Welcome to another week’s Dreamers Newsletter
Despite the absence of the Shackleton Trio (who have now been re-booked for next year), we had an excellent night at the Club last Sunday with more returning visitors to entertain us. Some more Singers Nights coming up before the next guests, Foxes Fair in mid-June. More about them nearer the time.
This month’s Cornish Zoom Folk Club is this coming Saturday, 25th May, starting at 7.30, so hopefully we’ll have the usual mix of performers and audience from far and near to entertain us again. As always, if you don’t already get the link (which goes out on Friday morning), just ask and I can send it to you. There are, of course, plenty of other zoom sessions still going including one devoted to the spoken word only run by our zoom friends David and Pelagie – again let me know if you are interested and I can make the introductions.
As Jonathan announced on Sunday, we’ve had the sad news of the death of Kathy Hoult who used to come to Dreamers on regular occasions over the years in pre-covid days and also had links with Bodmin and Plymouth clubs. Her daughter is hoping to arrange a folk evening in due course so I’ll pass on information when I get it – I expect some of us would be willing to contribute.
Regular updates coming through now about the various Festivals. The closing date for early bird tickets for Sidmouth is this coming Monday – details at Tickets 2024 – The Sidmouth Folk Festival Their site also has more detail of performers including new additions from Australia and South Africa.
Online, there’s a new episode on Folk on Foot, billed as their wettest episode ever, with the duo Megson (Stu and Debs Hanna) walking, talking and playing along the River Tees between Stockton and Middlesborough. Their songs tell vivid stories about the industrial heritage of the area through the eyes of the people who live there. With instruments wrapped in bin bags and recording gear hidden under the producer’s, they head for the Tees Barrage – pausing under bridges and even on a bandstand for Stu and Debs to perform. Then Stu tells Matthew that if he claps his hands, a seal will arrive. He does – and, amazingly, up it pops! Megson on Teesside (folkonfoot.com)
As advertised last week, tonight, Thursday 23rd May (7.30) is an opportunity to hear the Scottish singer, John Douglas from Rosslyn Court – John Douglas – Rosslyn Court. And next Thursday, 30th May, the same venue has another hybrid gig (first half online, second half for live audience only) with Those Folk, a duo made up of Clare Quinn (AUS) and Lawrence Menard (USA). Their music takes inspiration from the 1960’s folk revival and contemporary Americana, blending vocal harmonies with rich instrumental work on guitar, accordion, mandolin and banjo. Those Folk – Rosslyn Court
That’s all for this week. No Newsletter next week as we have visitors all week but, hopefully back in the first week of June with more news of the Shanty Festival in Falmouth.
All the best
Nigel