Singarounds continue every Friday, with a themed night on 14 January requesting ‘Something Different’. This could perhaps include new songs, new combinations of performers or different styles of music. We leave it to you. Bring your own refreshments to all club events. Tea and coffee available.
The guest night on 21 January with Coope, Boyes and Simpson is sold out.
Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston
As well as being a superb vocalist and double bass player, Miranda Sykes is a great guitarist and slips effortlessly between genres.
Miranda has been touring with Show of Hands and is now working on her fifth solo album project. She is joined by Rex Preston; the most virtuosic mandolin player in the UK today. The fluidity of his style augments Miranda’s songs beautifully. For a taster song clip, click here.
Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available. Let us know if you would like us to save tickets (£8 non-members) by emailing via the ‘About the club’ page.
The club meets every Friday in December, with a Christmas Singaround on 24 December (8-10.30 pm, free entry) and a New Year’s Eve Party on 31 December (8.30 pm till 1 am, £3 non-members) with singaround songs and tunes, and ceilidh dances. Bring liquid refreshment and, perhaps some food to share, to both these special events.
During November, singarounds continue every Friday, throughout the month, with two special showcase nights with extended spots featuring local folk performers. Free entry. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.
On 12 November, we welcome the return of a group of folk stars, known to us as the ‘Zimmer Follies’. Familiar faces on the local folk scene, they come together to present a variety of songs, tunes and other treats in what promises to be a memorable night.
On 26 November, the local showcase features the accomplished singing of June Thaine, David Robertson and Kevin Green. June and David are joined in close harmony by Kevin in a new collaboration, known collectively as ‘Poacher’.
Maggie Boyle, Helen Hockenhull and Lynda Hardcastle
Lynda Hardcastle, Maggie Boyle and Helen Hockenhull first came together as Grace Notes in 1992. The trio perform acapella and accompanied arrangements of traditional and contemporary songs in three part harmony.
Each member of the group has a well established reputation on the folk scene and, individually, they have a long history of live performance and recording sessions with Nic Jones, The Chieftans, Mountain Ash Band, John Tams, Bert Jansch, New Victory Band, and Muckram Wakes, to name but a few.
The trio was founded on their mutual love of singing, particularly harmony singing, which over the past seventeen years, both on and off stage, has been the hallmark of their music. The fact that they are close friends provides a unique rapport evident not just in their singing, but in the sense of togetherness they convey to the audience.
Finalists at New Roots 2010, Moore, Moss and Rutter are in the support spot. They play traditional, contemporary and self-composed tunes, influenced by numerous styles and traditions. Tom Moore plays fiddle, Archie Churchill-Moss, melodeon and Jack Rutter plays guitar and sings.
Tickets £8 (non-members), to book, contact us through the email link on the ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.
Jackie Oates
Singer and fiddler, Jackie Oates is one of the brightest new stars on the folk scene, with two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2009 and nominations for three BBC Folk Awards in 2010. Jackie also plays the viola and occasionally the shruti. Her latest album, ‘Hyperboreans’ has been nominated for the fRoots Critics’ Poll Album of 2009 and reached no. 5 on the Mojo Folk Album of the Year Chart. ‘On all fronts Oates delivers, with beautiful singing, innovative arrangements and an intriguing selection of songs’ (Songlines, October 2009).
We look forward to welcoming Jackie to Norwich Folk Club on Friday 1 October. To be sure of a seat, please let us know by emailing via the form on the ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.
Spinndrift
Norwich Folk Club is pleased to welcome two groups as guests on Friday 10 September.
Spinndrift are a young folk ensemble formed when all the members met at Newcastle on the university’s Folk and Traditional Music Degree.
Finalists at the New Roots Competition at St Albans in both 2009 and 2010, they take their material mostly from the British Isles, but they also enjoy playing songs and tunes from Europe.
Spinndrift are Isla Hughes on vocals, flute and whistle, Jennie Page on fiddle and oboe, Seth Tinsley on guitar and vocals, Fynn Titford-Mock on cello and vocals and NIck Wiseman-Ellis on melodeon and fiddle.
Jaywalkers
Jaywalkers, a young duo who were also finalists at New Roots this year, having previously reached the final at BBC Young Folk Award 2008/9, will be in support on 10 September.
The full blooded power and soulful quality of Jay Bradberry’s voice and Michael Giverin’s virtuoso mandolin playing are particular features of their music.
Tickets can be reserved by emailing via the box on the ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.
Singarounds every Friday, and on Friday 17 September Norwich Folk Club will hold a CEILIDH with live music. Everyone welcome. Tickets on the door. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.
Tania Opland and Mike Freeman have been touring the world since 1995 with a unique and eclectic
mix of songs in several languages and acoustic music played on a variety of instruments, including hammered dulcimer, guitar, recorders, cittern, violin, Native American flute and percussion.
Their shows feature both traditional and contemporary material from many cultures as well as original compositions, all presented with wit and style – guaranteed to provide an evening of great music and entertainment for all, especially those seeking something just a little off the beaten track. Mike’s irreverent sense of humor and Tania’s stunning vocals provide the springboard for a rollercoaster ride across several continents and back again. Check availability of tickets by email through the link on ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments. For a clip of Tania on youtube: Dona Nobis Pacem
Sinagrounds every Friday, as usual, throughout the summer, with two spots from local band Showcase guests LongShore Drift on Friday 2 July. Free entry. Bring your own refreshments.
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.
Martyn is the instigator of the much acclaimed Folk Links Project, a celebration of English Traditional Songs and their Australian and North American variants and has worked with the cream of singers specialising in traditional songs from their own countries. He is accompanied by Iris Bishop, regarded by many as one of the finest players of the Duet concertina. Where Ravens Feed
In support will be Marianne Neary a young singer-songwriter who was one of the finalists in the 2010 New Roots competition. Check availability of tickets by email through the link on ‘About the club’ page. Bring your own refreshments.
Showcase guests at the singaround on Friday 28 May will be Faith and Taka Masendu. Free entry. Bring your own refreshments.
Roger and Chris Gamble will be the showcase guests at Norwich Folk Club singaround on Friday 30 April.
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Roger has been a stalwart of folk and acoustic sessions in Norfolk and Suffolk for over 45 years, drawing on a wide range of material, from English traditional to influences as diverse as Randy Newman and Mark Knopfler. The trademark harmony singing of Chris and Roger has long been a feature of their local gigs.
Since moving to South-West Norfolk their appearances in Norwich in recent years have sadly been limited, but their return promises to be a treat, with much of Roger’s ‘back-catalogue’ expected, together with some recent additions.
Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.
The singaround on 16 April will have the theme ‘Creatures Great and Small’. Trawl through your repertoire or take off on new flights of fancy. We look forward to hearing some interesting and quirky, if sometimes tenuous interpretations. Everyone is very welcome to come along. Free entry. Bring your own refreshments. Tea and coffee available.
We have singarounds every Friday at the Christ Church Centre on Magdalen Road with guest performers roughly once a month.