Black Swan Folk Club

E-Newsletter 8

Mid April 2003

  1. PRING PROGRAMME & BEYOND. Our new leaflet is now out, covering the period to 10th July. The text, minus logos, is attached to this mailing as a Word document. The Thursday night club diary is now filled to the end of the year and a summary document is also attached. If you have difficulty opening these attachments, let me know and I'll repeat them to you within the main e-mail text.

  2. ANDY IRVINE. This Thursday's club with Andy is now virtually fully booked. If you have reserved tickets for collection on the door, please try to be there by 8pm .

  3. WATERSON:CARTHY. Next Wednesday's concert has been Sold Out for some time, with a long waiting list in case of returns. If you were too late to book but can get to Howden on Sunday 1st June, you can catch W:C at The Shire Hall. It's a charity event and the contact is Mark Rodger on 01430 431512.

  4. THE NEW GENERATION OF FOLK. Our early May events spotlight three of the best in the new generation: Horizon award-winners John Spiers & Jon Boden, Horizon runner-up Emily Slade and local favourites The Witches of Elswick. These look like being very popular nights, but I have opted not to do advance ticket sales, so it's a case of BE THERE EARLY to be sure of getting in.
    Incidentally, floor spots for 1 st and 8 th May are already agreed and the line-up will be completely different each week. Nicky Ward and Ola are amongst the performers on May Day, Emily Sanders and American visitors Jane Voss & Hoyle Osborne the week after.

  5. MORE GOOD STUFF AT THE EARLY MUSIC CENTRE. Don't forget that powerhouse Irish music trio Last Night's Fun aka Chris Sherburn, Denny Bartley & Nick Scott) are in concert on Friday 23 rd May, with support from Kevin Loughran . Young Scottish outfit Blazin' Fiddles are there the week before, 16 th May, promoted by the Early Music Centre itself. Booking for both through the Box Office on 01904 658338 (now staffed afternoons as well as mornings), with tickets for Last Night's Fun also on sale at club meetings and from Cassady's Records.

  6. CITY OF YORK FOLK DAY. The all-day bash on Saturday 31 st May is taking shape. Last month's Open Meeting was enthusiastically supported by all the various clubs and groupings in York . It looks as though we'll have one or more music sessions downstairs, a rolling club format upstairs, plus extra chances to sing and play in the beer garden, with the possibility of a marquee outside as well. There'll also be dancing from Ebor Morris, Acorn Morris and Black Swan Rapper, and maybe some social dancing. More in the next E-Newsletter.

  7. YORK LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL. York Council is promoting the month of May as York Live Music Festival , and folk events feature prominently, with five Club meetings, two concerts at the NCEM and the Folk Day. It's very gratifying to see the mass-circulation glossy festival brochure - issued last week - give prominent billing, with colour pix, to the likes of Emily Slade and John Kirkpatrick, alongside big shots from rock, pop, jazz and classical music.

  8. LOCAL RADIO FOLK. How sad that while folk music is getting a higher public profile regionally (through Yorkshire Folk Arts, etc.) and here in York (Early Music Centre, Live Music Festival, Folk Day), the BBC should decide to pull the plug on our only regional radio programme. Henry Ayrton's Thursday night show was suddenly taken off air a couple of weeks ago, ending a continuous succession of such local radio folk programmes since Great Northern Folk in the mid 1980s. Coming on top of New Labour's controversial Licensing Bill, you might almost think there's an anti-folk conspiracy afoot!
    While Black Swan regulars, often being at the club on Thursdays, may not have been the most frequent of Henry's listeners, we are all the poorer for his going. If you haven't already done so, write and protest to the Editor at BBC Radio York or The Controller, BBC Yorkshire & Humberside, 9 Chapel Street , Hull , HU1 3NU . You'll probably be fobbed off with a standard letter first time around, so save some of your best shots for your follow-up, to which they'll have to give a more considered response.
    Ironically, I've already been invited onto the Radio York afternoon show twice this year to talk about folk music events in York . A prime time daytime news piece is OK, but not one single dedicated hour a week in the evening?

  9. LIGHT RELIEF. After the above doom and gloom, cheer yourself up by visiting amightywindonline.warnerbros.com . This delightful spoof of 50s/60s folk music is, I understand, the work of Christopher Guest, one of the Spinal Tap team. Enjoy!