Hi Folks

The last Folkus before the summer break, where has the year gone?  We’ve certainly had some fabulous evenings this season, and have three more to finish off with.

 Next Sunday, 1^st June, we have the last chance for you to see Martyn Joseph in the UK before August.  There are about 30 tickets left and, for this week only, please ring 07714 649108 for ticket information.    At first glance Martyn Joseph is (just) another gifted singer songwriter, from Cardiff. Some musicians want to move your feet, some just want to move you: Martyn Joseph wants to move heaven and earth. Somewhere back in the middle distance Martyn Joseph emerged from the pack and we began to notice. He has a reputation onstage as a raconteur, extemporising lyrics to fit every occasion, the way things might be than the way they have become. It is less the ghost of Tom Jones than a Holy Ghost music, an aching and a longing for another way, another place, where you can treasure the questions that have no answers. Depending on where he was at the time, some of these songs have had a fortune spent on colouring them in while others are the second-take line drawings from the home studio or Polaroid's snapped live in the back of beyond.

Sunday June 8^th we have an evening of warmth and great humour with Vin Garbutt plus Dave Burland. 

Powerful, hugely moving, warm, humane, inspired, funny and gut wrenchingly honest. These are just some of the superlatives used to describe Vin Garbutt’s performance this year. This international, award winning, singer songwriter is about to embark on his 40th year on the road. He is for ever in demand and his shows are continually sell outs!  Vin is reputed to have said that he is not interested in becoming a big star in the accepted sense. Nevertheless in the area of music where he performs, there is no bigger star. He prefers to be a big fish in a small pond. This attitude means that his need for privacy and a balanced home life are safeguarded and satisfied. What the world realised long before Vin did, was that the small pond had grown over the years into a considerable lake.  All this has happened without the hype from big Record Companies, and without the usual publicity from the mass media. He has performed all over the globe, and in parts of countries that the biggest stars will never see. This phenomenon has occurred solely by word of mouth, spread by people who have come across him, and felt the need to share this unique experience with their fellow countrymen.  Winner of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Best Live Act" Award 2001.  BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Nominee for "Best Live Act" Award 2007.     

Dave Burland has retired twice in his life. In 1968 he left the Police Force to pursue a career in folk music, as a singer and guitar player. This particular period lasted until 1998 approx., when he took a proper job in which he had to wear proper trousers and, on occasions, a suit and tie.  During the aforementioned period of thirty years, he visited quite a few countries, made quite a few solo records, quite a few of which are no longer available, played quite a lot of clubs and concerts and festivals, and made session appearances on quite a few other persons' records including Kate Rusby, Nic Jones, Richard Thompson, Mike Harding, Tony Rose, Bob Pegg and quite a few others.  The period of 1998 to 2007 has been taken up by work with the very occasional engagement. However, in July 2007 all this changed when he retired for the second time, allowing him to concentrate on his music once again. Quite a few people will see this increased availability as quite a good thing!  “Dave is a uniquely calm, gentle and cleaver singer, who makes you fell it’s all so amazingly simple.  He’s also got a deliciously wicked sense of humour.” – Nic Jones.

The last concert of the season is reserved for the king and queen of British Folk Music, Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy, joined as usual by Chris Parkinson.  It is hard to think about anything to say about Norma & Martin that hasn’t been said a thousand times before!  They are simply our best loved folk monarchy!

  Norma formed The Watersons in the early 60's with her sister Lal, brother Mike and cousin John. They went on to become the most influential vocal harmony group of the times, and achieved near cult status when they stopped touring in the late 60's. In 1996 Norma received universal acclaim with a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize, in which she came a very close second to pop band Pulp. Norma has one of the strongest and truest voices that contemporary folk music has ever produced.  A doyenne of British Folk Music, described in Mojo magazine as "possibly the finest English singer alive today." More...

  Martin is widely regarded as one of the finest singers and interpreters of traditional music from the British Isles, as well as a highly influential guitarist. Martin has worked with a host of significant folk artists including Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick, The Albion Band, The Watersons and Brass Monkey, as well as maintaining a busy solo career. He still prefers to follow his insatiable musical curiosity rather than cash in on his unrivalled position as one of folk music's great innovators.   Awarded the MBE in 1998 for services to English music,  Martin has been the subject of various TV documentaries and has received a spectrum of BBC Folk Awards, including the 2008 Best Traditional Song award for Cold Haily Rainy Night, an award he won alongside Eliza Carthy and Chris Wood.  More...

Chris has played music since the age of five, starting with the harmonica, and   moving on to piano, guitar, concertina, tin whistle, melodeon, piano accordion and keyboards, and even a little time playing the fiddle. He plays traditional folk music of UK, Europe and beyond, and is also no mean hand at blues, rock & roll, and even a bit of jazz. Chris is also a founder member of the much travelled and highly acclaimed "The House Band". He is in great demand both for live performance and studio session work, and has  worked with countless people from the folk scene and beyond - Martin Carthy & Norma Waterson, Ralph McTell, Mike Harding, Martin Simpson, Steve Phillips.)

……………………and that’s it until September 7^th, when we open with Wild Willy Barrett’s Sleeping Dogz plus Christene LeDoux.

Autumn Ticket Information.  Tickets are available for Karine Polwart, Corrina Hewat & Annie Grace on September 28^th, and Show of Hands on November 2^nd.  SoH tickets are currently only available to existing members, but any remaining tickets will be opened up to non members on September 7^th.

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Keiron

(goodmusic@hitchinfolkclub.co.uk)