E-Newsletter 13

1. AUTUMN CLUB LEAFLET. The club’s Autumn season flyer is now available

2. JUNE TABOR. A reminder that our next concert special (very special!) takes place next Wednesday, 8th October, at the Early Music Centre. There are still some tickets left at present but I’m sure they’ll sell out in due course. Tickets are mostly at the NCEM Box Office (boxoffice@yorkearlymusic.org / 01904 658338) but Cassadys Records still had a dozen or so left when I last checked, for anybody who can call there in person, and I have five or six which I will take to the club tonight.
   Be advised that it will be a prompt 7.30 start, with no support, and June requests that latecomers are only admitted between songs. Also, of course, remember to turn off your mobile phone or even leave it at home!!

3. FUTURE CONCERTS. Our next NCEM promotion is Simon Mayor & Hilary James on Saturday 25th October. With their eclectic repertoire, ace musicianship and good humour, this one should have wide appeal to people of many different tastes and ages. Appropriately, it falls during half-term week, so bring the kids along! Meanwhile, Coope Boyes & Simpson, who present Harvest Home with the Fraser sisters and Georgina Boyes on 25th November, had a Four Star review in The Guardian last month. They stood in for the indisposed Watersons at the opening night of the London Barbican’s Freedom Highway festival and by all accounts completely outshone the other participants, Chumbawamba and The Levellers!
   Both our concerts are now booking at the NCEM Box Office. Tickets for Mayor & James are also available at Cassadys and at Club functions and I’ll soon have Coope Boyes & Simpson tickets in those outlets too. Please remember that if you can book through Cassadys or the Club it does help us as we avoid having to pay Box Office commission and VAT

4. OCTOBER FOCUS ON NEWER NAMES. The Thursday night programme this month presents no fewer than three debut visitors. Serious Kitchen appear tonight, experienced Australian singer/songwriter Bernard Carney drops in on the 16th and expatriate Geordie from Canada Tim Readman is our guest on the 23rd, accompanied by local resident and Bad Penny Kate Bramley. Last but not least, there’s a first full Black Swan booking on the 30th for a fast-rising star on the regional – and national - scene, Duncan McFarlane, joined by Anne Brivonese on fiddle.

5. FARLINGTON FOLK. Long-time supporters of the Black Swan, Mike & Bonnie Lawson started their own informal little folk gathering a while back, at their friendly local, The Blacksmiths Arms in Farlington, near Sheriff Hutton. Held singaround style on a Wednesday evening in a side bar, Farlington Folk recently celebrated its first birthday with a lively party to which I was invited. They would welcome anybody wanting to sing a few songs, play a few tunes or just sit in and listen. Contact them on 01347 878794 / mikelawson@worldonline.co.uk for more details.

6. WHITBY MUSICPORT. If Simon Mayor & Hilary James (see above) are not for you, then perhaps the Whitby World Music Festival will appeal! It takes place over the same weekend (24th-26th October), primarily in the Pavilion Complex, with a truly international line-up. Details on www.whitbymusicport.com or ring 01947 603475. Our own Adrian Spendlow will be there as one of the regular MCs!

7. FOLK DAY 2004. The recent Open Meeting decided in favour of a broadly similar event to that held this year, based around the Black Swan Inn, with the accent on informality and participation. The date will be Saturday 22nd May – engrave it in your diaries now!!

Wherever you choose to do it, keep on supporting live music! As I always say, please forward this newsletter to anyone else you think may be interested and urge them to sign up to the mailing list and come to gigs.