Archive Programme

“They light up the room with their amazing energy” James Taylor Truly gifted human beings" Richard Hawley With more than 25 years of unrivalled musical partnership, gathering numerous nominations, awards and critical acclaim along the way, much beloved British singer-songwriters Chris While and Julie Matthews celebrated a quarter of a century last year as one of the best loved and most prolific female duos to come out of this country. This year due to the ongoing Corona Virus situation their performing a series of virtual concerts exclusive to some of their favourite venues including The Black Swan Folk Club in York. Chris and Julie have played more than 2,600 gigs, appeared on over 100 albums, written hundreds of original songs and reached millions of people around the world. Now, 25 years after their debut, they sound as fresh and vital as ever on their most recent and 11th studio album, Revolution Calls. This exclusive on-line concert will be followed by a Zoom Q and A session with Chris and Julie.

A folk singer, songwriter and activist from Leicester, UK, she has been writing, recording and touring relentlessly for ten years. Her unique takes on life, love and politics, and the warmth and wit with which they are delivered, have won over audiences everywhere, across the alternative, folk, political and comedy scenes.

2020 marks 25 years of making music together for this popular wife and husband duo. Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman have long established themselves as one of the UK folk scene’s most rewardingly enduring partnerships. To celebrate and acknowledge this milestone, the couple will revisit and reinterpret songs which span their career. From the early days of folk supergroup ‘Equation’ through to the current release ‘Personae’ with a nod or two along the way to their extracurricular musical adventures, the evening promises a whistle stop tour through their artistic journey to date. ‘It’s folk music for the modern age.’ The Telegraph

Eliza Carthy MBE should need no introduction. A multi-award winning singer, songwriter and musician from a formidable English music dynasty. Describing herself simply as a “modern English musician”, Eliza Carthy is one of the most recognisable faces of the English folk revival. Her first “solo” album of traditional music in 14 years, Restitute is literally a homely affair, recorded at Eliza’s home in the picturesque Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire. The band for the Restitute tour comprises Eliza Carthy, Ben Seal, Ben Somers, Willy Molleson and David Delarre with a support slot and special guest appearance from Saul Rose. In addition to the Restitute material, the band will perform songs from brand new recordings of original songs by Eliza Carthy & Ben Seal – taken from their forthcoming album Through that Sound my Secret was Made Known.

Jon Boden is best known as the lead singer of the progressive folk juggernaut Bellowhead who sold 250,000 albums, had seven singles playlisted on Radio 2 and sold out hundreds of venues including The Royal Albert Hall. Since Bellowhead split up in 2016 Jon has continued his development as one of the foremost names in English folk music. Solo Jon performs the self-penned songs of Songs From The Floodplain, Painted Lady, Afterglow and Rose In June, material from Bellowhead, Spiers & Boden, and his A Folk Song A Day project in which he recorded 365 folk songs in one year, music from newly released album Last Mile Home (Mar 2021, Hudson Records) and more.

The first in a series of Saturday afternoon folk and acoustic music concerts in the Black Swan car park, leading us up to the reopening of the Folk Club in September. Artists appearing are:-Chris Euesden, Tommy Coyle, The Richmond Hillbillies, Stan Graham, Judith Haswell and Trish McLean. 2pm until 6pm

The second in a series of Saturday afternoon folk and acoustic music concerts in the Black Swan car park, leading us up to the reopening of the Folk Club in September. Artists appearing are:-Les Rustiques (2pm), Iain Glover and Joolz Cavell (3pm),Broadband (3-30pm) and Sarah Dean (5pm) 2pm until 6 pm

The third in a series of Saturday afternoon folk and acoustic music concerts in the Black Swan car park, leading us up to the reopening of the Folk Club in September. Artists appearing are:-The Old Humpy Band, Phil Cerny, Caramba, Blonde on Bob, 2pm until 6-30pm

The fourth in a series of Saturday afternoon folk and acoustic music concerts in the Black Swan car park, leading us up to the reopening of the Folk Club in September. Artists appearing are:- John Watterson, Duncan McFarlane Band, The Ale Marys, Alistair Russell 2pm until 6-30pm

The fifth in a series of Saturday afternoon folk and acoustic music concerts in the Black Swan car park, leading us up to the reopening of the Folk Club in September. Artists appearing are:- White Sail, Eddie Affleck, Miles Salter, Duncan McFarlane Trio, 2pm until 6-30pm

This event will take place undercover in the Black Swan car park. A great restart for the Thursday night folk club with our favourite party-folk shanty-pirates new line-up, new songs and a lot of pent up energy. Something we can all look forward to.

Keith Christmas recorded his first album 'Stimulus' back in 1969 when he also played the acoustic guitar on David Bowie's first album 'Space Oddity' and appeared at the first Glastonbury Festival Throughout the seventies he recorded four more albums 'Fable of the Wings', 'Pigmy', Brighter Day' and 'Stories From the Human Zoo' while touring with and supporting acts like The Who, King Crimson, Ten Years After, Frank Zappa and Roxy Music. In January 2003 Keith released his first instrumental CD, ‘acoustica’ - the opening track was used on the BBC documentary 'Hidden Gardens' In 2006 he completed his first ever solo CD called 'Light of the Dawn', in 2011 released a 5-track solo acoustic EP 'Fat Cat Big Fish' and in 2012 released his first live CD 'Live at the Pump’ In June 2015, Keith took some time out in France and started writing again. Two weeks later and seven songs started, he came back to England and finished the album that would become ‘Crazy Dancing Days’ in 10 months. Since then, early versions of 8 songs that were posted on YouTube, SoundCloud and Fandalism have been played over 47,000 times, 14,000 of them an appeal for tolerance to refugees, ‘Cross the Water’. A legendary live performer he has had a resurgence in popularity since ‘Crazy Dancing Days’ was released in late December 2016 and 2019’s ‘Life,Life’, recorded and mastered at Sambourne House took his writing to another level and was described in December 2019 as "the year’s finest acoustic release to date" (Shindig, 5 stars). He is currently writing his next album which is scheduled for a major label release later in the year. Press for 'Life, Life' (2019): 'Keith Christmas has a sit-up-and-listen voice that has got a lovely life-given gruffness to it. It is instantly recognisable but also capable of great emotional range and sensitivity. He is also an exceptional guitarist with a technique that has echoes of folk and blues styles from the folk revival days, but is also very distinctive and unique. This is a spirit-lifting album, performed with passion and absolute commitment, that confronts profound and serious themes with optimism, humour and hope. There is introspection without naval-gazing, and reflection and commentary without any cynicism or world-weariness. Beautiful.' Fatea Magazine 'The end result is is the year's finest acoustic release to date.' 5/5 - Shindig Magazine 'With impeccable singing and solo acoustic guitar, the dozen songs here tell of longing and loving set within the shifting identity of a changing Britain.' 4/5 - Mojo Magazine

Postponed again this time from 24 January 2021. Eliza Carthy MBE should need no introduction. A multi-award winning singer, songwriter and musician from a formidable English music dynasty. Describing herself simply as a “modern English musician”, Eliza Carthy is one of the most recognisable faces of the English folk revival. Her first “solo” album of traditional music in 14 years, Restitute is literally a homely affair, recorded at Eliza’s home in the picturesque Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire. The band for the Restitute tour comprises Eliza Carthy, Ben Seal, Ben Somers, Willy Molleson and David Delarre with a support slot and special guest appearance from Saul Rose. In addition to the Restitute material, the band will perform songs from brand new recordings of original songs by Eliza Carthy & Ben Seal – taken from their forthcoming album Through that Sound my Secret was Made Known.

Our regular singers and musicians night. Everyone welcome to perform a couple of songs, maybe more if we have time, or just come along to listen.

BBC Folk Awards Best Musician nominee Dan Walsh combines ‘virtuoso playing and winning songwriting’ (MORNING STAR). Describing what Dan does is no easy task but at the heart of it is British, Irish and American folk music delivered with a healthy dose of funky grooves – all performed with his unique and dazzling take on clawhammer style banjo, helping to challenge all preconceptions about the instrument. Add to all that poignant songs, astonishing musical departures and lively humour and the result is a truly memorable live show which has wowed audiences across the world from intimate seated rooms to huge dancing crowds in festival fields.

Our regular singers and musicians night. Everyone welcome to perform a couple of songs, maybe more if we have time, or just come along to listen.

Against the backdrop of a universally difficult 2020, songwriter and guitarist John Smith found himself facing personal and unrelenting change. In the spring of 2020, Smith and his wife lost a pregnancy, and his mother was diagnosed with cancer. With his touring schedule of two hundred days a year on the road suddenly on indefinite hiatus, for the first time in over a decade, John was home. “With newfound pain coming from so many directions, dealing with the uncertainty it brings, I closed the curtains and picked up the pen, turning to songwriting as a lifeline.” It’s unsurprising that the new songs reflect a shift in priorities. On his new album ‘The Fray’, Smith gives us an uplifting perspective on the path forward, but pays beautiful homage to the difficulties along the way. ‘The Fray’ is Smith’s sixth studio album, and his vulnerability throughout is offered to his listeners, unadorned. “It’s been a hell of a year, but I feel I’ve created my most honest work as a result, and as a necessity. A lot of these songs are about accepting that life is hard, but just holding on and trying to enjoy it anyway.” Smith’s stubborn optimism in tough circumstances shines through on the title track, in which he sings “Holding onto hope / I don’t need a decent reason / Yes and though it disappears sometimes / It returns with every season”. Smith co-produced ‘The Fray’ with long-time friend and producer Sam Lakeman. They recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio, with pianist Jason Rebello (Sting, John Mayer), bass player Ben Nicholls (Seth Lakeman, Nadine Shah), Drummer Jay Sikora (Paolo Nutini) and Jessica Staveley-Taylor of The Staves. The album is a true reflection of the times, with American collaborators Sarah Jarosz, Courtney Hartman, The Milk Carton Kids and Bill Frisell recording remotely and sending contributions over international borders. John’s frequent touring partner Lisa Hannigan contributed via a virtual studio session in Dublin. Smith co-wrote a couple of songs for the album whilst on tour before the pandemic. Driving a rental car from Asheville to Nashville, John stopped to write the standout track ‘Eye to Eye’ with North Carolina-based Sarah Siskind. The Americana influence is a red thread throughout the album which beautifully compliments Smith’s unmistakeable British Folk roots. Smith was born in Essex and raised on the Devon seaside. Known for his intimate songwriting, his honey-on-gravel voice and pioneering guitar playing, he has spent the last fifteen years touring internationally and has amassed over 40 million streams on Spotify. As a session musician he has played guitar with artists as diverse as Joan Baez, David Gray, Joe Henry, Lianne La Havas and Tom Jones. “wonderfully unforced” ***** The Independent “He’s a magician” - Ben Howard “Spellbinding” - Time Out “The guitarists’ guitarist” - The Sunday Times “Staggeringly good” - Acoustic Magazine