E-Newsletter 23

Hardly pausing to gather breath after the last bulletin, here I am again with a further miscellany of club news and related folk stuff. Thanks for the universally positive feedback to issues raised in the last issue. Comments such as "your prices really offer good value for money" came from all quarters.

1. SHOW OF HANDS PRIZE DRAW. Show of Hands return to the National Centre for Early Music in York on Friday 19th November. This time their concert is being promoted by the NCEM itself, not by us, but the band have asked that a few complimentary tickets be supplied to the folk club "as raffle prizes for fundraising". As you know, the club is normally a raffle−free zone, but we couldn’t possibly refuse such a generous gift. Thus I have decided to hold a PRIZE DRAW throughout this month. The winner will get TWO SoH tickets, worth £26, second out of the hat gets a Single SoH ticket, worth £13, and the next 2 runners-up will receive copies of Phil Cerny’s CD. Tickets priced at 50p each will be on sale on the next few Thursday evenings (or by post from me, I suppose). We’ll draw the winners at the Singers Night on Thursday 30th September, leaving unsuccessful entrants plenty of time to book "normal" tickets for what should be a splendid show.

2. NCEM GUITAR CONCERTS NOW BOOKING. Talking of tickets and the Early Music Centre, their Box Office is now taking bookings for our first two concerts of the autumn, namely John Renbourn & Jacqui McShee (Tuesday 5th October, £10 / £8 concessions) and Martin Simpson (Tuesday 19th October, £12 / £10 concessions). The box office is on 01904 658338 or boxoffice@ncem.co.uk, or you can book through the web site at www.ncem.co.uk. Tickets are also available at Cassady’s Records on Gillygate in York (personal callers, cash or cheque), or at club meetings or by post from me. If you can buy from one of the latter outlets, please do so − you’ll save yourself the NCEM’s credit card surcharge and save us the box office commission we otherwise have to pay.

3. MARTIN CARTHY SPECIAL OFFER. Still with ticket matters, I say in our current flyer that tickets for Martin Carthy’s club performance (11th November) will go on sale from 30th September. I’ve already had several enquiries about this one and it looks like selling out in record time. As a special offer to E-Newsletter subscribers, I’ll take reservations from you ahead of that date, so you go to the head of the queue. Please send me orders (cheques and SAEs) or at least a firm indication of your requirements before 30th September and I’ll deal things out in chronological order. As reported in the last bulletin, tickets will have to cost £8 this time (£6.50 concessions, i.e. students, OAPs, unemployed, etc.).

4. SNAIL MAIL & E-MAIL CONTACTS FOR THE CLUB. If I’m asking you to send ticket orders by post for Carthy, Renbourn or Simpson, or for the Prize Draw, I’d better remind you of my postal address: 50 St Olave’s Road, York, YO30 7AL. And please make cheques payable to "Black Swan Folk Club".
   This is also an appropriate moment to tell you that I now have a Yahoo e-mail account, rolandwalls@yahoo.co.uk. I’ll keep the Hotmail account up and running, but as soon as I can find the time I’ll copy the club address book into Yahoo and start using it for these mailings. If you are contacting me, particularly if you are sending me large attachments, please try to use the Yahoo address in future.

5. LUNASA IN SALTAIRE. Following their successful York concert last Spring, hot Irish band Lunasa are back in the region for a concert at the Victoria Hall, Saltaire, near Shipley on Monday 13th September, 7.30pm. With up-and-coming young trio Uiscedwr in support, Joe Rusby managing the PA system and a very reasonable price of £10 for tickets booked in advance, this sounds like a first-rate evening. Write to SaltaireLive, 13 Leyburn Grove, Shipley, Bradford, BD18 3NR for tickets or visit Jumbo Records in Leeds or Helen Kemp’s Shop in Saltaire itself, or ring Simon on 01274 588614.

6. JIM MORAY AT POCKLINGTON. Continuing to push other promoters’ gigs, I’m pleased to be able to tell you that young folk iconoclast Jim Moray (Best Album and Best Newcomer in the 2004 Radio 2 Folk Awards) is in concert with his band at the Pocklington Arts Centre on Tuesday 21st September. It’s an 8pm start, tickets cost £12 (£11 concessions) and the Box Office number is 01759 301547.

7. AND MÁIRE Ní CHATHASAIGH & CHRIS NEWMAN IN WASS. I’ve also been asked to let you know that our favourite harp/guitar duo will be performing at the Village Hall in Wass (near Coxwold or Ampleforth) on Sunday 17th October at 7.30 pm. This concert is part of a Rural Arts on Tour series and tickets are exceptionally good value at £5 (children £2.50). Enquiries and bookings to Linda & Tony Lacey on 01347 868703, linda@wass.co.uk.

8. FINAL CALL FOR ARTISAN’S VOICE WORKSHOP. Jacey tells me that Artisan have now sold 50 out of 60 places for their Singing Workshop Weekend in York, November 13th/14th at St William’s College. If you are interested in grabbing one of the last slots (£65 for two days’ tuition by three of the best singers around) give her a ring soon on 01484 606230. You’ll find more details of the weekend at www.artisan-harmony.com.

9. FUTURE DIARY DATES. Some people have asked for a reminder of who is coming up at the club later this year and beyond, so here is a quick summary to get your musical juices flowing:
   • September: 9th Steve Tilston, 16th Cockersdale, 23rd Kieran Halpin, 30th Singers
   • October: 7th Craig & Willoughby, 14th Bram Taylor, 21st Sara Grey, 28th Singers
   • November: 4th Grace Notes, 11th Martin Carthy, 18th Wizz Jones, 25th Singers
   • December: 2nd Rachel & Becky Unthank, 9th Keith Kendrick, 16th Dick Gaughan, 23rd Party, 30th Closed
   • January: 6th Allan Taylor, 13th Singers, 20th Kirsty McGee, 27th Dana Robinson
   • February: 3rd HowdenJones, 10th Singers, 17th Vin Garbutt, 24th tba
   • March: 3rd Donal O’Connor, 10th Singers, 17th Harvey Andrews, 24th Debra Cowan, 31st tba
   • April: 7th Singers, 14th Artisan, 21st Fine Friday, 28th Robin Laing
   • May: 5th Singers, 12th Jon Boden & John Spiers, 19th Pete Morton, 26th Rory McLeod

The next E-Newsletter will probably be late September or early October. Meanwhile, keep on supporting live folk & acoustic music.