| Day |
Date |
Artist |
|
| Friday |
11th December 1998 |
Ray Fisher and Moira Craig with music from
The Posh Band |
Scots songs and entertainment for our Christmas party |
| Friday |
15th January 1999 |
Oliver
Bootle with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Fine singing and fiddle playing in traditional English style from
one of the best of the younger performers |
| Friday |
12th February 1999 |
Jimmy Crowley |
Cork man Jimmy has a wonderful collection of local songs which he
delivers with style and passion |
| Friday |
19th March 1999 |
George Withers and John Waltham with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Farmer george and Farmer John (of an endangered species!) sing
songs from rural England witha few excursions to Ireland |
| Saturday |
3rd April 1999 |
An evening of Irish song and story
Len Graham and John Campbell, Niamh Parsons |
Special event at O'Reilly's, 291 Kentish Town Road
See here for full details |
| Friday |
23rd April 1999 |
Judy Cook |
From Virginia, Judy sings with great narrative drive the old songs
and ballads which crossed to america from Britain and Ireland |
|
|
Some missing here |
|
| Friday |
26 November 1999 |
Sheila Stewart with music from Sheena
Vallely, John Say, and Trish Sweeney |
Of the Stewarts of Bairgowrie. Wonderful ballad singing and
gripping story telling. |
| Friday |
17th December 1999 |
Jim Ward with music from The Posh Band |
Sussex monologuist and consumate entertainer. |
| Friday |
21st January 2000 |
Bob Davenport with Roger Digby and Dan
Quinn |
And who better to start the new millennium? forty years on from the
release of hi first EP on Collector Records, Bob is still coming up with innovative
approaches and thought-orovoking songs sung in his own unique style. As always Bob is accompanied by the best of musicians. |
| Friday |
4th February 2000 |
Luke Cheevers with music from the
Rakes |
Well-known as the quick-witted MC of the famous Goilin Club in
Dublin, Luke is a regular guest at singing festivals Ireland. Often described as
"a real Dub" many of Luke's rich store of songs display the wit and
verbal dexterity associated with his native city. |
| Friday |
17th March 2000 |
Kevin Mitchell and Ellen Mitchell with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
The discerning choice for St Patrick's night. Derry-born Kevin
is renowned for this high, sweet voice, consumate decorations and rich local
repertoire of song, while Glasgow-born Ellen is ever-more admired for her command of
the dramatic Scots ballad and her sure touch on the lighter songs. |
| Friday |
14th April 2000 |
Jeff Wesley with English music and songs
from The Posh
Band |
Traditional singer and farmer from Northamptonshire. |
| Friday |
19th May 2000 |
Catherine Perrier and John Wright with
Irish music from The Hemingford Band |
From France Catherine is a wonderful singer of traditional French
songs. John (originally from North East Englsnd sings, and plays fiddle and
Jew's harp. |
| Friday |
9th June 2000 |
Norma Waterson
with music from the Rakes |
|
| Friday |
7th July 2000 |
Jim MacFarland with music from the
Rakes |
Lovely singer from Donegal, with his son Seamus, a remarkable young
singer. |
| Friday |
15th September 2000 |
Peta Webb and Ken Hall with Will Duke, Dan
Quinn, Bob Davenport, The Rakes, Simon Hindley, etc |
CD launch of Peta and Ken's CD As close as can be
Songs and duets from English, Irish and American traditions (Fellside FECD155). |
| Friday |
29th September 2000 |
Danny Meehan with Dermot Kearney and Reg
Hall |
CD launch of Danny's The Navvy on the shore. |
| Friday |
13th October 2000 |
Jim Bainbridge with The Posh Band and Breda McKinney |
Originally from Tyneside, a brilliant melodeon player and great
entertainer with a knack for choosing splendid songs. |
| Friday |
3rd November 2000 |
Sara
Grey with music from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
From down-home Appalachian ballads and banjo tunes to New Hampshire
tales, Sara's passion for music enthrals the audience. |
| Friday |
24th November 2000 |
Tim Lyons with The Rakes |
Cork-born Tim is a great exponent of Sliabh Luachra accordion
playing, a fine sean-nós singer, and a writer of hilarious songs. |
| Friday |
15th December 2000 |
Christmas party. A special night of entertainment with
traditional pub singers and musicians from rural Essex and
English music from The Posh
Band |
|
| Friday |
19th January 2001 |
Roisin White with music from the
Rakes |
From County Down, welcome return for this fine traditional singer
with her rhythmic and lively Northern Irish style and inimitable rough velvet
voice. |
| Friday |
2nd February 2001 |
Katie Howson and Jeannie Harris with music
from the English String Band (Reg Hall, Ian Salter, and Ken Lees) |
Two fine one-row melodeon players in the Suffolk (and further
afield). Jeannie is also a striking singer specialising in travellers' songs
from Suffolk |
| Friday |
9th March 2001 |
Joe Mulheron and Brian Moore with music
from the Rakes |
Two of the great songwriters current in Northern Ireland. From
Derry and Belfast, Joe and Brian comment on the political scene (and other issues)
in satirical vein and with humour. |
| Thursday |
5th April 2001 |
Jimmy Hutchinson with music from Dan Quinn |
Rich-voiced singer from South Uist recorded on the Tradition
bearers: Scots songs and balads series.
 This night is still going ahead despite of the cancellation of the
National Folk Music Festival.
Instead of the National there will be an alternative event at Cecil Sharp House on Saturday 7th April 2001. |
| Friday |
11th May 2001 |
Liam Farrell (banjo), Joe Whelan (accordian), Reg Hall (piano), James Carty (flute)
with music from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
London Irish night |
| Friday |
15th June 2001 |
Janet Russell with music from The Rakes |
Renowned for her political commitment and powerful interpretations of contemporary song, Buckie-born Janet
focuses tonight on her traditional Scots repertoire especially the big dramatic ballads in which she excels. |
| Friday |
29th June 2001 |
Grace Toland with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Fine young singer from Clonmany, Inishowen, in north Donegal specialises in continuing her rich local repertoire. |
| Friday |
13th July 2001 |
Sean Burke, Jim Coughlan, Ted & Ivy Poole, and friends with music from The Rakes |
Visiting singers from the famous Swindon Folk Club. |
| Friday |
14th September 2001 |
Kathleen O'Sullivan (singer), Liam O'Sullivan (accordion), Sinead Linane (fiddle) |
London Irish Night: Two of the best young London musicians and traditional singer Kathleen O'Sullivan whose songs come from her mother,from the rich Gaelic repertoire of Pat Connolly and a host of Irish singers visiting or resident in London. |
| Friday |
12th October 2001 |
Will Duke & Dan Quinn with music from The Rakes |
The wild boys launch their new CD Scanned: music for lungs and bellows. The lungs unite in unison, the bellows belt out those great old English tunes mightily for our delight.
|
| Friday |
2nd November 2001 |
Alison McMorland and Geordie McIntyre with music from The Posh Band |
Two brilliant Scots singers, renowned for their feeling for the songs and their work collecting and passing on the tradition. Alison's latest CD Cloudberry Day is on the Tradition Bearers series and Alison and Geordie have just recorded One Circle together. |
| Friday |
23rd November 2001 |
Tony Hall and Ryburn Three Step. |
Traditional English Music Night: Norfolk melodeon wizard, renowned for his original appraoch and quirky songs, with sparkling Yorkshire-based musicians. |
| Friday |
14th December 2001 |
Third Degree Burns with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
An evening of cool Yule fun with Maggie Wood, Sylvia Couchman and Carole Prior. A hilarious mixture of wicked parody, humour and razzmatazz. |
| Friday |
25th January 2002 |
Anne Martin and Ingrid Henderson with music from The Posh Band |
Anne sings and Ingrid plays clarsach. Two excellent young performers in the Scots Gaelic tradition, from The Isle of Skye. Their CD Nighean nan Geug on Whitewave has won high priase. |
| Friday |
15th Febuary 2002 |
Dónal Maguire with Gail Williams and Jim Younger |
Fine Irish singer in the high style of Paddy Tunney and Elizabeth Cronin, and a song collector in his native Co. Louth, Dónal is renowed for his ballads as well as his witty repartee and fine musicianship. |
| Friday |
15th March 2002 |
Judy Cook with Fred McCormick |
A welcome return for this Virginia-born singer with her rivetting narrative style and vast and avried collection of songs from all over America. With support from Merseyside's Fred McCormick renowned for his finely-crafted songs of high hilarity as well as fine singing in sean-nós style. |
| Friday |
5th April 2002 |
Tim Eriksen with The English String Band |
Highly-regarded traditional American ballad singer takes time out from ground-breaking group Cordelia's Dad to perform solo. Stunning material from the Warner collection performed acappella, some with fiddle or banjo. "The watch-word is passion" -- Martin Carthy |
| Friday |
19th April 2002 |
Catherine Perrier and John Wright with The Rakes |
From France, Catherine is a wonderful singer of French traditional songs and John (originally from East Midlands) sings and plays fiddle, harmonica and jews harp. Brother Michael Wright joins John for jews harp duets extraordinaire! |
| Friday |
17th May 2002 |
Will Noble and John Cockingwith Elsie's Band, from deepest Kent |
Splendid English singers from Yorkshire. Solos and duets plus hilarious monologues from John. |
| Friday |
21st June 2002 |
Bob Davenport with the Bob Davenport Big Band |
The one and only! |
| Friday |
12th July 2002 |
The Posh Band and friends |
Exhilarating English music from Ken Lees (banjo), Ed Caines (fiddle), Reg Hall (piano)
and Simon Ritchie (melodeon) with songs from Ed and Simon plus Simon's amazing stepdancing.
Not only The Posh Band but also Friends - to be revealed! |
| Friday |
30th August 2002 |
Packie Byrne and Breda McKinney |
Traditional singer and whistle player from Donegal, Packie will be remembered with great affection by all who saw him when performing regularly in folk clubs in England. Concentrating today on comic songs and stories, Packie is passing on much of his repertoire (including his own songs) to young singer Breda, who has a beautiful voice and sings in true Inishowen style absorbed from her family. |
| Friday |
27th September 2002 |
Liam Farrell (banjo), Joe Whelan (accordion), James Carty (flute) and Reg Hall (piano). |
London Irish night. Now on CD: They Sailed Away from Dublin Bay (Veteran VT141CD). |
| Friday |
25th October 2002 |
Ellen Mitchell with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Glasgow singer Ellen treats her lighter songs with great subtlety and precision and brings
awesome drama to her ballads. We are delighted that she can now has a solo CD On Yonder Lea
Living Traditions label (as well as Have a Drop Mair on Musical Traditions with Kevin
Mitchell). |
| Friday |
15th November 2002 |
Mark Bazeley, Jason Rice and Rob Murch |
Sparkling young musicians Mark (melodeon and concertina), Jason (accordion and stepdance)
and Rob (5 string banjo) play traditional tunes from their native Dartmoor and entertain with songs and
stepdancing. |
| Friday |
13th December 2002 |
Bob Lewis with
with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Traditional singer Bob Lewis from Midhurst, West Sussex, has a choice rural repertoire
mostly learnt from his mother. He is joined by those fine musicians/singers Dan Quinn and Will Duke for our
Christmas festive evening. |
| Friday |
31st January 2003 |
The Copper Family
with The English String Band (Reg Hall, Ian Salter, Ken Lees) |
Definitive Southern English harmony, a family tradition for over two hundred years.
House full: No more memberships available for this evening. |
| Friday |
21st February 2003 |
Bruce Scott and Jerry O'Reilly
with music from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
From Liverpool, Bruce is a powerful singer of traditional songs and renowned
for his own hard hitting compositions. Jerry, from the famous Dublin club The Goilin, has a great store
of songs in English and Irish. Great enthusiasts for the Irish Fleadhanna, Bruce and Jerry celebrate a
30 year friendship. |
| Friday |
7th March 2003 |
The President's Men
with Reg Hall |
From Bampton-in-the Bush, Francis Shergold, Jamie Wheeler, John Grout and Martin Landray.
Traditional songs and tunes from Oxfordshire and beyond, and maybe even a dance. |
| Friday |
28th March 2003 |
Dan Milner, Bonnie Milner, Bob Conroy
with support from The Black Spot Champions |
From New York, Dan and Bob have put out a great CD Irish in America, while
Bonnie, well known as one of the all-woman chantey group The Johnson Girls, is also a fine solo singer. |
| Friday |
25th April 2003 |
Moira Craig, and Michael Wright
|
Double bill: Moira's delicate, precise Scots singing plus Michael's virtuoso jews-harp skills. |
| Friday |
16th May 2003 |
Reg Hall
|
The Big Seven-0: Reg hosts a special evening to celebrate his 70th Birthday. All welcome. |
| Friday |
6th June 2003 |
Oliver Mulligan and Finbar Wall
|
Double bill: classic sean-nós singing from Oliver in Gaelic and English
plus a more eclectic approach from Finbar who also writes songs in the satirical Irish tradition:
his celebration of The Holloway Road is not to be missed! |
| Friday |
19th September 2003 |
Molly Andrews |
First visit from the USA of this fine singer and guitar player. Molly has a great store of
a cappella ballads, songs and hymns, specialising in the Appalachian variants of traditional ballads from the
British Isles and songs of the coal miners of the region. |
| Friday |
17th October 2003 |
Will Noble and John Cocking with support
from Elsie's Band from
deepest Kent (John Hills, Tony Deane, Iris Bishop and Dave Watts). |
Robust English singing from Yorkshire plus hilarious monologues from John, whose CD
"Uppards" is just released on the Veteran label. |
| Friday |
21st November 2003 |
Fintan Vallely and Sheena Vallely |
Long awaited evening by brother and sister from the famous musical Armagh family. Flute solos and duets plus a store of satirical and witty songs from Fintan.
With special guest John Say on bodhran and washboard. |
| Friday |
12th December 2003 |
London Irish Night with The Linane Family and Friends |
An exciting new band, fresh from their tour of Ireland.
Michael and Sinead Linane (fiddle), Maureen Linane (accordion), Mick Mulvey
(flute), Reg Hall (piano). A great line-up for our Christmas Party. |
| Friday |
23rd January 2004 |
Moira Craig, Jim Ward, The Rakes |
Celebrate Burns Night with Moira's lyrical and lively singing,
comic monologues from Jim and tunes from The Rakes. |
| Friday |
20th February 2004 |
Threlfall-Ellison-Edwards |
Great English music. Sisters Jane & Amanda Threlfall sing in harmony and
unison, with accompaniment and lively tunes from Martin Ellison (melodeon) and Roger Edwards (concertina). |
| Friday |
12th March 2004 |
Kathleen O'Sullivan with Liam O'Sullivan and Mick Mulvey
with support from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Kathleen O'Sullivan (who is fast making a name for herself with The London
Lasses), was raised on traditional Irish song and music, learning many songs
from her mother from Co.Laois. Nephew Liam O'Sullivan is a Fleadh-winning
accordion player and a regular at Irish sessions, along with flute-player Mick Mulvey
who specialises in the lovely Leitrim style.
Kathleen says "My mother Norah was from Laois and father Christopher from
Cork. The last of nine children, I was born in East London on St. Patrick's
day. Mother's ballad singing was an early influence and the family were raised on
traditional music, song and dance, with musicians from the London Irish scene
being welcome to the house day or night." |
| Friday |
16th April 2004 |
Pete Shepheard, Tom Spiers and Arthur Watson with support from The Rakes |
Champions of the music of North East Scotland (ex-Gaugers): we are pleased to
welcome them on their first visit to London. All fine singers, Pete also plays accordion, Tom
fiddle and Arthur whistle. |
| Friday |
21st May 2004 |
Jim and Lynette Eldon with support from Felicity Greenland and
The English String Band (Reg Hall, Ian Salter, Will Duke and Ken Lees). |
Singer and fiddle-player on the Bridlington pleasure boats, Jim draws upon a
rich repertoire of traditional East Riding music and song collected over the
last thirty years. Lynette Eldon is a champion clog dancer renowned for her
precision and delicacy. |
| Friday |
18th June 2004 |
Brendan McGlinchey and Oliver Mulligan with support from
The Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross). |
Brendan is an all-Ireland champion fiddler from Co. Armagh, a master of
decorative style. Oliver, originally from Co. Monaghan, is a much-respected
singer of Irish traditional songs, both in English and in Irish. |
| Friday |
10th September 2004 |
Kevin Mitchell & Ellen Mitchell with support from the Rakes |
Two distinctive and fine singers. Kevin is a master of Northern Irish style,
much of his repertoire coming from his native Derry. Glasgow singer Ellen
treats her lighter songs with great subtlety and precision and brings awesome
drama to her Scots ballads. |
| Friday |
22nd October 2004 |
Vic Legg & Vivienne Legg
with support from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
From Bodmin, Vic?s vigorous singing has been renowned for many years. Vic's
sister Vivienne, less well known but a great discovery, has a delightful
musical style. Both have absorbed songs from their travelling family tradition. |
| Friday |
12th November 2004 |
Alison McMorland & Geordie McIntyre with support from
The English String Band (Reg Hall, Ian Salter, Will Duke and Ken Lees) |
Two brilliant singers, renowned for their feeling for the songs, especially
the ballads, and their work collecting and passing on the Scots tradition. |
| Friday |
10th December 2004 |
Posh Band with special guests John Foreman and Terry Vosper |
|
| Friday |
14th January 2005 |
Davenport, Digby, Duke, Quinn and West with support from
The Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
Bob Davenport with an all-star line-up. Don't forget to buy your copy of Bob's
recent thought-provoking CD The Common Stone. |
| Friday |
11th February 2005 |
Andy Turner & Mat Green |
Andy is a fine singer and concertina player, a member of Magpie Lane and the
Geckoes. Mat is one of the finest exponents of traditional English
fiddle-playing and plays fiddle for Bampton Morris for whom he has danced since 1972 |
| Friday |
11th March 2005 |
Sean MacNamara and Terry Coyne - Liverpool Irish Night
with support from Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Fiddle player Sean is the founder of the legendary Liverpool Ceilidh Band of which Terry's
father Eamon was a member. Terry joins Sean on the flute and whistle and is als a fine singer |
| Friday |
15th April 2005 |
Jeff Davis with support from
The Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
From the USA, Jeff is recognised world-wide for his unique voice, sensitive fiddle-playing and
unequalled store of traditional American songs. |
| Friday - Sunday |
20th - 22nd May 2005 |
Keith Summers Festival |
In honour of one of the club's founders. |
| Friday |
1st July 2005 |
Sylvia Barnes with support from the Rakes |
Sylvia is a brilliant Scots Traditional singer and one of the finest ballad singers of her generation. |
| Friday |
2nd September 2005 |
Sara Grey and Kieron Means |
Traditional North American Songs, Ballads & Blues performed with passion and
intensity. Sara is one of the finest exponents of old-time banjo, a ballad
singer of great power and a collector of songs and dialect stories from the Eastern
states of America and Scotland. Kieron?s impressive guitar picking and ability
to wrench the heart out of a song are making him a rising star. Mother and
son duetting in harmony make an unmissable sound. |
| Friday |
23rd September 2005 |
Sean Mone and Finbar Wall with
support from the Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
Songwriter in the Irish satirical tradition on a rare visit to London. |
| Friday |
14th October 2005 |
Jim Bainbridge with support from
The English String Band (Reg Hall, Ian Salter, Will Duke and Ken Lees) |
Welcome return of a great melodeon player whose choice of
songs will surprise and delight. Jim is equally at home with his native songs
of North-East England as with the popular music of this century and the
last. A great entertainer. |
| Friday |
21st October 2005 |
The McCarthy Family with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Direct from Galway. Jacqueline, Bernadette, Marion
and Tommy play concertina, pipes, piano and fiddle, inspired by their late
father Tommy McCarthy, well-remembered from The Favourite in the 1970s. |
| Friday |
18th November 2005 |
Sheila Stewart with support from The Rakes |
Welcome return of the great traditional ballad singer and story-teller of
The Stewarts of Blairgowrie. |
| Friday |
9th December 2005 |
Christmas party with The Titanic Syncopators with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Popular Music of the '20s and '30s played by Al Ward (cornet), Tony Engle
(saxophone), Bob Winquist (fiddle), Ned Clack (tuba), Andy Simons, Chas Hewlett
and Tony Russell (guitars) and featuring the vocals of Ms Peta Webb. |
| Friday |
20th January 2006 |
The Copper Family with support from The Rakes |
A very special night. John Copper, Jill Copper and Jon Dudley, with some of Bob's grandchildren, will be singing from
the family songbook in the continuing tradition. |
| Friday |
10th February 2006 |
Linane Family and Reg Hall -- plus Helen Roche with
support from the Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
London Irish night with the Linanne Family (fiddles and button accordion) and Reg Hall (piano).
Also presenting a fine young Liverpool Irish singer with a great feel for traditional style. |
| Friday |
10th March 2006 |
Judy Cook with
support from Emily and Hazel Askew |
Welcome return of our favourite New England singer with a fine collection of British
ballads in their migrated forms and quirky songs of the new world. |
| Friday |
17th March 2006 |
Gabriel McArdle, John & Valerie McManus with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Direct from Fermanagh. The place to be on St. Patrick's Night if you enjoy
traditional Irish singing. |
| Friday |
28th April 2006 |
Jimmy Crowley with
support from the Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
Direct from Cork, Jimmy is an entertaining presenter of the Cork songs he has collected and written. |
| Friday - Sunday |
19th - 21st May 2006 |
Weekend celebration in honour of Keith Summers |
John and Katie Howson will be bringing a troop of musicians, singers and
dancers from Suffolk, and Eamonn Brophy, a truly brilliant piper and singer, will
be making his London debut. We are delighted to present Patricia Flynn,
Grace Toland, Jim McFarland, Jerry O'Reilly, Ellen Mitchell, and many more. |
| Friday |
16th June 2006 |
"Bloomsday" celebration. |
The city of Dublin and the work of James Joyce will be celebrated
with guests Barry Gleeson from the Goilin singers club in
Dublin, and Paul Sheehan, a noted Joycean scholar, poet and one time lecturer
at London Metropolitan University. |
| Friday |
21st July 2006 |
The Devil's Interval
with support from the Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
Jim Causley, Emily Portman, and Lauren McCormick. To quote Martin Carthy: "Lauren,
Jim and Emily are three musicians utterly committed to singing the traditional songs of these islands
and doing so while maintaining a great sense of adventure along with an obvious enjoyment of the music
and a pride in their own abilities as musicians." |
| Friday |
8th September 2006 |
Dave Sealey with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn |
Music Hall performer extraordinaire (ex-Cosmotheka) |
| Friday |
29th September 2006 |
Stanley Robertson
with Vic and Tina Smith |
Stanley Robertson is a Scottish Traveller and nephew of Jeannie Robertson (1908-1975),
acknowledged as the greatest singer of ballads ever recorded in Scotland.
His knowledge of ballads and lore equals that of his aunt and he is also a renowned singer,
storyteller and writer. See Vic Smith's review in
Musical Traditions magazine of Stanley's double CD Rum Scum Scoosh! :
songs and stories of an Aberdeen childhood. |
| Friday |
20th October 2006 |
Trio Threlfall with support from
The English String Band (Reg Hall, Simon Ritchie, Ian Salter, Will Duke and Ken Lees) |
Sisters Jane and Amanda Threlfall provide unique interpretations of the true
English tradition, breathing new life into songs in a way that makes you feel that it was always
meant to be like this. Accomplished musicians themselves, they are aided and abetted by the group¹s
third member, Roger Edwards, a musician who does sensitive song
accompaniment or positive English music with equal relish. |
| Friday |
17th November 2006 |
Will Noble and John Cocking with support from the Rakes |
Welcome return of our favourite Yorkshire singers (and looking forward to
John's hilarious monologues!). |
| Friday |
8th December 2006 |
Xmas Party with Jim Ward, master of the monologue.
Plus debut performance of The Omega 3
Plus The Pigeon English Band (Sarah Crofts, Doug Adams and Paul Gross). |
The Omega 3 features Derek Pearce and Clive
Harvey, previously Roaring Jelly - "considered pioneers of alternative comedy
before the term became fashionable" Guinness Who's Who of Folk Music. |
| Friday |
12th January 2007 |
Special anniversary night with Martin Carthy
plus Pete Stanley and Donnie Scott and The Rakes |
Last year we presented to the landlord of The King & Queen a framed photo
of the night when Bob Dylan sang there in December 1962 at a club run by
Martin Carthy. Tonight we bring together some of today's top musicians who remember those
historic days. Thanks to the Lea family for hospitality to music over the years and to the
current staff led by Colin and Mel. |
| Friday |
23rd February 2007 |
Maggie Boyle
with support from The Rakes (Reg Hall, Paul Gross, Michael Plunkett and Ken
Lees) |
Maggie is much admired for her expressive, traditional vocal style - the
result of her Irish heritage. Since 1984 she has accrued an impressive catalogue
of recordings and live appearances, including work with The Chieftains. Her
credits include the title-track vocals for the Hollywood blockbuster,
"Patriot Games".
Reared in the musically vibrant London-Irish community of the 60s and
70s, she and her brothers got the music from their father Paddy Boyle,a
native speaker from the Donegal Gaeltacht townland of Derryloughan , Nr Glenties.
She also learnt from Oliver Mulligan, a great singer from Co. Monaghan
resident in London (and well-known to MTC members!).
Through her flute playing and ballads, old and new, she continues the
tradition of music and storytelling passed on by her Irish family.
'She tackles largely traditional song with a full-blooded ardour that'll
come as a shock to those weaned on the flaky New Age nonsense sold to us
as Celtic music through most of the '90s. Boyle gets right inside the songs
in the uncompromising manner of the best storytellers.' Colin Irwin, fRoots |
| Friday |
16th March 2007 |
Ed Rennie with
support from The Posh Band |
Ed was best known as the melodeon player in The Bismarcks dance band for a
long time, but is now building a parallel reputation as a fine singer. His
material is drawn from a broad range, ancient and modern, English and borrowings
from further afield. The songs themselves are the most important aspect of
the performance and Ed's accompaniment and vocal style are relaxed and
uncluttered. The songs are of a wide variety and though there may be slayings and
sorcery, there are also love and laughs. |
| Friday |
20th April 2007 |
Jeff Warner with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn and Blues from Simon Hindley |
Jeff Warner has been around traditional song all his life and it shows in
the respect and skill with which he interprets the songs. His parents, Anne and Frank
Warner, were two of the most important folk song collectors of the 20th
century. With warmth, humour and understated scholarship, Jeff Warner connects 21st
century audiences with the music and everyday lives of 19th century people.
A fine guitarist and banjo player, he presents musical traditions from North
Carolina, from the lumber camps of the Adirondack mountains and the whaling
ports of New England. |
| Friday - Sunday |
11th - 13th May 2007 |
Weekend celebration in honour of Keith Summers |
Guests invited include: Ian Russell, who will give a workshop on the
Sheffield Carols and bring down some carollers from the area; John Cocking &
Will Noble; Sylvia Barnes, Maureen Jelks, Joe Aitken, Geordie Murison; Roisin
White, Ron Kavana, Annie Armstrong, Sean Mone, Jim MacFarland; music from
The Black Spot Champions and our resident bands The Rakes and The Pigeon
English Band. |
| Friday |
6th July 2007 |
Finbarr Wall plus Sheena Vallely with Rob Truswell and John Say |
Born in Dublin, from a Cavan/Dublin family, Finbarr was brought up in
Lancashire and moved to London in the 1960s. Finbarr is a great song enthusiast
with a fine voice and an ear for a good song. He has an eclectic selection of
traditional and contemporary Irish songs and has introduced little-known songs
from writers such as Mickey MacConnell, Liam Weldon, Con O'Drisceoil and
Bryan O'Rourke as well as several of his own composition. His "Song of the
Holloway Road" (where Finbarr has lived for the past 30 years) is a long-overdue
tribute to the thriving Irish scene in the pubs of London N19 in the 60s and
70s and a wry observation of recent changes.
Sheena is from Armagh in Northern Ireland. A fine flute and tin whistle
player and familiar face on the Irish Music scene in London, she has performed at
the annual Return to Camden Town Festival as well as at The Musical
Traditions Club as you may remember on one occasion when she and John Say
accompanied the very fine flute playing and singing of her brother Fintan. Sheena has
played many gigs and sessions in Ireland with a number of well known musicians
among them Jackie Daly,Jimmy Crowley, Tim Lyons, Johnny Moynihan, Andrew
McNamara and Brendan Hearty. Sheena is currently recording with Berlin based
Midnight Court and for World Trad. label series "Flute Obsessions". Sheena
and John's playing (on bodhran) together has matured over a good many years
and recently their music has been given an extra sweetness with the playing of
Yorkshire guitarist Rob Truswell. |
| Friday |
7th September 2007 |
Jeff Wesley with support from
The English String Band (Reg Hall, Ian Salter, Will Duke and Ken Lees) |
We are pleased to welcome back this fine traditional singer (and farmer) from
Northamptonshire for the start of the season |
| Friday |
28th September 2007 |
Simon Ritchie and friends,
plus Martin and Shan Graebe
|
Simon is a singer, step dancer and squeezebox player extraordinaire; Martin and Shan
Graebe sing most harmoniously together, performing songs from the tradition (Martin is an expert on
Baring-Gould, the Victorian song collector) and some classic ones penned by Martin himself. |
| Friday |
12th October 2007 |
Mary Humphreys and Anahata |
Mary sings passionately with a great feel for English traditional style,
while the tunes she and Anahata play (on melodeon, cello, concertina and banjo)
have that good old pub sound. |
| Friday |
9th November 2007 |
Mick Sands with
support from Donegal singer Breda McKinney and from the Pigeon English Band |
Born into an Irish community in North East England, Mick draws on both these traditions
in his singing and flute-playing. A stalwart of the Irish session scene in London, Mick has recently
recorded a CD which reflects the maturity and rootedness of his singing. He is joined tonight on some
numbers by guitarist Tristan Seume. |
| Friday |
7th December 2007 |
Davenport, Digby, Duke and Quinn |
No superlatives needed for our favourite group of traditional entertainers.
|
| Friday |
11th January 2008 |
New Deal String Band with support from Gail Williams and Jim
Younger |
We are pleased to welcome the legendary Tom Paley,
Joe Locker and Ben Paley. London-based Old Time String Band featuring fiddle,
5-string banjo and guitar , Tom and Joe have worked together since 1966
and Ben?s fine fiddle playing is a recent welcome addition. |
| Friday |
1st Febuary 2008 |
Boat Band
|
Greg Stephens (guitar, banjo), Kate Barfield (fiddle,
trombone), Mark Burke (percussion, accordions), Tony Weatherall (accordions)
and they all share the vocals. Well known to Cajun enthusiasts for their
authentic dance music, they have also explored their native Cumbrian music over the
years and we look forward to tunes and songs from both traditions tonight. |
| Friday |
29th Febuary 2008 |
Róisín White with support from The Rakes
(Reg Hall, Paul Gross and Ken Lees) |
One of the foremost song carriers of the Ulster tradition, Roisin has a
wonderful rough velvet voice and a jaunty style all her own. We are delighted to
welcome her back.
Róisín White has become one of the foremost song carriers of the Ulster tradition. Born in County
Down, she acquired her interest listening to her mother sing around the house. She studied Irish Gaelic
and absorbed traditional singing at one of the Aran Islands from a small community where singing was very
common and natural. She has learned songs directly from countless source and revival singers, including
Len Graham, Eddie Butcher, Paddy & Bridget Tunney, and Robert Cinnamond.
Róisín has absorbed the traditional culture and made her own robust and jaunty singing style.
Retired from teaching Irish for a living she now teaches singing at various singing weekends and week-long
schools, and performs at festivals in several countries. She has recorded "The First Of My Rambles" and
will shortly be bringing out her second CD. Says Brian Peters: "she sings with warm, earthy honesty and bags
of rhythm and swagger." |
| Friday |
14th March 2008 |
Brian Peters
with support from the Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
An outstanding singer, guitarist, melodeon and anglo-concertina player of
energy and passion. Brian believes strongly in the power and relevance of
the old songs and ballads but he?s no diehard and covers the works of
writers from Leon Rosselson to Lyle Lovett as well as contributing witty
and hard hitting songs of his own. |
| Friday |
4th April 2008 |
Alison McMorland and Geordie McIntyrewith support from The Rakes (Reg Hall, Paul Gross, Michael Plunkett and Ken
Lees) |
Two of Scotland?s most renowned ballad singers, Alison and Geordie sing
with passion and intensity. Alison?s soaring rich voice is complemented by
Geordie's dry wit and rhythmic delivery. '... unites scrupulous traditional fidelity with versatile and creative
artistry.' Hamish Henderson. (Elizabeth Stewart is unwell and unable to be with us.) |
| Friday - Sunday |
9th - 11th May 2008 |
Fourth Keith Summers Festival |
|
| Friday |
6th June 2008 |
Oliver Mulligan and friends with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn
plus poetry from special guest Racker Donnelly |
Oliver is originally from Co. Monaghan where his style and many of his songs were learned;
he later added Gaelic songs from the West. Long resident in London,
he is a much respected singer in both English and Irish. |
| Friday |
4th July 2008 |
Dearman, Gammon & Harrison plus American
songs from Peta Webb, Ken Hall and Simon Hindley to celebrate the 4th of July |
Annie Dearman, Vic Gammon and Steve Harrison perform English traditional
songs and tunes in a robust and firmly rooted English style, accompanied on
various squeezeboxes, banjo and mouthorgan. Their repertory comes from
traditional singers and instrumentalists; from folk song collectors of the late
nineteenth and early twentieth century; from manuscript tune and song books,
ballad sheets and songs they just happen to hear and like. Their CD Black Crow, White Crow
(EFDSS CD11) has had great reviews. |
| Friday |
12th September 2008 |
Danny Meehan with Dermot Kearney (banjo/guitar) and Reg Hall (piano)
|
Legendary Donegal fiddle player |
| Friday |
3rd October 2008 |
Eliza Carthy &
Saul Rose
with support from the Pigeon English Band |
| Saturday |
18th October 2008 |
Chris Miles and Gordeanna McCullough
|
Unique visit by these brilliant Scots singers.
Joint presentation with
Cellar Upstairs Folk Club
at Exmouth Arms, Starcross Street, London NW1 2HR (on the corner of Cobourg Street, near Euston and
Euston Square stations; parking is easy) |
| Friday |
7th November 2008 |
John Kirkpatrick
with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn,
and Susanna Maijala (Finnish accordion player) |
A feast of squeezeboxes! We also celebrate Ken Hall's 60th Birthday.
|
| Friday |
12th December 2008 |
Xmas Party: Posh Band
with support from Jim Ward, own very own monologuist extraordinaire |
English music both dynamic and laid-back from Ed Caines, Simon Ritchie, Ken Lees,
Susan Lees and Reg Hall |
| Friday |
16th January 2009 |
Sam Lee and Lauren McCormick
plus banjo tunes from Ed Hicks and Friends |
Fresh voices and a fresh approach to traditional song to begin the New Year.
Fast rising stars of the latest revival,
Sam has become apprenticed to the great traveller singer
Stanley Robertson who is passing
on his legacy of ballads, while Lauren has a beautiful voice and has been
developing her distinctive solo singing (after The Devil’s Interval) as well
as duetting with Sam |
| Friday |
6th February 2009 |
Sara Grey and Kieron Means
with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn. |
New Englander Sara is truly remarkable singer of the old ballads, prefacing
the songs with fascinating background stories. Her distinguished frailing
style on the banjo shows just how this instrument should be played. Kieron,
Sara's son, a brilliant guitar player, has a strikingly individual sound. His
material draws from the deepest wellsprings of North American culture and the work
of latter-day songwriters steeped in the old traditions. |
| Friday |
20th February 2009 |
Máiri Ni Cheileachair and Dónal Maguire
with American old-time songs and tunes from Gail Williams and Jim Younger. |
Brilliant singer from Co.Cork, Máire Ní Chéileachair sings classic songs
in Irish and English and her first CD Guth ar Fán won high praise from the
late Paddy Tunney. Dónal is a fine exponent of the high Irish style and puts across ballads
with great power, several of which he collected in his native Co. Louth. He
is also noted for his ready wit and is recognised as a great player of Irish
dance music on mandolin and tenor banjo. |
| Friday |
13th March 2009 |
Jim and Lynette Eldon
with support from The Pigeon English Band |
Songs and tunes from singer /fiddle player Jim with a cherished repertoire of songs he's
collected in Yorkshire, many from English Gypsies, plus a few powerful orginals. Lynette is a brilliant,
immaculate champion clog dancer specialising in the intricate North East style. |
| Friday |
3rd April 2009 |
Davis, Locker & Winquist
|
Traditional American songs and tunes featuring Rosie's renowned Appalachian "flatfoot"
step-dancing.
ROSIE DAVIS (vocals, bass, banjo, autoharp) is a compelling singer and a fine song-writer, creating words
and music with a strong traditional feel.
JOE LOCKER (vocals, banjo, guitar) from New York, learned folk music and banjo-picking from his family
then developed his skills at the famed Washington Square Park Sunday sessions. Since residing in Britain,
he has played mostly with Tom Paley in the New Deal String Band.
BOB WINQUIST (fiddle, harmonies) from Vancouver Island, is Britain's master country-bluegrass fiddler. |
| Friday |
24th April 2009 |
Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne
with support from The Rakes |
From Dublin , one of Ireland's finest singers, a great communicator renowned for her
expressive voice, her mastery of ornamentation and for her strong sense of the story behind the song.
"In a voice filled with sweet melancholy and stately passion, Niamh Parsons sings traditional Irish songs,
making ancient tales of love sound tender and immediate. A remarkable a cappella singer." -
The New York Times. Graham is renowned for his masterly guitar playing and his subtle
accompanying of Niamh?s singing |
| Friday - Sunday |
8th - 10th May 2009 |
Fifth Keith Summers Festival |
|
| Friday |
12th June 2009 |
Tony Hall
with support from The English String Band |
Melodeon wizard from Norfolk.
What they say about Tony Hall:
... earthy, inventive "devil may care" style ... I had not fully appreciated just what an amazing player he
is. ... one of the most respected melodeon players in the country. In fact many think it isn?t possible to
play what he does on the instrument! He is also a master of comic songs, most of which are set in his native
East Anglia ... he does some amazing things with the melodeon, that ought not to be possible, with an uniquely
personal repertory ... idiosyncratic mix of songs ... entertaining, eccentric, at the top of his
game ... |
| Friday |
4th September 2009 |
Racker Donnelly
plus Irish music from Sheena Vallely (flute), Maggie Casey (whistle), John Say (percussion) and Rob Truswell (guitar) |
A night of Irish music and poetry with the brilliant performance poet Racker Donnelly
who amazed us at the Keith Summers Festival |
Friday |
23rd October 2009 |
Len Graham
with support from The Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
Born into an Antrim family steeped in traditional music, song, and dance, Len Graham is one
of the foremost performers and collectors of Ulster music. A recipient of numerous awards and accolades, he
uses traditional songs to pass down Ulster?s history to contemporary audiences. A professional singer since
1982, he has been the source of traditional songs for many of Ireland?s leading performers, including Altan,
The Chieftains, De Danann, and Dolores Keane. Len toured many years with the brilliant storyteller John
Campbell, who died in 2006. |
Friday |
13th November 2009 |
Tribute to Paddy Malynn with Danny Meehan, Dermot Kearney, and others
with support from The Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
A tribute to Paddy Malynn, the great Longford accordeon player, stalwart of London Irish
sessions until his death in 1999. With legendary fiddle player Danny Meehan, direct from Donegal, Dermot Kerney
(banjo) - who played at The Favourite in the 1970s - and more ... |
Friday |
4th December 2009 |
Louis Killen and Mike Waterson
with support from
Will Duke & Dan Quinn. |
From Tyneside and Yorkshire, two great passionate singers of English tradition. Mike is also
noted for his own wry observations in song. In performance they strike sparks off each other with the
familiarity of long time acquaintance. |
Friday |
18th December 2009 |
Singaround |
Owing to heavy snow in Sussex the Mighty Quinns and Will Duke were unable to appear. |
| Friday |
8th January 2010 |
Karen Ryan, Pete Quinn, and Maureen Linane
With special guest Thomas MacCarthy |
Irish Night with Karen Ryan (fiddle) and Pete Quinn (piano), of the London Lasses,
with Maureen Linane (accordion).
Thomas MacCarthy sings the songs of his Traveller family. |
| Friday |
19th February 2010 |
Bartram, Brookes & Weatherall
With special guest Robin Gillan |
A rare chance to hear these three together, singing and playing a selection of English songs
and dance tunes. Chris "Yorkie" Bartram has long been recognised as one of the finest singers ?not? on the
folk-club scene, being far happier in an informal setting, as are Neil Brookes (fiddle) and Tony Weatherall
(melodeon) who play regularly together in sessions.
Chris Bartram: Yorkie -- Traditional Songs From England (Coughing Dog Music)
"There can't be more than a handful of people in the country who can sing the old songs in a way which
is utterly convincing - Chris is one of them" -- Rod Stradling Musical Traditions.
Neil Brookes and Tony Weatherall The Whitchurch Hornpipe (Wildgoose Records)
"A model of the way that English dance music should be played - plain functional music
that also makes exciting listening when played with this zest." -- Vic Smith Folk Roots.
Robin Gillan sings to his own fiddle / banjo / squeezebox / accompaniment, switching from
Davie Stewart to Roscoe Holcomb songs with equal conviction. |
| Friday |
26th March 2010 |
Jim MacFarland
with support from The Rakes |
Direct from Ireland. A passionate yet subtle singer with a great relish for the songs of his
native County Derry,as explored on his superb CD A Taste of Tradition: Mountain Streams
(Jo-Sem Recordings JSCD01) |
| Friday |
9th April 2010 |
Janet Russell
with support from The Pigeon English Band (Doug Adams, Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross) |
Janet has a thrilling voice and the ability to bring out the heart of a song, be it a
traditional ballad from her native Scotland or a piece making a political point. She also has a great sense
of fun and excels at mouth music for dancing. Her new CD Love Songs and Fighting Talk is out
on Harbourtown HAR CD 052 |
| Friday - Sunday |
7th - 9th May 2010 |
Sixth Keith Summers Festival |
|
| Friday |
4th June 2010 |
John Foreman
with support from The Rakes |
The Broadsheet King. A rare performance by this master of mirth and drollery. Songs and
paper tearing a specialty. |
| Friday |
9th July 2010 |
The Mighty Quinns
with Will Duke |
Dan Quinn plus son Matt sing and play English tunes on melodeon, fiddle and more,
in their own imitable way -- plus special guest Will Duke, renowned for his concertina playing
and understated comic songs. |
| Friday |
17th September 2010 |
Moor Music: Mark Bazeley, Jason Rice & Rob Murch
with English songs from Andrew King |
Mark (melodeon and concertina) and Jason (accordion) have been playing since
childhood absorbing the unique Dartmoor style from their respective grandfathers Bob Cann and Jack Rice.
Rob (5-String banjo) also learnt from a young age and has become one of the finest exponents of this
once popular but now rarely heard style. One of the best truly traditional acts, doing what they do,
simply because they enjoy it. |
| Friday |
15th October 2010 |
Will Noble & John Cocking
and The Rakes |
Will Noble and John Cocking have a rich repertoire of songs learned in their native South
Pennines, heard in pubs and at hunt suppers from the older generation of traditional singers. Will's
rendition of The Mistletoe Bough has become indispensable at the Sheffield carols while John excels in
performing comic monologues and the occasional ribald piece. We are very pleased to have them as guests for our
20th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS. |
| Saturday |
16th October 2010 |
Afternoon session in the bar 1-6pm, with Bob Davenport, Will Duke, Dan Quinn,
Roger Digby, Liz Giddings and more.
|
Continuing the 20th Birthday clebrations. No tickets but we'll be passing the hat round for
contributions. |
| Friday |
26th November 2010 |
Sylvia Barnes with Carole & Alan Prior
Resident band: The Pigeon English Band |
One of the finest ballad singers of her generation, Sylvia was recognised as
"Scots Singer of the Year" for 2006 by the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland.
Carole & Alan Prior are fine, distinctive singers with a long association with the club. |
| Friday |
10th December 2010 |
Christmas Party with The Posh Band
with monologues from Jim Ward |
The Posh Band are Reg Hall, Ed Caines, Ken Lees, and Simon Ritchie |
| Friday |
14th January 2011 |
Kate Lissauer
with support from Gail Williams and Jim Younger |
Kate is a brilliant singer, fiddle and banjo player. Her music is drawn from her lifelong
experience and love of the American old-time country tradition. An award-winning fiddler, banjo player,
singer, guitarist and songwriter, she has been bringing country music to life in the UK for many years.
Her fine musicianship and knowledge are combined with a uniquely personal interpretation of the music
she loves and delivered with humour and real rapport with her audiences. |
| Friday |
4th February 2011 |
Billy Teare and Kathleen O'Sullivan
|
|
| Friday |
4th March 2011 |
Jim Bainbridge
|
|
| Friday |
8th April 2011 |
Askew Sisters
|
|
| Friday - Sunday |
6th - 8th May 2011 |
Seventh Keith Summers Festival
|
|
| Friday |
17th June 2011 |
Bloomsday: a celebration with poet Racker Donnelly
with Irish music from Pete Cooper (fiddle), Colette O'Leary (melodeon) (tbc)
and Sue Lee (whistle), plus songs from Oliver Mulligan, Finbarr Wall, Marianne McAleer, James McDonald,
Peta Webb and Ken Hall. |
|
| Friday |
9th September 2011 |
Jez Lowe with Bob Davenport
with music from Roger Digby and Liz Giddings |
The North East of England has long been renowned for its hard hitting song writing tradition.
Two generations of its finest exponents meet tonight. |
| Friday |
14th October 2011 |
Lisa Knapp
with tunes and songs from Will Duke and Dan Quinn |
Singer and fiddle player, Lisa has a beautiful voice and a passionate love of
the English folk tradition. "Her talent and good judgement make for a winning combination and when she sings,
you willingly go with her into another world. Lisa certainly has the heart of the matter in her."
Shirley Collins. "Her singing and fiddle playing are emotive and full-blooded and her inventiveness is
fresh and genuine. The album (Wild and Undaunted) is underpinned with an innate sense of drama."
Colin Irwin (Mojo) |
| Friday |
11th November 2011 |
London Irish night
|
Reg Hall presents singers Dessie Bowe, Thomas McCarthy and Finbar Wall,
plus Gary Connolly (accordeon), James Carty (flute), Mick Linane (fiddle) and John McLeod (flute). |
| Friday |
9th December 2011 |
Katie's Quartet (Katie Howson, John Howson, Simon Ritchie & Rob Neal)
|
Traditional East Anglian concert party with tunes and stepdances. Also we hope Alvar Smith (singer),
Reg Reeder (hammer dulcimer), Percy & Doreen West (stepdancers) and Jim Ward (monologues) will be able to join us! |
| Friday |
13th January 2012 |
Jeff Wesley
With support from The Pigeon English Band |
A splendid traditional singer. A farmer in Northamptonshire all his working life,
Jeff has put together a cherished collection of songs from neighbours and local farm workers. |
| Friday |
24th February 2012 |
Jeff Davis
With Roger Digby (concertina) and Liz Giddings (fiddle) |
A superb old-time fiddle player, he is a master of clawhammer banjo, guitar and mandolin
without ever striving for showy licks or empty virtuosity. His singing, based on long immersion in the styles of
the old singers is truly timeless, conjuring vividly the world of the cowboy or the Civil War soldier.
"When Jeff Davis sings the repertoire of the Appalachian Mountains, he cuts through decades and across borders,
sitting us right down in the dirt in front of a weather-beaten shack, at the feet of a hillbilly singer - he
combines authenticity and art in a rare way." Chronicle Herald of Nova Scotia |
| Friday |
9th March 2012 |
International Women's Day event
|
Sheena Vallely (sparking traditional flute player from Armagh) & John Say (percussionist extraordinaire),
Maggie Casey (songs and whistle) & Lis Stewart (fiddle & concertina), singers Marianne McAleer, and Peta Webb. |
| Friday |
20th April 2012 |
Gavin Davenport
With Matt Quinn, a fine singer, fiddle and melodeon player
whose music is rooted in English folk tradition |
From Sheffield, Gavin is a powerful singer and a fine concertina and guitar player. His recent CD
Brief Lives combines traditional ballads (with stark arrangements which expose rather than obscure the song
"these songs have been around a lot longer than I have and deserve to speak a little louder than me")
with strikingly original song writing on "False Knight" (a tribute to his grandfather's death in WW 2) and "Silent Alarm". |
| Friday |
18th May 2012 |
Sara Grey and Kieron Means
with support from The Rakes |
New Englander Sara, a remarkable singer of the old ballads with a distinctive frailing style on the banjo,
prefaces the songs with fascinating background stories. Kieron, Sara's son, a brilliant guitar player, has a strikingly
individual sound. His material draws from the deepest wellsprings of North American culture and the work of latter-day
songwriters steeped in the old traditions. Both perform with rare passion and enthusiasm. |
| Saturday |
19th May 2012 |
Keith Summers Gathering 2012
|
After a glorious 7 years, funding for the Keith Summers Festival has run out but we are having a local event
in the bar of The King & Queen from 1-6 pm. No guests from far afield, just a gathering of friends who remember Keith - and
who are great musicians and singers. We shall be asking for donations to cover expenses for the invited
singers/musicians - anything remaining will be shared between a kitty for a larger scale event next year and contributing to
the landlord's preferred charity, Macmillan Cancer Nurses. |
| Friday |
15th June 2012 |
Racker Donnelly and Luke Cheevers
|
Racker Donnelly is noted for his own take on Irish history expressed in hilarious
poetry performances and is joined by traditional singer and raconteur Luke Cheevers,
direct from Dublin. The two will celebrate Bloomsday (after Joyce's epic tale) in song and rhyme. |
| Friday |
20th July 2012 |
Jim & Lynette Eldon
with The Rakes |
Traditional singer and fiddle player Jim brings songs from East Yorkshire, many collected
from travellers, while champion clog dancer Lynette does some nifty and immaculate footwork. |
| Friday |
12th October 2012 |
Oliver Mulligan presents a London Irish Night
|
Oliver Mulligan is from Co. Monaghan where his style and many of his songs were learned in the
1950s from local and family singers. He attended Fleadh Ceóil sessions throughout Ireland in the 1960s, becoming All-Ireland
champion, and adding a wider range of material including Gaelic songs from the West. He now lives in London where he is a
veteran of both the Irish community sessions and the traditional clubs and was a resident of Ewan MacColl's Singers Club
for ten years.
Creena Mulchrone is a fine young singer from Co.Mayo, is an outstanding student of Rosie Stewart and has already
won several Fleadh Ceóil awards.
Finbarr Wall is from a Cavan/Dublin family, a compelling singer with a great repertoire of unusual songs
both serious and comic, has introduced several little known songs by contemporary Irish writers and is increasingly renowned
for comic songs of his own such as his "Song of the Holloway Road" (where he has lived for 40 years).
Órlaith McAuliffe is an inspired young flute player. From a Kerry family, she lives in North London.
Many times winner of the all-Ireland Fleadh in her age group, in August 2012 she won the senior slow-air flute competition.
Brendan McAuley is from a Belfast family steeped in music. Both parents were musicians and toured Ireland
with travelling shows. A well -respected uilleann piper and multi-instrumentalist, he is also a maker of wooden flutes,
whistles and chanters.
|
| Friday |
2nd November 2012 |
Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne
with Roger Digby (Anglo concertina) and Liz Giddings (fiddle)
plus special guest Rosie Stewart |
From Dublin, Niamh Parsons is one of Ireland's finest singers, with a great command of
ornamentation and a strong sense of the story behind the song. "In a voice filled with sweet melancholy and stately passion,
Niamh Parsons sings traditional Irish songs, making ancient tales of love sound tender and immediate. A remarkable a cappella
singer." - The New York Times.
Graham Dunne is renowned for his masterly guitar playing and his subtle accompanying of Niamh's singing.
|
| Friday |
16th November 2012 |
Rosie Davis, Joe Locker & Bob Winquist
|
American old-time songs and tunes with Rosie's sparkling Appalachian "flatfoot" dancing.
Rosie Davis (vocals, bass, banjo, autoharp) is a compelling singer and a fine song-writer,
creating words and music with a strong traditional feel.
Joe Locker (vocals, banjo, guitar) from New York, learned banjo-picking from his family then
developed his skills at the famed Washington Square Park Sunday sessions. Since residing in Britain, he has played
mostly with Tom Paley in the New Deal String Band.
Bob Winquist (fiddle, harmonies) from Vancouver Island, is Britain's master country-bluegrass fiddler.
|
| Friday |
14th December 2012 |
Christmas Party with Will Duke and Dan Quinn
plus The Rakes |
|
| Friday |
11th January 2013 |
Moira Craig and Malcolm Austen
plus Owen Woods |
Moira's popular trio Craig Morgan Robson keeps her busy so we are very pleased to
have the chance to hear her beautiful expressive voice solo, singing her native Scots repertoire
and looking ahead to Burns Night. Malcolm cut his teeth on South East singers such as Bob Copper
and Johnny Doughty, especially relishing their pub repertoire. He is also renowned for his quirky
comic songs ...
Owen Woods is an up and coming melodeon player who really knows his stuff and has a great passion
for the instrument. |
| Friday |
1st February 2013 |
Martin Carthy
plus The Rakes |
SOLD OUT. No more tickets available. |
| Friday |
1st March 2013 |
Janet Russell
with music from Roger Digby and Liz Giddings |
We are delighted to have Janet to sing for us in the week leading up to International Women's Day.
Born in Scotland, Janet has a great feel for traditional songs and delights in the richness of the Scots language
and the liveliness of its mouth music, which she sings for dancing in the group JigJaw. She has also made a name
for herself as a songwriter writing with hard-edged humour about issues affecting women and in the last couple of
years much of her writing has been sparked off by the state of current UK politics. A member of
Sisters Unlimited, she has also made several solo albums, most recently
Love Songs & Fighting Talk Harbourtown (HARCD 052). |
| Friday |
19th April 2013 |
Brigitte Kloareg & Yann-Fañch Perroches (Britanny)
with Owen Woods - another lovely melodeon player ! |
Brigitte Kloareg is a powerful singer, a collector and interpreter of centuries old Breton music. She has a wide
repertoire of unaccompanied traditional songs and also sings to the accompaniment of the renowned accordion player Yann-Fañch Perroches.
"The power, purity and delicacy of his playing sends shivers down your spine, he is truly one of the great diatonic players."
Accordéon Magazine |
Friday - Sunday |
17th - 19th May 2013 |
Keith Summers Gathering 2013 |
with Roisin White, Rosie Stewart, Jim MacFarland, Jerry O'Reilly, Kevin Mitchell and Ellen Mitchell,
plus on Friday night only Will Noble & John Cocking |
| Friday |
7th June 2013 |
Racker Donnelly and Thomas McCarthy
with music from The Rakes |
The poet and the singer |
| Friday |
6th September 2013 |
Dónal Maguire
With music from The Pigeons |
Dónal's latest CD "Louth Mouths from Drogheda" celebrates the songs of his local area.
A fine stylist and powerful ballad singer, Dónal is also known for his ready wit and store of comic songs. |
| Friday |
4th October 2013 |
Peggy Seeger and
Sandra Kerr
With Matt Quinn |
Two brilliant musicians and singers rooted in American and English traditions, with a long history
of political commitment and incisive songwriting.
|
| Friday |
1st November 2013 |
Len Graham
With The Rakes |
Born into an Antrim family steeped in traditional music, song and dance, Len is one of the foremost
performers and collectors of Ulster music.He delights in sharing with us his classic ballads and songs on all topics from love to politics. |
| Friday |
13th December 2013 |
Xmas party with The Michael Sheehy Band
|
John Howson, Katie Howson, Roger Digby and Liz Giddings join Michael Sheehy (accordion) to play his sparkling repertoire
of Irish music featuring the slides and polkas of Sliabh Luachra.
With special guest Jim Ward, and more ... |
| Friday |
10th January 2014 |
The New Deal String Band
With Robin Gillan |
Old Timey music from Tom Paley, Ben Paley and Joe Locker. Legendary musician Tom Paley has played with
Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and was a founder member of the New Lost City Ramblers. The New Deal String Band was
formed in 1966 by Tom Paley and Joe Locker, two banjo-and-guitar playing ex-New Yorkers living in London. In the 1990s Tom's son
Ben took up the fiddler's slot.
Robin Gillan sings to his own fiddle / banjo / squeezebox / accompaniment, switching from Davie Stewart to Roscoe Holcomb
with equal conviction. He is featured on the recent CD Tom Paley's Old Time Moonshine Review. |
| Friday |
21st February 2014 |
Pete Coe
|
An impressive singer and multi-instrumentalist (melodeon, banjo, dulcimer and percussive feet), Pete can handle anything from ballads to comic material. He gives atmospheric forceful interpretations of traditional ballads but also enjoys putting across a comic or satirical song and has written quite a few of his own. Sold Down The River Again and Waves Of Tory, pointedly reflecting on the Thatcher era, were featured in his band Red Shift. "Every aspiring young performer needs to watch this man whose driving, footstomping delivery on a variety of instruments and outstanding voice is an object lesson in regard-for-your-audience basics." Paul Davenport, English Dance & Song. |
| Friday |
14th March 2014 |
Celebrate St Patrick's Day with Marianne McAleer
and Racker Donnelly
with The Rakes |
Born into Kilburn's vibrant London-Irish community, Marianne learned her earliest songs from her Cavan father, Jim McPhillips. She has a passion for singing and is a familiar face at festivals all over England and Ireland. Marianne is a multi award winner at both the All Britain and All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil. She is the current champion on this side of the water, in both Lilting and Singing in Irish, and is likely to lilt if the need for a dance arises before the fiddler has reached the crossroads! Tonight she launches her new CD Charmed (Faoí Draíocht).
The irrepressible Racker Donnelly, the Irish Folk Poet, has done thousands of live performances in Ireland, Britain, America and Australia. A riveting performer, his racks and songs, mostly comic, are about Sheep, Smoking, Tennis, Oysters, Joyce, Horses, Politics, Swans, Yeats, Football, Dracula, Cameron, Goldilocks, Irish Proverbs, English History, and whatever you're having yourself. Tonight he launches his new CD On the Rack
|
| Friday |
11th April 2014 |
The Fraser Sisters - Jo Freya & Fi Fraser
with The Pigeons |
Jo Freya (born Jo Fraser) usually heard in bands such as Blowzabella and Old Swan Band, loves to perform with her sister Fi Fraser who plays fiddle and clarinet -- Jo is on saxes, clarinets, whistles, and piano. Their playing brings freshness to many dance rhythms and their singing has that wonderful texture that you only get when siblings sing together. They have a wonderful range of diverse material, singing anything from Tom Waits to a traditional ballad or comic song. Hear their CD Going Around.
|
| Friday |
2nd May 2014 |
Liz Giddings and Roger Digby CD Launch The Passing Moment
with special guest Bob Davenport |
Roger Digby (anglo concertina) and Liz Giddings (fiddle) are known for their commitment to traditional English dance music. Roger goes back to Flowers and Frolics in the mid 1970s; Liz, a generation younger, plays in the English String Band. On their first CD together -- The Passing Moment (HOP009CD) -- they bring their passion, talent and distinctive accuracy to tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Australia and Newfoundland as well as England -- all presented with drive and lively excitement. On many tracks they are joined by a rhythm section comprised of (variously) banjo, piano, bass and percussion from Ken Lees and Ted Stevens. Together they have created a CD of tunes, which is vibrant and rewarding to listen to and which never loses sight of the fact that this is dance music and must be played as such! Guest artist is Bob Davenport, one of the country's most respected traditional singers, now in his 82nd year. This CD will delight lovers of real traditional music.
"This music is inspired by traditional players, it shines like a lovingly polished old wooden chair which remains fit for purpose through the centuries. No flash, no fancy arrangements, simply lovely musical playing which inspires you to dance or just sit and enjoy." Peta Webb
|
| Friday - Sunday |
30th May - 1st June 2014 |
Keith Summers Gathering 2014
| The 3rd & 4th volumes of Keith's 1980s Fermanagh recordings will be launched by Paul Marsh (compiler) and Rod Stradling (Musical Traditions Records). |
| Friday |
13th June 2014 |
Jeff Warner
|
One of America's foremost performers of traditional music. Songs from the lumber camps, fishing villages and mountain tops of the Eastern seaboard, many from the collection of his parents Anne and Frank Warner. |
| Friday |
12th September 2014 |
Laura Smyth and Ted Kemp
plus the Dovetail Trio
|
Laura Smyth and Ted Kemp perform songs and tunes from the English tradition, including many from Laura's native Manchester and surrounding area, with arrangements featuring English concertina, 5-string banjo, melodeon, cello and guitar, with the occasional dance. Strong solos from TRAD2MAD winner
Laura with rousing harmonies from Ted.
The Dovetail Trio present England's traditional songs with infectious energy and a passion for musical heritage. Singer Rosie Hood is a winner of the Fred Jordan Memorial Award, Jamie Roberts, renowned for his narrative singing and driving guitar rhythm, is a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee, while multi-instrumentalist Matt Quinn is well known at Musical Traditions Club for his powerful singing and tasty melodeon playing. |
| Friday |
24th October 2014 |
Benefit for Maggie Boyle
Paul Downes (guitar)
plus singers Oliver Mulligan & Mick Sands and Brendan McCauley (uilleann pipes) |
Maggie Boyle is a traditional London Irish singer whose musical roots were nourished in the musically vibrant community of the 1960s and 1970s. She is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and this eveing will be run as a benefit for her.
Paul Downes has been described as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists. He performs in a dazzling array of styles with effortless brilliance, but considers himself a singer of songs, rather than a guitar technician. Their new album Won't You Come Away has garnered brilliant reviews. |
| Friday |
14th November 2014 |
Kathleen O'Sullivan and Billy Teare
With Dan Quinn and Will Duke |
Born in the East End of London, Kathleen learned to sing from her mother and all her family sang and played traditional Irish music. She toured with The London Lasses for many years before returning to her unaccompanied roots. Kathleen's solo album Born on St Patrick's Day was recorded at home, by her fireside.
Storyteller Billy Teare resides in Larne, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. From his teens he worked on the tough Belfast comedy circuit. Billy has appeared on the big screen, stage, TV and radio in guises ranging from chicken hypnotist to jester. Billy Teare and Kathleen O'Sullivan have gained a formidable reputation as a story and song combination and have recently co-authored a popular volume of Antrim Folk Tales published by The History Press, Ireland. |
| Friday |
12th December 2014 |
XMAS PARTY with The Rakes & Simon Ritchie
plus Jim Ward |
Irish dance tunes from The Rakes (Reg Hall, Paul Gross, Michael Plunkett, Ken Lees), a song, a tune
and a stepdance from Simon Ritchie.
Plus Jim Ward, master of the comic monologue. |
| Friday |
23rd January 2015 |
Thomas McCarthy
Carol Anderson & Racker Donnelly. With tunes from Liz Giddings and Roger Digby |
Thomas McCarthy sings songs from his Travelling family in his distinctive, embellished style.
Hear his new CD Herself and Myself, dedicated to his mother Mary.
Plus Carol Anderson, brilliant Scots fiddle player from Aberdeenshire, celebrates Burns night in the company of
linguistic wizard Racker Donnelly, tonight wearing his Scott-ish hat. |
| Friday |
13th February 2015 |
Roísín White
With Irish music from The Linane Family: Mick (fiddle), Sinead (fiddle) & Maureen (accordeon) with Reg Hall on piano. |
Rare visit from our favourite traditional singer from the County Down, renowned for her rough velvet voice and jaunty Ulster style of delivery, flying in on her way to the Thaxted Sugarbeet and Shamrock Weekend. |
| Friday |
13th March 2015 |
Fintan Vallely & Sheema Vallely celebrate St. Patrick's Day
|
Two brilliant flute players (brother and sister) from the famous Armagh Pipers' Club family. Fintan is also renowned for his witty satirical songs. They will be joined by musicians Maggie Casey (whistle), John Say (percussion) and more ... |
| Friday |
17th April 2015 |
Rattle on the Stovepipe
With English music from The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross, Paul Quarry) |
Dave Arthur (5-string banjo, melodeon, guitar, vocals), Pete Cooper (fiddle and vocals) and Dan Stewart (5-string banjo, guitar and vocals). A great mix of traditional songs, ballads and storming dance tunes from the British Isles and the Appalachian Mountains region of America. 'For a rattling good time, let Pete, Dave and Dan rattle on YOUR stovepipe! Great songs and tunes, mostly fiddle-led, but with fine work on banjos, guitars and (sometimes) melodeon, as well' - Tom Paley |
| Friday |
8th May 2015 |
Elizabeth Laprelle and Anna Roberts-Gevalt
Advance tickets only: SOLD OUT
|
Direct from rural Virginia. Stunning ballad singing and music steeped in Appalachian tradition.
"We believe in the power of stories -- from family jokes to ancient ballads. ... the old stories are still magical after all these years." Anna & Elizabeth
"Elizabeth's voice fits perfectly with Anna's, while their guitar, fiddle and banjos are deployed sparingly and expertly. This is direct and honest music, lovingly crafted by two expert practitioners who share a deep empathy both with their beloved regional musical traditions and with each other."
fRoots |
| Friday |
22nd May 2015 |
Jimmy Crowley
|
Known as the 'Voice of Cork', legendary singer/songwriter/storyteller Jimmy Crowley has been a central figure in the Irish folk scene since the enthusiastic reception of The Boys of Fairhill, the debut album of his band Stoker's Lodge in 1977. Since then he has been travelling the world as a professional musician. No-one sounds like Jimmy, and few can match him for the humour, joy, tenderness and sheer storytelling craft which he brings to his repertoire of songs. Soon to be published, Cork Urban Ballads, a body of songs from oral tradition collected by Jimmy since the late sixties. |
| Friday |
12th June 2015 |
Liz Giddings and Roger Digby
With songs from Bob Davenport |
Roger Digby (anglo concertina) and Liz Giddings (fiddle) are known for their commitment to traditional English dance music. Roger goes back to Flowers and Frolics in the mid 1970s; Liz, a generation younger, plays in the English String Band. On their first CD together they bring their passion, talent and distinctive accuracy to tunes from England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia and Newfoundl and presented with drive and lively excitement. No flash, no fancy arrangements, simply lovely musical playing. Hear their CD The Passing Moment (HOP009CD) |
| Friday |
11th September 2015 |
New Deal String Band
|
Comprising Joe Locker, Tom Paley and his son Ben Paley, the New Deal String Band are some of the finest exponents of traditional Old Time American music in the UK. |
| Friday |
23rd October 2015 |
Rita Gallagher
with support from The Rakes (Reg Hall, Paul Gross, Ken Lees) |
Rita Gallagher, from Ballymacahill, Frosses in County Donegal, is noted as one of the finest traditional Irish singers. A three-time winner of the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann All-Ireland title for female singing in English she regularly participates in festivals, workshops, and singing events throughout the country. Rita comes from a family of wonderful singers and also credits the great traditional singer Paddy Tunney among her most significant influences. Her beautifully rich voice, eloquent ornamentation, restrained delivery and evident love of her songs make Rita a compelling and much admired singer. Rita's double CD The May Morning Dew is available from Veteran Mail Order.
In association with Return to Camden Town Festival |
| Friday-Sunday |
13th-15th November 2015 |
25th Birthday Party with lots of special guests!
|
Guests: Sara Grey & Kieron Means (Friday only), Stuart Carolan & Patrick Carolan (special first time visitors from Co.Louth), Dónal Maguire, Kevin Mitchell & Ellen Mitchell, Jim & Lynette Eldon, Gail Williams & Jim Younger plus many of our previous club guests and friends familiar from the Keith Summers Weekends will be returning. With music from our great resident bands plus our many excellent club singers, poets and monologuists.
Four sessions: Fri. 8-11, Sat. 1-5.30, Sat. 8-11, Sun. 1-5.30pm.
Kevin McDonnell has posted photos from the weekend on his Flickr Photostream. |
| Friday |
4th Decmeber 2015 |
Pete Morton
With support from Matt Quinn and Dan Quinn |
Rooted in the folk song tradition of dissent, Pete updates old songs and writes new songs in traditional format with a political cutting edge. A powerful and compelling performer with a distinctive style which draws inspiration from the 'talking blues' popularised by Woody Guthrie. "...fiercely creative, proudly independent, skilful, talented and terminally unpredictable". Mojo |
| Friday |
22nd January 2016 |
Thomas McCarthy
plus Carol Anderson & Racker Donnelly
Plus music from The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts and Paul Gross) |
Thomas sings songs from his travelling family in his distinctive, embellished style. His latest CD is
Herself and Myself, dedicated to his mother Mary.
Plus Carol Anderson, brilliant Scots fiddle player from Aberdeenshire, celebrates Burns Night in the company of linguistic wizard Racker Donnelly wearing tonight his Scott-ish hat. |
| Friday |
12th February 2016 |
The Rakes (Reg Hall, Paul Gross, Michael Plunkett, with Ken Lees)
With Irish music from the Linane Family: Michael and Sinead Linane (fiddle), Maureen Linane (accordion), with John MacLeod (flute) and Reg Hall (piano) plus many more special guests. |
The Rakes celebrate 60 years of playing together. |
| Friday |
26th February 2016 |
Sisters Unlimited
|
Janet Russell, Sandra Kerr, Rosie Davis, Peta Webb |
| Friday |
18th March 2016 |
Judy Cook
plus Laurel Swift and Ben Moss |
From the USA
Many thanks to Folk London for sponsoring Laurel and Ben |
| Friday |
22nd April 2016 |
John Kirkpatrick
With tunes from Will Duke and Dan Quinn |
Dazzling musician (melodeon, button accordion and anglo concertina) and devotee of English traditional music. He's a fine singer, songwriter (commissioned for many pieces for the theatre) and Morris dancer with the Shropshire Bedlams -- also a great entertainer with a nice line in comic songs. "Kirkpatrick's buoyant presence and lust for this music sounds more rampant than ever" Colin Irwin - fRoots 2009 Awarded a Gold Badge in 2003 by EFDSS for his outstanding contribution to English Folk Music.
|
| Friday |
13th May 2016 |
Michael Sheehy Band
|
Music from Sliabh Luachra with all star lineup Michael Sheehy (piano accordion), Katie Howson (melodeon), John Howson (guitar), Roger Digby (anglo concertina), Liz Giddings (fiddle). Now resident in Suffolk, Michael was delighted to share his father's West Limerick repertoire with these long established local musicians, an exciting and creative meeting producing some brilliant beautiful music. |
| Friday |
3rd June 2016 |
Jerry O'Reilly &
Luke Cheevers,
plus brilliant performance poet Racker Donnelly
and music from Jacquelyn Hynes on flute plus J. Eoin |
Dublin night with great singers & raconteurs |
| Friday |
15th July 2016 |
Bartram, Brookes & Weatherall
With The Pigeons: Paul Gross, Paul Quarry, Sarah Crofts |
English songs and tunes from Shropshire. Lavish praise from fellow musicians:
Chris Bartram is "one of the few people today who can sing the old songs in a way which is utterly convincing." Rod Stradling
"Chris's singing is stylish and compelling whether unaccompanied or with the wonderfully-crafted accompaniments by Neil and Tony." Mary Humphreys
"On their album of Shropshire tunes The Whitchurch Hornpipe, Neil Brookes (fiddle) and Tony Weatherall (melodeon) showed that they are absolute masters of playing English dance tunes. New Midsummer's Day has an even wider appeal now they have linked up with the delightful singer Chris Bartram who has that very pleasing, engaging way of singing that makes every song that he sings a delight." Vic Smith
|
| Friday |
16th September 2016 |
Jim Bainbridge
with Martin Clarke |
From South Tyneside, Jim Bainbridge is a skilful musician and a natural entertainer who can make any session go with a swing, with a song for any occasion. Satirical and comic songs crop up alongside traditional North East, Irish, Scots and music hall songs acquired on his rambles. Roy Harris said: "totally satisfying to one (like me) who likes his trees with the bark still on them".
Melodeon-player Martin Clarke, mainstay of The Leeds Band for many years, is also a gripping singer and raconteur with a great line in unsettling quirky songs. We are pleased to welcome him to his first performance in London. |
| Friday |
28th October 2016 |
Jimmy Crowley
|
Known as the "Voice of Cork", legendary singer / musician Jimmy Crowley has been a central figure in the Irish folk scene since the enthusiastic reception of The Boys of Fairhill, the debut album of his band Stoker's Lodge in 1977. Since then Jimmy has been travelling the world as a professional musician. No-one sounds like Jimmy, and few can match him for the humour, joy, tenderness and sheer storytelling craft which he brings to his repertoire of songs. Now available Songs from the Beautiful City: The Cork Urban Ballads, a body of songs from oral tradition collected by Jimmy since the late sixties.
We are pleased to present this event in association with Return to Camden Town. |
| Friday |
11th November 2016 |
Peta Webb & Pete Cooper
With English music from The Valiant Dance Band:
Katie Howson (melodeon), Liz Giddings (fiddle), Roger Digby (concertina), Rob Neal (cello) and John Howson (banjo |
Peta Webb & Pete Cooper (well-known duo in the '80s) play a rare gig to celebrate Peta's 70th Birthday. "Peta & Pete sing with power and passion. Peta is admired for her ability to put across the emotional heart of a song and Pete for his brilliant and versatile fiddle playing . Brought together by their shared love of Appalachian and Irish music, their 1986 LP The Heart is True explores the continuity of these traditions," Keith Summers. "A winning combination of two strong voices and twin fiddles," Maggie Holland, fRoots. "Tough, straightforward, gutsy and human" Folk On Tap. When Peta and Pete get together on special occasions the power and passion is still there!
Simon Hindley and Ken Hall join Peta and Pete later for a set of brother duets and old time favourites at this fundraiser for Musical Traditions Club. |
| Friday |
9th December 2016 |
Christmas Party : Michael Hebbert and Andrew Frank
With music from The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross, Paul Quarry) |
A night of Music Hall and popular song from maestros Michael and Andrew. Mike's staggering mastery of the Jeffries Duet concertina and Andrew's facility with the songs of the Music Hall, Cole Porter, Gershwin and Coward made them a popular duo on the 70s/80s festival circuit . Mike plays English country dance tunes, reinventions of orchestral classics, Latin American tangos and waltzes as well as the Great American Songbook. Andrew has a penchant for one-word-per-note comedy songs and also does a pleasing job on more lyrical offerings. |
| Friday |
20th January 2017 |
Carol Anderson and Racker Donnelly
With Scots tunes from Maggie Casey (whistle), Mark Priestley (fiddle), Johnny B (mandola) |
Burns Night. The irrepressible Racker entertains with his comic and tragic poetry (wearing his Scott-ish hat tonight) while Carol, brilliant fiddle player from Aberdeenshire, charms us with her melodious Scots airs. "strathspeys and pipe tunes as pure as Speyside malt." (from review in Living Tradition). |
| Friday |
24th February 2017 |
Cath and Phil Tyler
With songs and tunes from Gail Williams & Jim Younger |
Cath & Phil Tyler play Anglo-American traditional music using voice, banjo, fiddle and guitar. Cath was a member of the band Cordelia's Dad in the 1990s when she lived in Massachusetts, USA. Phil, from Newcastle upon Tyne, has played in various folk, rock and ceilidh bands for many years. They came together musically through a shared love of traditional narrative song, full voiced sacred harp singing and sparse mountain banjo.
"Earthiness and grit, raw yet heartfelt and beautiful singing and immaculate playing." Fiona Talkington, Late Junction, BBC Radio 3. "Straightforward approach to telling tales without extraneous embellishment or inappropriate shows of flashy technique" "Absolutely great music, raw and uncompromising ... gets right to the heart of the story." Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2. |
| Friday |
3rd March 2017 |
Len Graham
plus special guest Irish poet Moya Cannon
|
We are pleased to welcome back Len Graham, renowned traditional singer from County Antrim, long settled in Mullaghbawn, south Armagh. From the 1960s Len sought out and recorded older singers such as Eddie Butcher and Joe Holmes. His book about Joe
Here I Am Amongst You is a wonderful entertaining book full of anecdotes and wit as well as songs and stories (Four Courts Press). His association with the late John Campbell brought storytelling and song to a world audience. Their work together made a significant contribution towards creating cross-community understanding during years of conflict in the north of Ireland. They gave us several unforgettable nights at the club. Len has recorded over twenty highly acclaimed albums and has received many prestigious awards in Ireland, including the Irish television TG4 National Music Award for Traditional Singer of the Year.
We are delighted to welcome for the first time Moya Cannon. Born in Co. Donegal, she now lives in Dublin. She has published 5 volumes of poetry and won several awards. Her collection Carrying the Songs reflects her love of traditional music. She has collaborated with harper Kathleen Loughnane and singers Maighréad and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, translating for them from the Gaelic eighteenth and nineteenth century Irish songs. Moya says "In many ways I think of music and poetry as different facets of the same art, the constituents of song."
|
| Friday |
7th April 2017 |
Mat Green and Andy Turner
With English, Irish and Newfoundland tunes from Liz Giddings and Roger Digby |
Traditional English tunes, many from Oxfordshire where they both play in
Magpie Lane.
Born and bred in Bampton, Mat has been dancing and playing fiddle for the morris for over 30 years
while Andy plays anglo concertina and melodeon and is a fine singer of traditional songs.
|
| Friday |
5th May 2017 |
Thomas McCarthy and Robin Gillan
With English tunes from The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross, Paul Quarry) |
Two highly individual performers share the evening!
Thomas McCarthy is a brilliant singer with a highly decorated style and unique
repertoire absorbed from a long line of singers and musicians in his Irish traveller family.
Robin Gillan sings to his own fiddle / banjo / squeezebox/ guitar/ accompaniment,
switching from songs learnt from Davie Stewart to Roscoe Holcomb with equal conviction.
|
| Friday |
9th June 2017 |
The Linane Family & friends
|
Presented by Reg Hall
Reg has played piano at countless Irish sessions in London for over 60 years and has written a unique study of this passionate musical community. Tonight he presents two generations of the Linane family on flute, fiddle and accordion, plus more singers and musicians to be announced. Reg Hall's monumental and comprehensive history of Irish music in London A Few Tunes of Good Musicfree viewing on
Topic Records. |
| Friday |
15th September 2017 |
Will Duke's Sussex Concert Party
|
Will Duke brings his Concert Party from Sussex featuring Mary Motley (melodeon), Heather McAslan (vocals & mandolin), Jason Pegg (accordion) and a very special treat: Janet Keet Black (stepping). (Janet learnt stepping from her Traveller family and is the author of Gypsies of Britain, Shire Publications.)
"Will is a superlative anglo concertina player, with an unusual repertoire drawn mainly from the musicians of his home county of Sussex - and particularly from the playing of Scan Tester. He somehow manages to make complex music sound simple, by being a very technically good musician who's more interested in the music than in being impressive. He's also one of the most accomplished of English revival singers, possessed of a highly individual style and a lovely dry sense of humour." (Rod Stradling, review of Will's CD Out Of the Box on the Musical Traditions website.)
|
| Friday |
27th October 2017 |
Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne
|
From Dublin, one of Ireland's finest singers, a great communicator admired for her expressive voice, her intricate ornamentation and her strong sense of the story behind the song. Graham is renowned for his masterly guitar playing and his subtle accompanying of Niamh's singing.
"In a voice filled with sweet melancholy and stately passion, Niamh Parsons sings traditional Irish songs, making ancient tales of love sound tender and immediate. A remarkable a cappella singer." - The New York Times
In association with Return to Camden |
| Friday |
10th November 2017 |
Matt Quinn
Plus Belinda Kempster and Fran Foote |
Matt Quinn is a brilliant young singer and instrumentalist (melodeon, concertina and mandolin) who has played in many collaborations, notably the lovely Dovetail Trio. His latest CD The Brighton Line (HEBE CD 008) focuses on the unaccompanied singing traditions of his native Sussex, by inspired the likes of Pop Maynard, Mary Anne Haynes and Johnny Doughty. Dad Dan Quinn will be joining him for a few tunes!
We first enjoyed Fran Foote's singing with Stick in the Wheel then discovered that her mother Belinda Kempster is also a lovely singer! Belinda and Fran are a mother and daughter duo from Essex. They share a love of English country songs, some of which they have learnt from family member Ernest Austin, a farm mechanic from North Essex who was recorded by Topic records in the 1970s. Both Fran and Belinda have always preferred to learn songs directly from the singing of others including family members, so their unaccompanied singing has the real feeling of tradition. |
| Friday |
8th December 2017 |
Andrew Frank & Mike Hebbert
Plus John & Katie Howson |
A night of Music Hall and Popular song. Mike's staggering mastery of the Jeffries Duet concertina and Andrew's facility with the songs of the Music Hall, Cole Porter, Gershwin and Coward make an entertaining package! Mike plays English country dance tunes, reinventions of orchestral classics, Latin American tangos and waltzes as well as the Great American Songbook. Andrew has a penchant for one-word-per-note comedy songs and also does a pleasing job on more lyrical offerings. |
| Friday |
19th January 2018 |
Carol Anderson and Racker Donnelly
|
Two favourites at the club, celebrating Burns Night. Don't miss Carol's lyrical and sparkling Scots fiddle playing and Racker's inimitable poetry performances - a Rackerhyme for every occasion ! |
| Friday |
16th February 2018 |
Brian Peters
plus English tunes from The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts & Paul Gross plus Ken Lees) |
Welcome return of a brilliant musician (melodeon, guitar, Anglo concertina) and passionate singer. Brian is an expert on traditional ballads and singers from both England and the Appalachian mountains and is a compelling performer. |
| Friday |
9th March 2018 |
Michael Sheehy (Accordion) and Ed Barrett (Fiddle)
plus Marianne McAleer |
Michael learnt his playing from his father Mick from West Limerick, part of the rich music area Sliabh Luachra. When the family moved to Manchester in the 1950s he taught a young Michael much of what he knew, including tunes not in the common repertoire. Michael's CD The Cat's Rambles (Veteran VT160CD) had great reviews. Tonight Michael is joined by fiddle player Ed Barrett who is featured on the CD: Michael Sheehy with Ed Barrett.
Born into Kilburn's vibrant London-Irish community, Marianne learned her earliest songs from her Cavan father, Jim McPhillips. She has a passion for singing and is an award winner at both the All Britain and All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil. She is also likely to lilt if the need for a dance arises before the fiddler has reached the crossroads! |
| Friday |
6th April 2018 |
Archive Film Night
plus songs from Doc Rowe and Jill Pidd |
Doc Rowe is renowned for his filming of traditional singers and folk customs since the 1960s and has built up an incredible and invaluable archive & collection.
He has recorded Musical Traditions Club over many years. Tonight he will present a selection from these, including our first night (19th October 1990) when our guest was Fred Jordan.
JiIl Pidd, from Hull, was Fred's favourite woman singer as well as performing with the Watersons for some years so we are delighted to invite her to sing for us. Doc has also been known to sing the odd song!
(Raffle will be a fundraiser for the Doc Rowe Archive) |
| Friday |
11th May 2018 |
Dan Milner & Bonnie Milner
plus English tunes from The Pigeons |
We are delighted to welcome our good friends Dan & Bonnie for their first performance together at MTC. They have a passion for singing and a very special and unusual repertoire. Bonnie & Dan Milner sing traditional Irish, Irish-American and maritime songs in unaccompanied harmony. Each is also a strong solo vocalist.
Dan Milner, geography professor and world traveller, grew up in a singing Irish family in Birmingham England, Ballybunion Ireland and Brooklyn.
His CD, Irish Pirates Ballads, received 2 Indie Award nominations in 2011.
Bonnie's interest in sea songs was sparked by hearing shanties sung at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, and carried further by her friendship with the last working shantyman, Stan Hugill. She is a member of the renowned, all-woman quartet,
The Johnson Girls. They have toured extensively in Europe and North America. |
| Friday |
8th June 2018 |
Jeff Warner
plus tunes from Liz Giddings and Roger Digby |
One of America's foremost performers of traditional music, Jeff grew up listening to the songs and singers his parents Frank and Anne Warner collected from the lumber camps, fishing villages and mountain tops of the Eastern seaboard. He edited his parents' collection and has been much awarded for his scholarship and honouring of the tradition. He is also a great singer, musician (banjo, guitar, concertina, jews harp) and jig doll dancer. |
| Friday |
7th September 2018 |
Sylvia Barnes & Sandy Stanage
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Powerful dramatic Scots singer Sylvia Barnes on a rare London visit. She and guitar player Sandy Stanage have worked together since the 70s. Sandy played on The Colour of Amber (Greentrax) for which Sylvia was awarded Scots singer of the year 2006. "such conviction and emotion. A masterpiece of performance." (Pete Shepheard , director, Fife Festival)
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| Friday |
21st September 2018 |
Jim MacFarland & Ken Wilson
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Fine Derry singer Jim MacFarland on a welcome return visit, this time with Ken Wilson (of the renowned Teeside Wilson Family). Solos and unison singing in the Irish "chorusing" tradition plus some hard hitting contemporary songs. Their CD is Here's a Health to the Company (BITCD346),
reviewed here at Living Tradition.
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| Friday |
26th October 2018 |
Landless
With Irish music from Sheena Vallely (flute), Maggie Casey (whistles, fiddle), Johnny B (mandola) |
Dublin harmony group (Ruth Clinton, Sinead Lynch, Meabh Meir & Lily Power).
Brilliant and compelling acappella harmony singing from
Dublin/Belfast group which evolved through friendship and singing sessions.
Irish & Scots traditional songs, classic ballads and Travellers' songs.
"Evocative, celestial and resonant." ThinAir.net.
Tonight's performance in association with Return to Camden /
Irish Music and Dance in London.
NB ticket prices: £10 / concs & members £8 on the door from 7.15
OR pre-book via We Got Tickets.
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| Friday |
30th November 2018 |
The McCarthy Family (Jacqueline, Marion & Bernadette)
Plus tunes from Liz Giddings & Roger Digby |
The McCarthy Sisters, Jacqueline(concertina), Marion (uilleann pipes & whistle), Bernadette(fiddle & piano), with brother Tommy (fiddle), were born in London to Irish parents who had emigrated to England from the west of Ireland in the early 1950s. Their father Tommy McCarthy was a well known piper & concertina player who passed on to his children the traditional West Clare style of playing. The family grew up listening to & playing with the legendary players from Ireland living in London: Máirtín Byrnes, Danny Meehan, Bobby Casey. Peta well remembers them playing in the 70s with their father at the wonderful sessions led by Jimmy Power at The Favourite off the Holloway Road with Reg Hall on piano, then later at the Victoria, where Ken saw them. Since then the sisters have moved "back" to lreland and continue to play in West Clare and all over. We are delighted to welcome them as special guests for Ken's 70th Birthday! |
| Friday |
14th December 2018 |
The Legendary Islington Folk Club Xmas Party comes to the King & Queen.
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Bernard Puckett hosts The Angel Band, pass-the-parcel, and yourselves ... FREE entry for Members - have your card ready to show or renew - and free mince pies! |
| Friday |
18th January 2019 |
Burns Night with Racker Donnelly and
Carol Anderson
plus music from Maggie Casey (whistle), Johnny Be (mandola), Trisha Montague (fiddle) |
The irrepressible Racker entertains with his comic and tragic poetry (wearing his Scott-ish hat tonight) while Carol, brilliant fiddle player from Aberdeenshire, charms us with her melodious Scots airs. |
| Friday |
8th February 2019 |
Thomas McCarthy
With music from The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts (concertina), Paul Gross (fiddle)) |
Delighted to have the great Traveller singer back with us. Recently honoured with the TG4 (Irish TV) GRADAM award and also featured in an art installation at Trinity College, Dublin, Thomas has been a member of MTC since Dec 2008. CDs available from his website; most recent is "Jauling the Green Tober", with Viv Legg. |
| Friday |
1st March 2019 |
Róisín White
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Traditional singer, born in Co Down but now busy singing in the musical community of Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, Róisín has a rich repertoire from Sarah Anne O'Neill, Paddy Tunney and the like and has recently arranged the rerelease of recordings by Robert Cinnamond ('Tis Pretty to be in Ballinderry). She has recorded for Veteran and was Singer of the Year 2015 in the Irish TG4 (TV) awards. |
| Friday |
12th April 2019 |
Peter and Barbara Snape
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Peter and Barbara hail from Lancashire and bring to life the rich traditions of local song from Music Hall to songs about mills and mines and union struggles plus the odd temperance hymn. Sparkling singing by Barbara plus dazzling melodeon accompaniment by Peter. |
| Friday |
17th May 2019 |
Will Noble
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Will (champion drystone waller as well as great singer) has a rich repertoire of songs learned in his native South Pennines, heard in pubs and at hunt suppers from the older generation of Yorkshire traditional singers. His rendition of The Mistletoe Bough has become indispensable at the Sheffield carols. Will has recently brought out a new CD, It's Gritstone for Me (VT161CD). |
| Friday - Sunday |
14th - 16th June 2019 |
Musical Traditions Festival
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Guests: Elizabeth LaPrelle, Sandy Newlin, Éamonn Ó Bróithe, Racker Donnelly,
Jerry O'Reilly, Fergus Russell, Sheena Vallely, Rosie Davis, Chris Miles, Geordie & Joyce Murison, Janet Russell, Jim & Kate Taylor, Sandra Kerr, Andy Turner & Mat Green
Bands / Musicians: The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts, Paul Gross, Ken Lees), Fourfold (Maggie Casey, Johnny B, John Say, & Sheena Vallely), Katie Howson & John Howson, Michael Sheehy, Roger Digby, Will Duke.
Kevin McDonnell has posted photos from the weekend on his Flickr Photostream. |
| Friday |
13th September 2019 |
Nancy Kerr
With tunes from The Pigeons (Sarah Crofts and Paul Gross) |
Club re-opens with the brilliant Nancy Kerr, a rare solo gig featuring her beautiful traditional singing, fiddle playing and fiddle-singing plus some of her moving and thought provoking original compositions. "the anonymous rural songs,the political current stuff ... to me they are a continuum. It's about ordinary people." (Nancy interviewed on Folk Radio)
Tickets for this special night available in advance from WeGotTickets or on the door from 7.15. Admission : £12, concs. £10 (members £10, conc. members £8). |
| Friday |
25th October 2019 |
Len Graham
With Irish music from Sheena Vallely (flute), Maggie Casey (whistle), Johnny B (mandola). |
From a Co. Antrim family steeped in traditional music, song and dance, Len is one of the foremost singers and collectors of Ulster music. He delights in sharing with us his classic ballads and songs on all topics from to love to politics. His anecdotes about the singers from whom he learnt are a delight (see his book about Joe Holmes, Here I am Amongst You, Four Courts Press.
In association with Return to Camden.
Tickets for this special night available in advance from WeGotTickets or on the door from 7.15. Admission : £12, concs. £10 (members £10, conc. members £8). |
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| Friday |
22nd November 2019 |
New Deal String Band
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Joe Locker and Tom Paley (RIP) founded this band in 1966: "Old school American vernacular music played as it ought to be!" Joe plus Ben Paley (Tom's son) carry the music forward with Robin Gillan. Great vocals from all three plus banjo, fiddle, guitar and autoharp.
See website for history, recordings and great video clips! |
| Friday |
13th December 2019 |
Christmas party singalong
with English tunes from Will Duke (concertina) and Liz Evans (fiddle) |
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| Friday |
17th January 2020 |
Tracy Boyle
plus Roger Digby (concertina), Liz Giddings (fiddle) and Tim Normanton (banjo)
with a hand-picked selection of Scots tunes |
An evening of Scottish songs for Burns Night, with Tracy Boyle (Edinburgh). |
| Friday |
14th February 2020 |
Racker Donnelly
and Jacquelyn Hynes
plus music from The Pigeons: Paul Gross (fiddle) and Sarah Crofts (concertina). |
Racker Donnelly and Jacquelyn Hynes celebrate Valentine's Day with satire, romance and brilliant flute playing by Jacquelyn. |
