Damien Barber and Mike Wilson on Friday 6 February

DM_Bar_300_dpiOn Friday 6 February, we welcome back two of the finest exponents of traditional song in the United Kingdom – Damien Barber and Mike Wilson. It is difficult to accept that these relatively young men have a combined 40+ years’ experience of performing at folk venues.

Raised in Norfolk and heavily influenced by such earlier Norfolk singers as Walter Pardon and Peter Bellamy, Damien is a stylish and distinctive singer, either unaccompanied or using guitar or concertina. Though he has lived for a long time in West Yorkshire he retains a strong East Anglian identity.

Mike Wilson is the youngest member of the Wilson Family, the powerful Teesside singing siblings who have raised the rafters at many a festival or folk club event. Mike’s musical heritage is emphatically that of the North East – rural and industrial folk song, both traditional and modern.

Damien and Mike have a rich shared repertoire of traditional songs plus the work of modern folk writers such as Bellamy, Ewan MacColl and Mike Waterson.

Tickets are £10 (£7 club members), but are SOLD OUT. Bring a bottle or enjoy a cuppa from the kitchen.

Roger 2fOn Friday 30 January the showcase guest at our song session will be singer, guitar player and melodeon virtuoso, Roger Gamble – a veteran performer of over 50 years in his own right. Now in his 83rd year, Roger maintains a keen sense of mischief, his voice still carries an edge and his playing has a quality that can move.

Roger’s repertoire is a virtual conducted tour of the time he has spent singing and playing in East Anglia’s folk clubs and pubs. From the folk revival of the 50s and 60s on to Dylan and the great singer-songwriters, through delta blues and with an occasional nod to the world of rock, he has amassed a treasure chest of material which is still developing.

There is no charge on the door, but there will be a raffle. Bring drinks of your choice, or make a tea or coffee in the kitchen.

Anne Lister and Mary McLaughlin (Anonyma) on Friday 16 January

Mary and AnneOn Friday 16 January we welcome Anne Lister and Mary McLaughlin, who first performed together as Anonyma in the 1980s, after meeting at Broadstairs Folk Week. They toured extensively in the UK, the US and Ireland, and released the album ‘Burnt Feathers’ to critical acclaim, building a solid reputation for their original arrangements of a wide range of material, from Anne’s compositions to traditional British and Irish songs as well as the occasional song by Sting or Elvis Costello.

After five years they both had other projects and opportunities to follow, and Mary’s career took her to California. She has now returned to live and work in Limerick, and Anne and Mary are setting out on a comeback tour.

Tickets are available on the door, £10 (£7 members) and can be reserved via the form on our contact page. Bring your own drinks – teas and coffee available in the kitchen.

Roy Bailey on 5 December

Roy.Bailey.smallOn Friday 5 December we welcome our special guest Roy Bailey, one of the UK folk scene’s most loved and admired performers. From his early days performing skiffle in student union bars to his love of traditional songs and the stories they tell, Roy has developed a unique repertoire of songs of dissent and hope, and he has performed on stages, TV and radio all over the world.

For many years, Roy toured with Tony Benn presenting their show ‘The Writing on the Wall’ for which the duo won Best Live Act at BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2003. Now with more than 50 years as a performer, Roy is as compelling, entertaining, thought provoking and moving as ever before.

Tickets £12 (£8 club members) can be reserved by emailing us via our contact page. Bring your own drinks – teas and coffee available in the kitchen.

STOP PRESS

Sadly ROY is not well and will NOT now be at the club on Friday 5 December, but folk legend PETE COE has very kindly stepped into Roy’s shoes.

James Findlay on Friday 13 June

James FindlayThe guest on Friday 13 June will be the winner of BBC Young Folk Music Award 2010, fiddler, guitarist and singer James Findlay. Brought up in the folk tradition, James is particularly passionate about songs from his home counties of Dorset, Somerset and Devon. With a great voice and a love for song that’s evident though his knowledge and understanding of the material, James is one of the most accomplished of the latest generation of folk performers.

James enjoyed a busy year in 2013 with commendations for his folk festival and folk club gigs as well as his part playing Little Musgrave in Jon Boden’s ‘The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard’. He has also been involved in other high-profile projects, including the recording of ‘The Liberty to Choose’, songs from The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, with Lucy Ward, Bella Hardy and Brian Peters, produced by Fellside.

Saul BaileyIn support is melodeon and English concertina player Saul Bailey, one of the very latest of the New Roots finalists to catch our attention. Saul enjoys experimenting with old and new English folk tunes – particularly ‘dance stuff, fast stuff, furious stuff and frankly ridiculous stuff’. Saul has appeared at various folk clubs and village events, as well as at Cambridge Folk Festival.

Bring your own drinks – fine ales available at nearby establishments, and teas and coffee in the kitchen. Tickets (£10/£7 members) can be reserved by email via the form on the contact page.

For beginners and upwards, the ukulele get-together from 7.30 till 8.30 on Friday 6 June will be followed by the usual song session.

Showcase with Kim Lowings and the Greenwood on Friday 25 April

Greenwood Promo photograph-1The showcase guests on Friday 25 April will be Kim Lowings and the Greenwood, who will perform a couple of extended spots within the folk song session. They promise an even mix of traditional and original songs, with a few chorus songs thrown in for good measure.

Described by the Potbelly Folk and Roots Club as ‘Rising stars of the folk scene with captivating traditional and original songs’, Kim Lowings and the musicians of the Greenwood collective have supported a range of well known performers. including Martin Simpson, Faustus and Belshazzar’s Feast – Paul Sartin comments, ‘Expect great things to come!’

All musicians and singers are welcome to join the song session, and entry is free, with a raffle to help with expenses. Bring your own drinks – teas and coffee available in the kitchen.

Bob Fox on Friday 13 September

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Bob Fox

On Friday 13 September we look forward to welcoming singer, guitarist and melodeon player Bob Fox, taking a short break before resuming the role of Songman in the touring production of Warhorse.

Described by Warhorse Songmaker John Tams as ‘most probably the last great traditional folksinger we have today’, Bob offers an eclectic mix of thought-provoking songs, including some new material from the BBC Radio Ballads and favourites from his wide repertoire of traditional and modern songs. Expect nimble guitar playing, great singing and a bit of banter – he’s from the North-East, after all! Tickets £10 (£7 for club members). Contact us to reserve seats. If you have already done this and have had no reply, please try again. (We have had problems with non-delivery of emails, which have now been solved.)

Norwich Folk Club will meet for a song session every Friday throughout the summer. All welcome, whether to listen, sing or play. Bring your own drinks – local pubs and off-licences nearby and teas and coffee available in the kitchen. Upstairs if cool and downstairs if there is another heatwave.

Craig; Morgan; Robson on 15 and 16 March

Craig; Morgan; Robson

Craig; Morgan; Robson bring a new dimension to the art of a-capella singing. Rich in repertoire and musical experience, Moira Craig, Sarah Morgan and Carolyn Robson have been singing together since the autumn of 2003, weaving beguiling harmonies around material from the British tradition and beyond with “an effortless range and variety unheard in folk music for many years” (Folk London)

Timeless songs of love and longing rub shoulders with compelling contemporary songs, and passionate, dramatic ballads take their place alongside a lilting Shetland melody or a stirring hymn from the Ozark mountains. The occasional solo song only adds to the variety of their overall performance. Here is a trio in which three distinctively different voices melt into one another to create a sound which is all their own. “True tradition bearers” (Living Tradition).

Bring your own refreshments. Teas and coffee available. Tickets £10 (£7 club members). Reserve your seat by emailing via the ‘About the club’ page.

Craig; Morgan; Robson will be hosting a harmony workshop at the Christ Church Centre, Magdalen Road NR3 4LA from 2-4.30 pm on Saturday 16 March. They will teach some songs from their repertoire, and share valuable tips on singing technique. Great fun! All welcome – no experience necessary! Tickets £10. Registration from 1.30 pm.

 

Showcase with Poacher on 1 February

June Thaine, David Robertson and Kevin Green

Special showcase guests at the singaround on Friday 1 February are popular local trio, June Thaine, David Robertson and Kevin Green, otherwise known as Poacher. We look forward to hearing a variety of traditional and more recent songs, sung in close harmony.

Other singers and players are also welcome to take part in the singaround. Entry free. Please bring your own liquid refreshments – teas and coffee available.

Bill Caddick on 14 December

Bill Caddick

As a special Christmas treat, we look forward to welcoming singer-songwriter Bill Caddick who, among many career highlights, worked with the Albion Band during the production of Larkrise to Candleford and The Passion, and was also a founder member of legendary folk-rock band The Home Service, as well as being the creator of such firm favourites as ‘Unicorns’ and ‘Cloud Factory’.

Bill’s songs have been recorded by the likes of June Tabor, Chris Foster, Alex Campbell, The Yetties, Christy Moore, Peter Rowan, John Kirkpatrick, Artisan, Coope, Boyes and Simpson and many others throughout the world.

We are also very pleased to welcome back the accomplished acoustic singer of traditional songs, Kirsty Bromley, as a support performer.

Kirsty Bromley

We first met Kirsty in the guise of babysitter to the stars, when Nancy Kerr and James Fagan were last in Norwich. Since then her singing career has blossomed and, among other exciting achievements, Kirsty was a finalist at the New Roots competition at St Albans in April this year.

Bring your own refreshments. Teas and coffee available. Reserve tickets (£9) by contacting us through the email link on the ‘About the club’ page.

Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman on 20 July

Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman

Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman make a welcome return to Norwich on Friday 20 July. Dave and Anni joined forces in 1985, after many years around the folk club scene, during which time they featured on several albums made by other performers. Anni has a specialist repertoire of songs originating from her native North East, and Dave has been writing songs in traditional vein since 1982, many of which are widely sung and have become part of the general song repertoire of singers all over the world.

‘If you love traditional music delivered with strength, clarity and simplicity, you certainly won’t be disappointed with this duo’ (Cornwall Folk Festival).

Tickets £8 can be reserved by contacting us via the ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.

Singarounds continue in the upstairs room at the Christ Church Centre from 8.30 to 11.30 pm every Friday throughout the summer. Everyone welcome, whether to listen, sing or play.