What’s On at…

Dr-Price-and-Folk-Club

Contents

THE MUSIC DIARY…

Welcome to our wonderful Folk Club, which is staging live shows every Wednesday in the 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!

 

December 13, 2023:  VRï (Cymru/Wales) – SOLD OUT!

VRï are Jordan Price Williams (cello, voice), Aneirin Jones (violin, voice) and Patrick Rimes (viola, violin, voice) – three young men from deepest, darkest chapel-going Wales who have mined the cultural upheaval of past centuries and drawn inspiration from the incredible story of a time when Wales’ traditional music and dance was suppressed by Methodist chapels, and, earlier, its language by the Act of Union. As audio archaeologists, VRï have unearthed long-lost nuggets that shed a new light on a vibrant folk tradition that harnesses the raw energy of the fiddle with the finesse of the violin, the beauty of chamber music with the joy and hedonism of a pub session. Their songs, sung with powerful vocal harmonies, tell stories of the people who struggled 200 years ago, just as many struggle today. It’s a wonderful and unique soundscape that connects across the centuries to give us a sense of belonging, of community, and a magical feeling of weightlessness and uplifting freedom. 

VRï’s 2019 debut album Tŷ Ein Tadau (House Of Our Fathers) received a five-star review in FolkWales Online Magazine and Songlines magazine, plus numerous awards nominations and wins. Their second album, Islais a Genir (A Sung Whisper) netted credits for Best Album and Best Instrumental Track in the prestigious Wales Folk Awards, held the Millennium Centre’s Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay, broadcast on BBC Radio Wales and Welsh language TV channel S4C. 

​Please watch a video of VRï performing ‘Aberhonddu’ – a soldier gets called away to fight in the Napoleonic wars, and he misses his home town of Brecon. The Arts Council of Wales has secured for us a Night Out grant. 

Entry: £10 (members £8)

Sunday, December 17: Mari Lwyd Tour

12 noon: All meet in the car park at the Dynevor Arms, Groes Faen CF72 8NS.

12.45pm: or sooner if we are ready: The Penny Farthing, Southgate CF72 8DG.

1.30pm: The Cokeworks, Beddau CF36 2BL.

2.30pm: Llantrisant Town, taking in The New Inn CF72 8ED; The Bear CF72 8DA; The Wheatsheaf CF72 8BQ; a private house behind the Wheatsheaf, and anywhere else that might make us welcome. Once up the town time can run away with us, so if you are joining us there, just come and look for us – you can’t miss a horse’s skull in a white sheet roaming around.

4.30pm-ish: The Cross Inn, Cross Inn village, CF72 8AZ.

.All times are approximate – if you can, dress up in some sort of costume (Welsh, peasant, Victorian, comedia dell’arte, etc), all the better. 

Once again we will be collecting for the Marie Curie Hospice, Penarth.

Looking forward to seeing as many people as possible keeping this wonderful tradition alive – songbooks are provided, instruments very welcome!

December 20: Xmas Party #2

With all the trimmings! 

The Guild Hall Players will give us a reading from Dylan Thomas’s ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’. 

Bring a SMALL plate of something to share.

(£3 entry)

January 17, 2024: Fundraiser for the Pontypridd National Eisteddfod, featuring Calennig Arbennig & Bethan Nia

Leading twmpath experts Calennig Arbennig and wonderful Pontypridd harper-singer Bethan Nia are out to get your hard-earned money for a welcome fundraiser for the largest festival in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in the centre of Pontypridd in August 2024. Please give generously! (£8 entry, £5 members)

January 31, 2024: Nick Hart

Nick Hart is an award-winning singer and multi-instrumentalist whose work with English folk song is rapidly gaining him a reputation as one of the most acclaimed performers of his generation. His considered approach to accompaniment is informed by a deep respect for the nuances of traditional song and his captivating live performances are a testament to the importance he places on story-telling. Please watch Nick performing ‘The Press Gang’.

(£8 entry, £5 members)

February 21, 2024: Showcase with Aidan’s Harmonicas (Wales)

Cwmbran-based Aidan Sheehan is a harmonica tutor who organises The Second Tuesday Folk Club in the Whitchurch Rugby Sports and Social Club, Cardiff and also teaches harmonica to his novice learners who are embarking on a six-week fun course. Just imagine it – you turn up at at the first session not knowing anything about the instrument, but in six weeks you’ve amassed enough confidence to get up on stage to entertain the Folk Club – in Aidan’s guiding hands, of course! (£3 entry)

March 6, 2024: Whiskey River (Wales/England)

Whiskey River play Americana – Cajun, Zydeco, Good Country and Low Down Dirty Blues with a dangerous edge. With many years experience of performing, these guys deliver the goods.  

The current band was born after founder members Martin Blake (vocals, guitar) and Aidan Sheehan (harmonica, mandolin, Cajun accordion) went to Louisiana in 2003 and visited a fabulous funky dance hall called Whiskey River Landing, built on the edge of the Atchafalaya swamp, South of Breaux Bridge. They had a fantastic Sunday afternoon there and got to thinking that Whiskey River might be a good name for a band. About a week later, a guy in a bar in Houston Texas heard them talking over a beer at the bar and then gave them a plectrum with “Whiskey River” written on it. This was taken as a definite sign – and the band they were working with back in the UK was renamed on their return. With wonderful fiddler Alan Cooper making up the trio, Whiskey River keep on storming!

(£8 entry, £5 members)

March 20, 2024: John Kirkpatrick

John has been dancing, singing, and playing his way around the folk scene since he joined Hammersmith Morris Men in 1959 at the age of twelve. Displaying a rare skill on a variety of push-pull squeezeboxes – the melodeon, the button accordion, and the Anglo concertina – he has been fully professional since 1970, not only with vast amounts of solo appearances, but also in all kinds of duos, trios, and bands – including spells in Steeleye Span, The Albion Band, Trans Europe Diatonique, in a long-term duo with Roy Bailey, Band of Hope, lengthy stints with Richard Thompson’s Band, The Sultans of Squeeze, and Brass Monkey. In the mid 1990s he led his own John Kirkpatrick Band. More recently he replaced John Tams as the lead singer with folk-rock band Home Service, and now Mr Tams is back in the fold again, the two Johns share singing duties. Since the demise of Brass Monkey, John appears in an occasional duo with Martin Carthy.

John is still an unrelentingly enthusiastic morris dancer, and started one of England’s most influential teams – The Shropshire Bedlams. And he still finds time to play for dancing, currently in a band with all his four sons – Kirkophany.

Out in the wide world, John has contributed music, song, and dance to a great number of plays in the theatre, radio, television and film. As a virtuoso session player, his squeezeboxes can be heard on hundreds of recordings, and as a creator of new work in all these fields he has established an enviable reputation. But on his own live gigs you’re more likely to see him in his natural habitat pursuing his first love – traditional English music and song.

He was made an honorary lifetime member of the International Concertina Association in 2002. In 2003, he was awarded the Gold Badge of the English Folk Dance & Song Society for his outstanding contribution to English Folk Music, and in 2010, he was named Musician of the Year in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

(£8 entry, £5 members)

April 10, 2024: Jon Loomes

(£8 entry, £5 members)

April 24, 2024: Tom McConville and Michael Biggins

He’s back! Llantrisant Folk Club extends a warm welcome to wonderful fiddle player, folk singer and BBC folk musician of the year, Tom McConville from Newcastle upon Tyne. Tom is famous for his legendary collaborations with other exciting musicians – and this time he’s paired up with the amazing Michael Biggins, breath-taking piano player with Glasgow-based The Canny Band – both Tom and Michael have been awarded BBC Folk Musician Of The Year and BBC Scottish Trad Musician of the Year independently.      

Please watch the video of Tom and Michael brewing up a storm.

(£8 entry, £5 members)

June 5, 2024: Fundraiser for Parkinsons with Eirwen Malin, Phil Thomas, John and Briege Morgan

Proceeds will be going to SParky Samba, a project exploring how samba percussion might help people with Parkinsons live well with the condition. This is a local project working as part of the Parkinsons UK, a charity registered in Wales and England No 258197.

July 3, 2024    Pete Morton

(£8 entry, £5 members)

July 10, 2024   Rattle on the Stovepipe

(£8 entry, £5 members)

October 9, 2024: Jack Rutter

(£8 entry, £5 members)

 

November 6, 2024: Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira (Canada & US)

(£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