Black Swan Folk Club

E-Newsletter 21

Mid July 2004

  1. LATE SUMMER/EARLY AUTUMN PROGRAMME. The next club flyer is with our printers at the moment. It covers the period 12th August to 28th October. As usual, we maintain a full programme right through August, kicking off in great style with the exciting young Scottish singer Emily Smith and her band (August 12) and continuing with hard-driving acoustic blues from Mike Whellans (August 19), followed by the first gig of the first UK tour by an awesome Canadian songwriter, David Francey (August 26). During September and October we welcome back a diverse selection of favourite artists, namely Steve Tilston, Cockersdale, Kieran Halpin, Cathryn Craig & Brian Willoughby, Bram Taylor and Sara Grey. Great stuff!

  2. MEANWHILE THIS MONTH. This Thursday, July 22, we present Kate Burke & Ruth Hazleton, two delightful young Australian singers who charmed us all on their first Black Swan gig in 2002. They sing superbly, both individually and in harmony, and they are skilled musicians on guitar, bouzouki and fiddle. Check out www.kateandruth.com for more info. The Australian mini-series continues on July 29 with Touchwood, an eclectic vocal trio with a reputation for rich harmonies, original arrangements and a repertoire spanning medieval to modern. Sometimes they sing unaccompanied, sometimes they use guitar, lute, mandolin or percussion. They sound like good fun! Their web site is www.touchwoodweb.com

  3. COMPUTER GLITCH. I must apologise for failing to mail out our early summer flyer to you back in May. PC problems prevented me attaching it to the last E-Newsletter and I’ve not had another opportunity until now to do a mailshot. By the way, sincere thanks are due to Stan Graham and Geoff Watson who between them banished the gremlins from the club computer. We are now back to normal service!

  4. CLUB FLOOR SINGERS. Responses to the new floor acts policy reported in E-News 20 have been almost entirely favourable. In particular, several professional artists got in touch to say "well done" to our attempt to finish that bit earlier and still give the artist a full set. Here are two quotes (I won’t say from whom):
    • "Grand idea. Your club is fine for finishing, but I SO wish those who run on to midnight because of too many floor singers (as the room slowly empties), or ask us to do just 15 minutes in the second half for the same reason, would follow suit."
    • "I think this is a great move. Although the Black Swan’s floor spots are usually amongst the best in the country, it’s always very frustrating as a performer to have people come up in the interval and apologise because they have to leave early for transport or early-rising reasons. This happens all over the country."

  5. PHIL’s FAREWELL (& MY 50th). A reminder that we have a special night on 5th August to say farewell to Phil Cerny and to honour a landmark birthday of mine. It looks like being incredibly busy and enjoyable, and all for free! As a memento for us, Phil will be giving away copies of the CD he has just recorded.

  6. AUTUMN AT THE NCEM. The Autumn season at the National Centre for Early Music is now finalised. We are promoting three concerts ourselves, and giving strong support to the NCEM for two of their own events. In chronological order:
    • Tuesday 5th October − John Renbourn & Jacqui McShee (of Pentangle fame)
    • Tuesday 19th October − Martin Simpson
    • Tuesday 2nd November − The Warsaw Village Band (best newcomers in this year’s Radio 3 Awards for World Music)
    • Friday 19th November − Show of Hands
    • Monday 6th December − The Tannahill Weavers

    You’ll find more details of the first two in the programme flyer attached to this newsletter. Booking should be available now if you want to be an early bird − 01904 658338 / boxoffice@ncem.co.uk / online at www.ncem.co.uk

  7. MORE LOS YOBOS GIGS. York’s finest western swing and hot country outfit ask me to let you know they are on the road again. You can catch them this coming Saturday (July 24th) at City Screen Basement Bar in York. Tickets £4 from the City Screen box office. And on 29th July they are due to entertain the drinkers at Suddaby’s Crown Hotel in Malton, during the Malton Beer Festival. They also tell me they’re going into the studios this month to record a CD!

  8. NEWS FROM HOWDEN LIVE. The good folks down the road in Howden have been developing the town’s Shire Hall as a live performance venue. They ask me to tell you that their Autumn season includes Flook on Saturday 4th September (Tickets £12) and Last Night’s Fun on Saturday 4th December (£8), plus blues with King Rollo on Saturday 2nd October (£6). The box office can be contacted on 01430 431535 (Monday-Saturday 9-5) or 01430 431488 (other times).

  9. WORKSHOP NEWS. A reminder that ace singers Jacey, Brian and Hilary, alias Artisan, are running an intensive singing workshop event, The Great Northern Voice Weekend, in York on the 13/14th November. It’s at St William’s College in the city centre and costs £65 for the weekend or £40 for a single day. For more information contact Jacey Bedford on 01484 606230. I’ve also heard reports of a Fiddle Workshop Weekend in York in mid October but don’t have full details − if anybody out there has more information they can give me I’ll happily pass it on in the next E-Newsletter. With these events, Ascot Lodge’s Dulcimer Weekends and Ethno England, due to be repeated in July next year in Riccall, the York area is becoming a bit of a folk education hot spot.

  10. CONGRATULATIONS ALWYN! Finally, our very best wishes go to long-term club supporter and occasional floor singer Alwyn Wilson, who married his partner of several years, the noted Ulster traditional singer Roisin White, at a quiet ceremony in York last month. Good luck to them both!

That’ two pages full again! Keep on supporting live music in general and the Black Swan in particular!