Hi and welcome to this week’s Dreamers Newsletter, likely to be short after last week’s marathon.
It’s guest night again at the Club this coming Sunday, 9th March, when we welcome Jeff and Elaine Gillet from Gloucestershire (also known as Discovery) with a mix of familiar, serious and humorous songs and a range of instruments (guitar, concertina, dulcimer and mandola). Jeff has accompanies numerous well-known names including Sarah Morgan and Jim Causley. A unique element is his settings of poems from William Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience’. The couple have just released their second CD: ‘Different Stories All Together’. I’m hoping to have recovered enough to come along, at least for part of the evening
And the following week, 16th March, is, of course, Dreamers 25th Birthday evening. There aren’t too many now who remember the early days so it will be good to hear lots of memories and, anecdotes of the Club in days gone by and of those who built it up – as well as lots of favourite materials from those there on the night. Dreamers is well-known for the warmth of its welcome and it would be great to be able to welcome back folk who haven’t been able to be with us for a while – who knows they might become regular visitors again. No promises but I gather there is the possibility of CAKE!
A fascinating new episode on Folk no Foot covers the history of the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy in Bristol. This features West Country singer Reg Meuross, concertina player Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne and kora player Modou Ndaiye performing music from Reg’s powerful “Stolen from God” song cycle as they follow the route taken by the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston which was toppled from its plinth by Black Lives Matter protesters and thrown into the harbour. ‘Stolen from God’ in Bristol
A good range of entertainment coming up on Live to Your Living Room too though, sadly, Jackie Oates this weekend clashes with Dreamers. After that there’s the story-teller, Boff Whalley and then the Rosie Hood Band & Bristol Folk Singers. More of them later.
That’s all for now. Don’t forget that if you have any news or upcoming events you’d like to share with other readers of this Newsletter, I’m happy to help.
All the best
Nigel