 members)

For past guests, click here

For booking information & general enquiries…

Pat Smith   Mick Tems
Telephone 01443 226892   Telephone 01443 201634
Mobile 07989 209824   Mobile 07531 812400
Email (click) Pat Smith   Email (click) Mick Tems