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What’s On at…

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The Music Events 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). link: www.us02web.zoom.us/j/82653924616 (Meeting ID: 826 5392 4616) – 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!)


April 29, 2026: 40 years on! Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Folk Against Famine walk to London

On this Song and Music night we will be marking the 40th anniversary of our walk to London for Folk Against Famine, where five of us walked over 160 miles in six days, with three back-up drivers, to raise money for Ethiopia. Two walkers have sadly left us; the late Jon Heslop, singer and poet, who expertly organised the whole thing, and Siwsann George, who succumbed to terminal cancer – and one of the drivers, Keith Hudson, passed away in hospital. That leaves three walkers: our chairman, Mike Greenwood; our accountant, Pete Law; and our co-founder, booking secretary and cheerful MC Pat Smith, who walked from Llantrisant to the fund-raising open-air concert in London’s Wandsworth Park and immediately performed on stage with Calennig. The back-up drivers were co-founders Mick Tems (now president and life member) and Stuart Brown – those were the days, my friend!


May 6, 2026: Ruth & Ken Powell

Ruth and Ken hail from North Wales; they provide a superb combination of songs from the 1930s to the traditional folk song and English/American contemporary music. Giving concerts that appeal to almost every audience, Ruth and Ken engage with an eclectic programme of songs with the fulsome sound of handmade instruments, made and played superbly by Ken, with dynamic lead vocals from Ruth. Not only has Ruth got an amazingly clear pitch-perfect voice, but she also has that natural ability to communicate with an audience; with the added extra of subtle harmonies from Ken, they make a great sound. They have a rich yet casual approach, giving you a feeling that you’ve known them forever.

(£10 entry, £5 members)


May 13, 2026: Ian Bruce & Kev Green

Hailing from Scotland, Ian Bruce and Kev Green are musical veterans and have come together from two totally different spheres – Ian from a mostly sitting listening folk audience and Kev from the more raucous rock and fun-filled pubs and venues of his local Kent of the eighties. They woo their audiences with strong vocal harmonies, guitar, ukulele, hand percussion, a strong sense of humour and commitment to music and the job in hand. Their stage demeanour envelops a strong friendship which grabs and includes every audience member. Their new repertoire and album, Believe Me I’m Lying, includes ten examples of their collaborative songwriting. Please watch the video of Ian and Kev singing ‘The Stoutest Man in the Forty Twa‘.

“That’s how a folk club should be…” – Stirling Folk Club

(£10 entry, £5 members)


May 27, 2026: Over the Moon

They’re back at Llantrisant Folk Club again! Canadian married couple Over The Moon are award-winning vocal and multi-instrumentalists Suzanne Levesque and Craig Bignell, who hail from Southern Alberta – and they’re extremely good! Their first CD, Moondancer, was released in 2017, and it reflects the beautiful seamless harmony style that they are known for and the wide array of acoustic instruments that they play, including guitar, fiddle, accordion, double bass and steel. Most of the songs are original and tell stories of life lived in Southern Alberta’s ranching country, and their lovely repertoire ranges from Appalachian old-time music to Cowboy blues to Western Swing. Over The Moon’s second album, Chinook Waltz, contains ten memorable tracks – including Steve Gillette’s lovely classic ‘Darcy Farrow’. Please watch a video of Craig and Suzanne performing their song ‘Over The Moon’ on Radio Western 

(£10 entry, £5 members)


June 17, 2026: Lynne Heraud & Pat Turner

Llantrisant Folk Club warmly welcomes the sirens of song! Lynne and Pat are firm folk festival favourites with their entertaining spot-on harmonies, friendly chat, beautiful repertoire and their wry and comic observations. Folk fans know and love them for their tried-and-trusted material, enhanced with Lynne’s soprano voice and Pat’s alto, mixed with a cappella, recorder and acoustic guitar; both Lynne and Pat are guaranteed to deliver a fantastic evening.

They have recorded a clutch of albums, including Far Distant Stars, Watching for Winkles, The Moon Shines Bright, September Days, Tickled Pink and Parallel; Lynne has also recorded a CD album with Keith Kendrick, Stars in My Crown. Please watch two videos: Lynne and Pat performing ‘Moth’, by Anne Lister of Pontypool, and singing ‘A Windy Song!‘

(£10 entry, £5 members)


June 24, 2026: Kenny Speirs

“Kenny Speirs’ lifetime in music is legendary,” says singer-songwriter-guitarist Anthony John Clarke: “His songs and voice resonate from the Scottish Borders and beyond across the folk music world. He has been there and done it – a proper master of his craft.”

In 2002, Kenny moved on to form Real Time with his partner Judy Dinning, of Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies fame. For the next 11 years they toured extensively all over Europe and also in the USA, until Judy’s untimely death in October 2013. The six albums from this intimate collaboration have been the highlight of his career to date.

Kenny is also one of the leading figures of the Borders folk scene, from his early days reforming Peebles Folk Club and presenting the weekly folk programme on Radio Borders to the founding of Denholm Folk Club in 1993, which he still runs today. He is also Director of Denholm Folk Festival and the Scottish Borders Hogmanay Festival, The Land The Light The Locals.

Please watch a video of Kenny performing ‘Back to Berwick Johnnie’.

(£10 entry, £5 members)


July 8, 2026: Sparky Samba fundraising Showcase

£3 entry – door proceeds go to the Sparky Samba Parkinsons UK Cardiff branch, which meets every Wednesday at at Park End Church, Llandennis Road, Cardiff CF23 6EG  (1.30pm-2.30pm), bandleader Sallie MacLennan acting as tutor and Eirwen Malin as primary contact. We had a lovely evening with the percussionists affected by Parkinson’s last time, so this is a return visit.


July 22, 2026: Mark Dowding

Mark comes from Lancashire and is a very captivating and superbly wonderful singer of folk songs; he is also a historian and a dialect scholar and for every song he sings, he can give you the history of that song – who wrote it, the social climate at the time it was written and its meaning. Mark is also a multi-instrumentalist, including amongst his collection he looks after and plays his concertina, guitar, banjo and mandolin.

He has travelled and worked around the world, his combination of music and lyrics tell stories of some of his own experiences and those of others he met along the way. He popped up in Llantrisant Folk Club’s Zoom nights, and we booked him straight away! 

Please an extended video of Mark’s performance at the 2023 Music at Manley festival.

(£10 entry, £5 members)


August 12, 2026: Sherburn Bartley Sanders

Amazing concertina player Chris Sherburn and vocalist/guitarist Denny Bartley  have brought their unique sound to audiences across the globe since 1993. In 2016, they joined forces with fiddler and vocalist Emily Sanders, blending vocal harmonies and strings to their unique sound.

Now their soul-stirring songs, exhilarating tunes and quick-witted banter proves that no two concerts are ever the same; from festival stages to intimate venues, their gigs are filled with warmth, laughter, exceptional musicianship and oodles of great live magic.

Their latest debut album Beguile features Chris, Denny and Emily together, and also has some stellar guest performances from Martin Simpson and Andy Seward (Kate Rusby Band). Please watch the video of Chris, Denny and Emily on stage at the Music at Manley Festival.

(£10 entry, £5 members)


August 26, 2026: We Mavericks

Antipodean duo We Mavericks are violinist and accompanist Lindsay Martin, coming from the Australian town of Chubut, New South Wales, and Victoria Vigenser, born in Auckland, New Zealand. We Mavericks have been on a steep rise to countless festival billings and shows at home and abroad, twice nominated Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa / Best Folk Artist in the Aotearoa (New Zealand) Music Awards, twice nominated “Best Contemporary Duo/Group/Ensemble” in the Australian Folk Music Awards, selection as Spotlight Showcase Artists at Folk Alliance International and are recipients of Australia’s Troubadour Foundation Award.

Although they class themselves as a folk act, the singles from brand new album Heart of Silver have been picked up by the country music scene in Australia; ‘All This Noise’ featured on Country Music TV, ‘Hold Me’ featured on ABC Country’s GRASSROOTS and title track ‘Heart of Silver’ enjoyed the spotlight on ABC’s premier country program, Saturday Night Country with Beccy Cole. They are currently touring across the UK, Europe and Australia to wide acclaim.

Please watch two videos of We Mavericks at Australia’s National Folk Festival: ‘The Gap‘, and ‘Negative‘ (with Matt Nightingale).

(£10 entry, £5 members)


September 16, 2026:  Bob Wood

(£10 entry, £5 members)


October 7, 2026: Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby

Please watch a video of Cathryn and Brian preforming ‘Mr Jefferson’ – love those dazzling guitars! 

(£10 entry, £5 members)  


October 21, 2026: Winter Wilson

(£10 entry, £5 members)


February 17, 2027: Tom McConville

Llantrisant Folk Club warmly welcomes one of the most exciting and entertaining singers and fiddle players in the whole galaxy! Tom was born on Tyneside and brought up in a pub on the famous Scotswood Road, with clientele drawn from the Irish and Scottish communities. This is where he first experienced traditional singing and fiddle music, the Hornpipes of James Hill amongst his first influences. 50 years on, Tom is widely acknowledged as the authority on the music of James Hill,  and he produced the first CD devoted entirely to Hill’s compositions.

Tom’s musical journey started in the North East folk clubs in the early 70s. Newcastle’s thriving Irish scene provided the opportunity, with his first band, to support Sean McGuire, John Doonan, The Fureys, Boys of the Lough and even a lock-in with The Dubliners. Tom still credits the legendary Sean McGuire, the fiddle genius from Belfast, for teaching him his bowing techniques.

Please watch Tom’s video – and his fabulous professionalism and fiddle mastery have drawn admiring support from fellow musicians including Phil Cunningham, Barbara Dixon, Aly Bain, Kate Rusby, Steve Tilston and the late Dave Swarbrick. 

(£10 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

 

Mick Tems

Telephone 01443 201634
Mobile 07531 812100
Email (click) Mick Tems