Hi and welcome to this week’s Newsletter.
You never quite know what to expect at Dreamers. As MCs last week, we were delighted to see not only most of our regulars but also some new faces as well as some more occasional friends. It all made for a busy evening including a new Ladies Shanty Crew, Chantilly, from St Ives among the newcomers. Thanks to all who came along and made it easy to fit in lots of lovely music (and some good laughs as always). Another Singers Night this coming Sunday – it’ll be hard to match the numbers and the standard but we can but try!
Before that we have the March session of the Cornish Zoom Folk Club, this Saturday evening, 25th March. With several new contacts – including at least one well-known name – and others promising to come along this too promises to be a busy evening with plenty of top performances. The zoom link will go out tomorrow but if you don’t have it and would like to come along, just let me know.
Among those we are hoping to see on the Zoom session are Ian and Chris from Lancashire who form Loctup together. They are performing on Friday 14th April at the Mevagissey Activity Centre alongside Acapella Moonshine and Stuns’ls Shanty Group. This is a fundraiser concert for the Mevagissey Shanty Festival (13th/15th October) – tickets for the concert and more info about it all at www.mevashantyfest.co.uk They promise that the concert will be packed with harmony singing, choruses and light hearted humour.
The reopened Wadebridge Folk Club is carrying on – 3rd Thursdays (except August) so the next one is on 20th April. It sounds like they’ve had a difficult time with covid and, like Dreamers, the loss of their usual venue so all support very welcome. It’s at The Barn, National Trust Café, Pentireglaze, PL27 6QY – contact is neal.jolly@gmail.com
Plenty of events on line in the next few days. This Friday, 24th March, the Hack-Poets Guild have a hybrid gig hosted in association with Folk Arts Oxford, Oxford Contemporary Music and The North Wall in Oxford. This presents Blackletter Garland, a brand new album and live tour inspired by historic broadside ballads. Marry Waterson, Lisa Knapp and Nathaniel Mann have reinvented these stories for the modern day, offering a rare insight into Britain’s history. Tickets from Hack-Poets Guild | Online Gig | Live to Your Living Room
And on Monday, 27th March at 8.00 p.m. Live to Your Living Room has Hannah James and Toby Kuhn. Award-winning folk musician, dancer and composer Hannah James is known for her work with Lady Maisery, Sam Sweeney, Songs of Separation and more. Toby Kuhn is a post-classical musician with a taste for improvisation and folk music of all persuasions. Tickets from Hannah James & Toby Kuhn | Live To Your Living Room
And finally, don’t forget the clocks spring forward into British Summer Time this weekend.
All the best
Nigel
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