Tony Hall on 15 January

Tony Hall

Tony Hall (Photo: Keith Garnham)

ON Friday 15 January we welcome local melodeon maestro Tony Hall to our new venue at the Christ Church Centre on Magdalen Road – just opposite the junction with Waterloo Road and close to the Whalebone. Tony plays a wide range of tunes which ‘defy the limitations … of the two-row box’, interspersed with songs delivered in ‘Tony’s inimitable singing style’ (Mel Howly, The Living Tradition). Tea and coffee available, or bring your own atternative beverages. Tickets £3 (£5 non-members).

New Year’s Eve ceilidh and singaround

On Friday 18 December the last meeting took place at the White Horse Inn, Trowse, in the upstairs function room. Many thanks are due to landlady Pam and to Andy and the bar staff for all their support for the club in the last four and a half years.

On Thursday 31 December from 8.30 pm there will be a New Year’s Eve Ceilidh and Singaround with members of Shufflewing plus others (all welcome) and caller Faith Masendu at our new venue, the Christ Church Centre, on Magdalen Road (NR3 4LA). The Centre’s large car park is opposite the junction with Waterloo Road, and near the Whalebone. Please bring your own drinks and perhaps some food to share. (The Whalebone will have queues and a one-out one-in policy on this night.) Tickets £5 (£3 members).

On Friday 8 January there will be the first acoustic club night in the upstairs room at the Christ Church Centre. Everyone is very welcome to join us there. 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.

Sally Barker on 4 December

Sally Barker and Glenn Hughes

Sally Barker and Glenn Hughes

On Friday 4 December, at 8.30 pm Sally Barker will be at the White Horse Inn, Trowse presenting the Joni Mitchell Project. This is a personal tribute to the very much admired earlier recordings of Joni Mitchell.

Sally (whose voice is often compared to Joni’s) is a member of female folk group The Poozies and during her career has supported both Bob Dylan and Richard Thompson. For the Joni Mitchell Project she is accompanied by Glenn Hughes on keyboard and dulcimer. Tickets £8 (£5 members), check availability through the email link on the ‘About the Club’ page.

The singaround on 27 November will be in the upstairs room at the White Horse Inn. This jam session is open to all, whether to listen, sing or play.

Bob Fox on 20 November

Bob Fox

Bob Fox

Bob Fox is one of the most popular and best loved performers on the world folk stage and after more than three decades remains at the very top of his game. Nominated as BBC Radio 2 Best Folk Singer in 2003 and 2004 , in 2006 Bob was commissioned to perform one of the six new BBC Radio Ballads.  In 2008, Bob embarked on an ambitious project with former duo partner Stu Luckley to re-record both of their original vinyl albums for a 2 CD set called “THIRTY YEARS ON” that they produced for their equally ambitious re-union tour which took place in the autumn, taking in many of the places that they played in the 70s and finishing at the highly prestigious Sage Concert Hall on the banks of the Tyne in Gateshead. The performances they produced on the tour and the quality of the CD brought them a nomination in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009 as ‘Best Duo’.

Bob is counted by Vin Garbutt as ‘one of the truly great voices from the North East with musicianship second to none’.  Check for availability of tickets by email through ‘About the club’ page: £8 (£5 members).

Judi Daykin singaround showcase

Judi Daykin is the showcase guest at the White Horse Inn on Friday 6 November and will perform two spots within the singaround. Judi first sang in folk clubs “up north” back in the 1970s, but she was seduced away from the scene by the lure of the bright lights of show business. She trained as an actor and singer at drama school in London and has worked mainly in theatre for some years now. Folk music came back into her life in the new century following a chance conversation with Simon Nichol of Fairport Convention. He suggested a visit to their annual Fairport’s Cropredy Convention to see how things had changed. Inspired by this visit Judi rushed down to Norwich Folk Club and joined their ranks, as well as becoming a regular Cropredy goer.

Judi Daykin

Judi Daykin

Judi uses her actor’s storytelling ability to mix modern singer songwriter material with traditional numbers and even the occasional bit of poetry. Influences include Fairport Convention, Joni Mitchell and Show of Hands, all of whom will no doubt be showing up in her choice of songs. All welcome and entry is free.

On Friday 30 October the singaround is at the Manor Rooms, just up the Street from the White Horse Inn. Drinks can be bought at the pub and tea and coffee are also available. Everyone is welcome, whether to listen, sing or play, and the mix of music is often eclectic.

Trí on 23 October at the Manor Rooms

Trí

Trí

Young folk band Trí have had a fantastic first year, playing the Godiva Festival in Coventry, Folk in the Park at Biddulph, Alcester, Warwick, Bideford and Fylde Folk Festivals, and will be at Bedworth in November. With a background in Irish music and a string of Fleadh medals to their names, they are accomplished musicians. Ciarán Algar and Neal Pointon are impressive fiddle players and Niamh Boadle‘s vocals and guitarwork are beyond her years. She recently won the Fred Jordan Memorial unaccompanied singing competition at Bromyard Festival and has just been chosen as one of the six finalists  in the Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2010. All this, and step-dancing too!

Godiva Festival June 2009, Dave Swarbrick and Pete Willow: ‘They are absolutely wonderful and you can quote me on that. They are taking the Festivals by storm; You have just seen the future of folk music.’

St Albans New Roots Finals April 2009, James Fagan, Nancy Kerr, Andy Stafford and Lynn Heraud: ‘We … have run out of superlatives for this group. The musicianship was absolutely superb. Niamh has a beautiful voice with great quality. The song arrangements were subtle; … good variety throughout the set and the dancing added a lovely extra dimension …  easy on stage and obviously enjoying playing the music …. We were absolutely stunned … !’

This event will be in the Manor Rooms, just up the Street from the White Horse Inn. Collect your drink from the pub on your way! Tea and coffee also available. Tickets £5 (£3 members). Please email to book (see ‘About the club’ page).

On Friday 16 October there will be a singaround at the White Horse – everyone is welcome, whether to listen, play or sing.

FOOTNOTE: James Findlay, another New Roots finalist who played at the club in November last year, has also reached the Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2010 final.


Emily Smith on Friday 9 October

Emily Smith

Emily Smith

‘Scots Singer of the Year 2008/9’, Emily Smith has firmly established herself as a leading light in the Scottish folk scene.

Since winning the 2002 ‘BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award’ she has released three critically acclaimed albums, toured extensively with her band on the international folk circuit and is recognised not only as one of Scotland’s finest interpreters of traditional song but also as a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Alongside her solo career, Smith has written, recorded and toured with artists from the folk scene and beyond including Eddi Reader, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Karine Polwart, John McCusker, David Scott and Phil Cunningham. She has recorded live sessions for BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris, Aled Jones and Mike Harding alongside receiving regular play on BBC Radio Scotland. Smith was also involved in writing material for the much acclaimed Darwin Song Project at the Shrewsbury Festival last month.

This event will be at the White Horse Inn, starting at 8.30 pm. The concert will be amplified. Please check for availability of tickets £8 (£5 members) by email (see About the club page).

There will be singarounds at the White Horse Inn on Friday 25 September and 2 October – free entry and everyone is welcome to come along, 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).

Shadows in the Shade on 4 September

Shadows in the Shade

Shadows in the Shade

Shadows in the Shade are Jed Stone and Des Tighe, names well known around the folk clubs and sessions of their Suffolk homeland. Both are founder members of XXLcior, a shanty crew put together to support the sail training trawler Excelsior, and in a past life both have sung with the shanty crew Capstan Full Strength. Both have performed often in Holland, now and again in Poland and once in Norway. As solo performers, each has travelled extensively the shores and bars of their native England, of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Given their pedigree it was probably inevitable that sooner or later they would end up singing together, and inevitable that an album would follow. Now we welcome them to Norfolk for a showcase at the Norwich Folk Club singaround on 4 September.