E-Newsletter 260
7th December 2023
Hello everyone
It’s December and the Festive Season, and what a wonderful start to it we had with St AGNE’S FOUNTAIN, delivering ‘carols with a curve’ at the National Centre for Early Music in York last Friday evening. This was such a fantastic Christmas show that we’re already thinking about booking them back again for next year.
When we look back over the year in a few weeks it won’t be difficult to pull out some highlights. We’ve had some wonderful shows in 2023 and it’s not over yet.
We have an ‘Open Mic’ evening at the club held at The Black Swan Peasholme Green of course, this Thursday Dec 7 and then Tuesday night (December 12) we are back at The Crescent Club with a locally based band who are rapidly developing a huge following and are fast becoming a national name. They are THE MAGPIES. All under 30 they are one of the most exciting acts on the roots scene, combining first class musicianship with sublime harmonies and increasingly impressive song and tune writing.
Back to the The Black Swan Folk Club on Thursday evening (Dec 14) and another national name who is locally based. This time it’s singer-songwriter EDWINA HAYES who really needs no introduction. One of our favourite performers and one of the finest female singer/songwriters this country has produced in years. Edwina brings together English folk, Americana and the rich Northern singer/songwriter tradition to create a sound that’s truly her own. Highly accomplished she’s toured with such notable performers as Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Nanci Griffith and Loudon Wainwright III to name just a few. 'The sweetest voice in England. A wonderful young woman, so gifted and full of song.' Nanci Griffith 'Haunting, honeyed, solo songwriter.' The Guardian
Staying at The Black Swan one week on Thursday December 21st it’ll be time for our annual Christmas Party. They’ll be non-stop Christmas music and cheer at this one in the guise of an Open Mic with free admission. Here for the one and only time during the year we’ll be holding our annual Christmas raffle. A raffle with so many prizes that it’s nearly impossible not to win.
On Thursday December 28th Christmas continues when 5 piece band BLONDE on BOB take over the club night as they have done for many years to pay tribute to the music of Bob Dylan. It's the annual MILLION DOLLAR XMAS BASH and BLONDE on BOB present an evening dedicated to the music of the world's greatest singer-songwriter. More than ably supported by Billy Bills and Graham Metcalf (FREEWHEELIN') plus the usual Dylan related fun and games.
Thursday January 4th will be our first club night of 2024 and it will be something of a unique occasion as we are going to pay tribute to one of our most popular resident singers PETER QUINN who sadly passed away last month.
Join us for this special Open Mic style evening to sing, play perform or listen. We’ll be joined by an assortment of singers and musicians who knew Pete and we’re looking forward to a very entertaining evening, hearing reminisces about our old friend and raising money for the British Heart Foundation.
Thursday January 11th Our guest at The Black Swan Folk Club is the astonishing guitarist and all-round performer LEE COLLINSON. Lee last played the club over 20 years ago and it’s great to have him back.
'Blessed with fingers capable of guitar-playing beyond mere mortals' Lee’s been captivating audiences at folk clubs and festivals for years and has forged a successful career with his eclectic repertoire comprising folk and blues in all forms. His albums feature guest appearances from the like of Christine Collister, Barb Jungr and Tom McConville and he’s played all over the world. A performer who can switch between contemporary and trad folk, to 50s style, blues and jazz, He also currently performs as front man for punk shanty band The Salts.
Thursday January 18 is another OPEN MIC night at the club where you don’t have to use the mic if you don’t want to. As always everyone is welcome to sing, play, perform or just listen. No advance tickets, please pay on the door.
Finally for January, on Thursday the 25th we have a Canadian duo making their first appearance at the club. This promises to be a really exciting night with GORDIE TENTREES and JAXON HALDALE.
These international touring award winning Canadians have performed 950 concerts together since their Texas stage debut in 2014. Armed with 10 instruments (banjo, mando, cigar box guitars, fiddle- saw, harmonica, resonator, acoustic, porch bass, snare) never repeating themselves onstage with brotherly harmonies & masterful story-telling . From headlining Celtic Connections (Glasgow) to the Woody Guthrie Festival (Oklahoma) they never repeat, juggling the dark with the light. Gordie Tentrees is also a 2023 International Acoustic Award Winner! "Organic & holistic folk, this is the wild sound of freedom and the freedom to fly" Midwest Record USA "Majestic songwriting, incredible insight, genuine authenticity ” Americana UK
And on Sunday January 28th we’ll be presenting once again our annual Winter Folk Day at The Black Swan with non-stop folk music from local folk singers and musicians between 2pm and 10-30pm (with a break for tea).
So there you have what’s in store up until the end of the festive season and on until the end of January at The Black Swan Folk Club.
And taking us through to the summer in 2024 here’s a list of what we have lined up:-
Thurs February 1-OPEN MIC
Thurs February 8-PETER DAVIES
Thurs February 15-HARP and a MONKEY
Thurs February 22-KENNY SPEIRS
Thurs February 29-NORTH SEA GAS
Thurs March 7- KIT HAWES and AARON CATLOW
Tuesday March 12-THE SAM SWEENEY BAND at The Crescent Club
Thursday March 14-DUNCAN McFARLANE and ANNE BRIVONESE
Thursday March 21-OPEN MIC
Thurs March 28-THE LANGAN BAND
Thurs April 4-LIZ STRINGER
Mon April 8-UFQ (The Urban Folk Quartet) at The Crescent Club.
Thurs April 11-OPEN MIC
Thurs April 18-CATHRYN CRAIG and BRIAN WILLOUGHBY
Thurs April 25-FIONA ROSS and CHRISTINE KYDD
……and coming soon we also have SOUND of the SIRENS, ALLAN TAYLOR, KATHERINE PRIDDY, RACHEL NEWTON, MIRANDA SYKES, TONY McMANUS & JULIA TOASPERN and ENDA KENNY.
And the City of York ‘Roland Walls’ Folk Weekend will be held in 2024 over the weekend of June 8th and 9th.
Ticket links and availability for all the above concerts and club nights can be found by going to the Black Swan Folk Club website:-www.
Here are some other local folkie events taking place in York soon:-
There’s a tune session at The Maltings, Tanner’s Moat every Tuesday evening and you’ll find old-time tunes and songs at The Golden Ball, Bishophill on Sunday evenings. Friday evenings there’s a session of tunes and songs at The Three Legged Mare in High Petergate.
And finally York creative collective Navigators Art & Performance presents A Feast of Fools: folk music and words to celebrate Old Christmas & Twelfth Night, with local luminaries White Sail, Foster Neville & John Pilgrim, Thomas Pearson, and Cai Moriarty. 6th January 2024 at The Black Swan, Peasholme Green.
More information will be available at @navigatorsart on FB/Instagram..
As always we’re looking forward to seeing you soon at The Black Swan Folk Club or at one of our in concert events.