Teyr on 24 October

Teyr poster blankWe welcome folk trio Teyr as showcase guests at the song session on Friday 24 October. Forged amongst the hustle and bustle of North London’s folk scene, Teyr (‘3’ in the Cornish language) are a trio of players who showcase the many sounds of the British Isles.

With roots running from Ireland to Wales to Cornwall, James Gavin (guitar and fiddle), Dominic Henderson (uilleann pipes) and Tommie Black-Roff (accordion) capture the hybridity of contemporary life within traditional music, injecting it with a shot of youth. Having met on the Trad music scene through late night sessions, each performer holds an intuitive sense of folk music, evident in their deft new arrangements of fiery tunes and songs as well as original material.

There is no charge, but we will have a raffle. Listeners, other singers and tune-players all welcome. Bring your own drinks – teas and coffee available in the kitchen.

New Roots showcase session on Friday 27 June and harmony workshop on Saturday 28 June

Special guests filling the two spots at the showcase session on Friday 27 June are finalists at the 2014 New Roots competition at St Albans, Speldosa and Alex Cumming and Nicola Beazley.

Speldosa

Speldosa are a clarsach (harp), fiddle, hammered dulcimer and vocal trio who perform their own arrangements of traditional and modern tunes and songs. Speldosa is Swedish for ‘music box’, so expect a beautiful twinkly sound together with passionate songs and toe-tapping tunes.

Alex and Nicola

Alex and Nicola

Alex Cumming and Nicola Beazley are an exciting new box and fiddle duo performing songs and tunes from around England. They are both recent graduates of the Newcastle Folk and Traditional Music Degree. Expect plenty of lively tunes, spine-tingling arrangements and lots of sing-along choruses.

Singers and players are welcome to come along and take part in the song session – listeners also appreciated! Tickets £3 (£2 members) on the door. Bring your own drinks – fine ales available nearby and teas and coffee from the kitchen.

Alex Cumming and Rosie Calvert (of The Teacups) will be leading a harmony workshop from 10 till noon on Saturday 28 June. All welcome. Tickets £3 (£2 club members). Teas and coffee available in the kitchen.

 

Showcase with the Zimmer Follies on Friday 30 May

IMG_4640Song session showcase with two spots from our favourite supergroup the Zimmer Follies (otherwise known as Mauny Woods, Peter Colman, John Mathews, Colin Tait and Roger Gamble). These much loved veterans of the local folk scene present their multiple musical talents, together with a large measure of good humour.

Other performers and listeners are also very welcome at the session. Downstairs. Free entry. Bring your own drinks – pubs nearby – or enjoy a cuppa from the kitchen.

Belshazzar’s Feast on 10 May

 

Belshazzar's Feast (photo Alan Cole)

Belshazzar’s Feast (photo Alan Cole)

Special guests on Friday 10 May are folk duo Belshazzar’s Feast, accordionist Paul Hutchinson and singer, oboe and violin player Paul Sartin. Paul Sartin is a member of BBC 2 Award-winning big band Bellowhead and of Faustus. Paul Hutchinson is a member of the progressive folk trio Hoover the Dog.

 

Belshazzar’s Feast start with traditional folk music, add a touch of classical and jazz, throw in a bit of pop and music hall, and top it off wry humour for a unique live experience.  They received a coveted nomination for the Best Duo Award at the 2010 BBC Folk Awards. ‘One of folk’s great odd couples – The Feast’ (The Independent on Sunday).

Their latest album, titled ‘Find The Lady’ and produced by Jim Moray, was released by One Little Indian Records in November 2010. ‘It is a bona fide English classic’ (R2, formerly Rock ‘n’ Reel).

TICKETS SOLD OUT. Bring your own drinks. Fine ales can be purchased at the nearby pubs and there is also an off-licence across the road. Teas and coffee are available in the kitchen.

Folk song sessions continue every Friday between guest nights, with a themed evening of ‘Love Songs’ led by June Thaine on Friday 19 April. Free entry. All welcome, whether to listen, sing or play.

The Norwich Folk Club’s Annual General Meeting will be held from 8 pm on Friday 26 April, followed by a folk song session from about 9 pm.

 

 

Martyn Wyndham-Read and Iris Bishop on 15 February

Martyn Wyndham-Read and Iris Bishop

Martyn Wyndham-Read has been involved with folk music for over forty years. As a teenager in the 1960s he set off to work on a sheep station in Australia and became part of the folk song revival there, later returning to England with a wealth of traditional songs and stories.

In the early 1970s Martyn started the ‘Maypoles to Mistletoe’ concerts which portray the seasons of the year through song, music, dance and verse and illustration. Martyn is also the instigator of the well known Song Links Project. He is accompanied by Iris Bishop, regarded by many as one of the finest players of the Duet concertina. Shining Down on Sennen

Tickets are £10 and can be reserved by emailing the club using the contact box on the ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments – teas and coffee available.

 

Sandy Brechin and Ewan Wilkinson on 22 June

Sandy Brechin and Ewan Wilkinson

Sandy Brechin is regarded as one of the most innovative exponents of the Scottish accordion. He has toured the world extensively with “Seelyhoo”, “Burach”, “The Sandy Brechin Band” and his ever popular ceilidh band “The Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience”. Sandy was nominated in the best instrumentalist category at the 2011 Scottish Trad Awards.

Ewan Wilkinson was brought up the Scottish Borders, and has a strong grounding in the Scottish song tradition as well as a unique insight into the music south of the border. He is both an emotive singer and an articulate guitarist. Ewan has been hailed as an important new young talent of the folk scene. His debut album ‘Lost in the Day’ was released in 2009.

Ewan and Sandy have been touring together for eight years playing in folk clubs, festivals and acoustic venues throughout the UK as well as in the Middle East and Australia. The duo plays a mixture of Scottish, Irish and English traditional songs and tunes, together with contemporary folk songs, and original compositions.

Jessica Lamb

Support is from Jessica Lamb, a young Northumbrian Piper and singer who was a finalist at New Roots 2012. Tutored by Kathryn Tickell, Jessica was also a semi-finalist at the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards 2011 and 2012 and in 2012 played and taught at Towersey Festival. This summer Jessica will be representing folk music by playing with Folkestra at the opening of the Olympics in Trafalgar Square.

Tickets (£8) can be reserved by emailing the club via the link on the ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments. Please park tidily to allow everyone to get in!

The Sultans of Squeeze on 13 May

John Kirkpatrick and Chris Parkinson

John Kirkpatrick and Chris Parkinson first appeared as The Sultans of Squeeze in 2004. Together they present a huge variety of music, performed on every possible combination of their various squeeze-boxes – John on one-row and two-row melodeons, three-row button accordion, and treble and bass anglo concertinas, and Chris on various two-row melodeons, piano accordion, and bass piano accordion. As well as the traditional folk songs and tunes that you might expect to hear from these two, they also tackle military marches, French waltzes, nostalgic popular classics and signature tunes, blues, zydeco, jazz, rock & roll, and some pieces of their own making as well.

Please check that tickets are available by emailing via the link on the ‘About the Club’ page. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.

Pete Morton, Maggie Boyle and Chris Parkinson

Chris Parkinson, Pete Morton and Maggie Boyle

On Saturday 12 December, in association with Norwich Folk Club, Pete MortonMaggie Boyle and Chris Parkinson bring their Magical Christmas Tree Tour to the Christ Church Centre on Magdalen Road (opposite the Whalebone pub), with an enjoyable mix of seasonal offerings and special treats from this accomplished trio of performers.

Songwriter Pete Morton sings from the heart, with songs that are an unruly mix of humour, politics, love and social comment, wrapping their way around the folk tradition.  He may also be persuaded to sing his well known song ‘Another Train’.  It’s bound to be on the tree somewhere!

Maggie Boyle is a traditional singer and flute-player. Through her ballads and tunes, old and new, she continues the tradition of music and storytelling passed on by her Irish family. Maggie’s voice and flute are an integral part of Christopher Bruce’s folk ballet, ‘Sergeant Early’s Dream’ created for Rambert Dance Company.  She has worked with James Horner, The Chieftains, Incantation, Bert Jansch, Steve Tilston, John Renbourn, Grace Notes and ,,,

Chris Parkinson, who has played music since the age of five, starting with the harmonica before moving on to everything else. However, he is best known for his melodeon and piano accordion playing, and is one of the most sought-after accordion players in the country. Among many others, Chris has worked with Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, Ralph McTell, Billy Connolly, Mike Harding, Steve Tilston, Martin Simpson and Steve Phillips.

The Magical Christmas Tree is full of songs and tunes from everywhere and this is your chance to write the set list! A fun and spontaneous night for everyone – especially Maggie, Chris and Pete – who quite literally don’t know what they are going to do next … but they do it well! Tickets £8 (£6 club members) can be reserved by email, using the form on ‘About the club’ page.

On Friday 11 December there will be a singaround at the White Horse Inn as usual. Everyone is very welcome to join us – whether to listen, sing or play.

Jim Causley at Manor Rooms on 18 September

Jim Causley

Jim Causley

Devon singer and musician Jim Causley has been nominated three times in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. He is one third of acapella trio The Devil’s Interval and also appears with the very successful Mawkin:Causley. Jim is known for his warm rich voice and his wickedly cheeky stage presence. A firm champion of English traditional songs and tunes – especially of West Country origin – he performs a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs. Jim’s debut album ‘Fruits of the Earth’ was released by Wildgoose Records in 2006 and he has also collaborated with Waterson:Carthy, Martin Wyndham Read and Scottish fiddle player John McCusker. Support is from up-and-coming New Roots finalists, Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell.  This will be at the Manor Rooms, just up the road from the White Horse, where you can buy drinks on your way. Please check for availability of tickets £8 (£5 members) by email (see About the club page).

Alan Helsdon on 8 May

The showcase guest on 8 May, performing two sets within the singaround, will be Alan Helsdon, singer-songwriter, musician and historian of local folk songs and tunes. Alan is also the leading light of folk band Shufflewing. Free entry and everyone welcome.

The singaround on 1 May will have the theme ‘May Day’, which can be taken in any way that you like! As usual, entry is free and everyone is welcome, whether to listen, sing or play tunes.

The singaround on 24 April will be open to all kinds of acoustic music and songs. Free entry and all are very welcome. Come along and test out your new songs in a friendly atmosphere. No need to arrange spots in advance.