Seasons Greetings From The Saltcellar Folk Club

The organisers of the Saltcellar Folk Club would like to send our seasonal best wishes to all lovers of folk and acoustic music in Totterdown, Bristol and beyond!

The final meeting of 2012 featured the Yirdbards from Wiltshire together with a tuneful selection of floor singers and musicians. The audience enjoyed many excellent songs throughout the evening, from a variety of sources.

The Yirdbards mixed the soulful vocals of Paul Darby with the professional and enthusiastic musicianship of Patrick Randall, Verity Sharp and Iona Hassan. Their set was well put together, doing justice to beautifully crafted songs from contemporary songwriters as well as showcasing more traditional numbers. Many of those who heard the band will surely be prompted to find out more about these songwriters who included the New Zealander Paul  Metsers and, more locally, Mike Scott.

The Yirdbards' latest CD "Where the thorn trees grow" is also recommended and you can find out more about the band at http://www.yirdbards.com/. 

Our floor singers and musicians were very much in form in December and we even got to hear a stunning version of the Paul McCartney song "Baby's Request". There will be more of the same on January 5th 2013 when the entrance fee will be just £1 and the evening will be a singaround.  Everyone is welcome, whether they are singers, musicians or fans of good songs and music. The Saltcellar is a friendly club and would be an excellent place to make a debut performance!

The singaround will start at 7.30pm and you should let us know on the door if you want to sing or play.  In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Yirdbards Are Coming To Totterdown

Next Saturday (1st December) the Saltcellar Folk Club will welcome the Yirdbards. They are a trio from Wiltshire that include Paul Darby (vocals), Pat Randall (guitar, backing vocals) and Verity Sharp (cello, fiddle).

The Yirdbards are regulars on the West Country folk scene and have featured on local and national radio. They have performed at a number of festivals in 2012, including Dorset's Purbeck Folk Festival and Wiltshire's Village Pump Festival. Their songs include many written by close friends and often focus on humanity's relationship with nature, landscape and society. The name "Yirdbards" means "Earth Poets".

The Saltcellar Folk Club will be open from 7.30pm in the basement of Totterdown Baptist Church on Wells Road and any singers or musicians who would like to perform "from the floor" should let us know at the start of the evening. The entrance fee on Saturday will be £6.

Thanks to Jeff and Elaine, Welcome to the Yirdbards

Last weekend (Saturday 3rd November) Jeff and Elaine Gillett brought a wonderful set of songs to the Saltcellar Folk Club.  These included traditional music, new interpretations of familiar songs (including an Everly Brothers favourite) and some of William Blake’s poems sung to Jeff’s original tunes.  The audience lapped up the beautiful singing, melodious harmonies and magnificent musicianship.

We also enjoyed a range of excellent floor singers, including newcomers to the Saltcellar, Dark Island, who brought us beautiful music as well as (we think!) the first flute to appear at the club. We are very fortunate to have excellent singers and musicians every month at the Saltcellar, both the guest artists and the floor performers.  Thank you very much to everyone who helps to make these such enjoyable evenings.

Next month at the Saltcellar we welcome The Yirdbards.  

This Wiltshire band are regulars on the west country folk scene and have featured on local and national radio. Their lead singer, Paul Darby, has a soulful voice which the band use to effect on their songs, many written by local songwriters. Paul performs with Pat Randall (guitar, backing vocals) and Verity Sharp (cello, fiddle) on a set which includes songs looking at on man’s relationship with nature, landscape and society. 

The Yirdbards will be at the Saltcellar on Saturday 1st December. The evening will commence at 7.30pm with acts from the floor. Let us know when you arrive if you wish to perform.

Note that the name "Yirdbards" means "Earth Poets" and the band should not be confused with a similarly named 1960s rock act!

Jeff and Elaine Gillett at the Saltcellar

Next Saturday, 3rd November, Jeff and Elaine Gillett will be our guest artists. They are regular performers on the local folk scene and have played at the Saltcellar before. You can see some examples of their music on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/user/JandEGillett. We are looking forward very much to their visit. 

As well as Jeff and Elaine, we also welcome the contributions of any singers and musicians from the floor. If you wish to take part please let us know at the start of the evening. 

The Saltcellar Folk Club meets from 7.30pm in the basement of Totterdown Baptist Church on Wells Road. Entrance costs £6 and the evening usually lasts until 10.30. There is a coffee bar at the club but you can bring your own alcoholic drinks (and there is a Co-op supermarket nearby).

An Evening of Guitar Virtuosity and Great Songs

Last Saturday the Saltcellar folk club was treated to a memorable set of guitar-based songs from Sarah Jones, ably accompanied by Duncan Gibbs on a range of instruments, including the dulcimer.

Sarah sang her well-crafted songs in many styles. She included lively blues numbers, thoughtful folk songs and anthemic examples of the singer-songwriter's art. The audience also got the opportunity to sing along, which added to the enjoyment. 

Sarah was promoting her new LP "Let Days Speak" which is well worth obtaining (as quite a few of those present did). You can find out more at www.sarahjones.org.uk/.

We were also privileged to hear some great songs from the floor, including a very moving version of Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" and a cracking rendition of "Delaney's Donkey".

Next month we welcome Jeff & Elaine Gillett on 3rd November. You can find out more about their music on their You Tube page.  We look forward to seeing you for this very popular local duo.

Irrepressible songs and guitar playing this Saturday, from Sarah Jones

On Saturday 6th October the Saltcellar Folk Club will welcome Sarah Jones, a singer / songwriter and accomplished guitarist. 

Sarah's songs have been described as "incisive", "heartfelt", "exciting" and "moving", while her guitar playing has received plaudits such as "extraordinary", "deft" and "swinging to buggery"(!)  Sarah is on an autumn tour that coincides with the release of her new LP "Let Days Speak". Her Saltcellar Folk Club appearance is sandwiched between gigs in Cumbria and Oxford. You can read more about Sarah and listen to snippets from earlier LPs at www.sarahjones.org.uk 

As well as Sarah, we also welcome the contributions of any singers and musicians from the floor.  Regular attendees will know that we generally have a wide range of styles and songs, both original and cover versions. If you wish to take part please make yourself known at the start of the evening.  

The Saltcellar Folk Club meets from 7.30pm in the basement of Totterdown Baptist Church on Wells Road. Entrance costs £6 and the evening usually lasts until 10.30 (but if you have to leave earlier here are convenient breaks in proceedings).  There is a coffee bar at the club but you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic drinks (there is a Co-op on Wells Road, close to the venue).

Another Packed Evening at the Saltcellar

Saturday 1st September saw the return of the Saltcellar Folk Club with our guest, Keith Judson, and a fine selection of floor singers and musicians.  

Keith sang songs that were touching and thought provoking in equal measure. For example, he included one song that reflected on exploited workers in the Midlands and their part in the slave trade, another that described his feelings as his sons left home and another about a Victorian union leader. All are on his LP "People and Places" which is well worth seeking out (via http://www.keithjudson.co.uk.)

Our floor singers and musicians performed many fine songs in a variety of styles and there were some particularly exhilarating  instrumentals. One of the songs was about a sporting event that had happened barely an hour earlier! 

Our next meeting is on the 6th October and features Sarah Jones, a performer who has built up quite a following from her annual UK tours and CDs. Find out more on her website.

Our schedule for the next 12 months is now up on our website. We hope you will be as excited as us about all the great acts due to visit Totterdown.

The Saltcellar Folk Club Returns

This Saturday (1st September) is the first meeting of the Saltcellar Folk Club after the summer break and we are pleased to welcome Keith Judson as our special guest.

Keith is a singer / songwriter from Worcestershire who performs his own compositions along with traditional material and songs by other performers. Keith's own songs touch on social and spiritual themes and make connections with local stories and personal experiences. He will be including songs from his latest LP "People and Places".

http://www.keithjudson.co.uk

As always, any singers and musicians are invited to perform from the floor on Saturday.  The audience is very friendly and we think that this is a good opportunity for acoustic performers to showcase their talents. If you wish to take part please make yourself known at the start of the evening.  

The Saltcellar Folk Club meets from 7.30pm in the basement of Totterdown Baptist Church on Wells Road. Entrance costs £6 and the evening usually lasts until 10.30 (but there are breaks in proceedings for those who have to leave earlier).  There is a coffee bar but you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic drinks (perhaps purchased from the Co-op that is close to the venue).

An Evening Of Songs From Many Sources

Our final folk club before the summer break featured a good selection of folk songs from our headliner, Pete Kiddle, and a wide variety of acoustic goodies from our floor singers.

Pete played songs and tunes that covered subjects as diverse as  lost love, an outcast accidentally murdering his sisters, emigrating to China and General Wolfe.  Pete has a great talent for arranging traditional tunes and in one of the most popular songs of the evening, "Ellen Taylor", he combined words collected in Wiltshire in 1914 with a tune commemorating a New York State town that was flooded to make a reservoir. Despite being unrelated, lyrics and music fitted perfectly.

Our half a dozen or so floor singers also provided enjoyable arrangements of songs that included ample opportunities to sing along. We were especially pleased to welcome back one of our regular singers, Ray, after a period of absence. 

There is no folk club in August but we will be back on Saturday 1st September where we will welcome Worcestershire singer/songwriter Keith Judson (http://www.keithjudson.co.uk/). 

If you want to keep up to date with folk and acoustic music and learn about gigs taking place in the West Country a good place to start is Johnny Coppin's show on BBC Local Radio at 1pm on Sundays (or via http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7z8).

This Saturday (7th July): Bouzouki and Concertina at the Saltcellar Folk Club

Next Saturday, 7th July, sees the Saltcellar Folk Club welcome our guest artist Pete Kiddle. He is well-known to regulars, having played a floor spot on several occasions. 

Pete has spent many years singing and playing traditional music, is a resident at Devizes folk club and regularly performs solo and as part of the Bath group Sulis.  He is well known in the South West for his singing and fine bouzouki and concertina accompaniments, as well as his skill with dance tunes. Pete’s first solo album, Gunpowder Tea, was released last October.  See http://petekiddle.com/ for more information.

Any singers and musicians are invited to perform from the floor on Saturday.  If you wish to take part please make yourself known at the start of the evening. 

The Saltcellar Folk Club meets from 7.30pm in the basement of Totterdown Baptist Church on Wells Road. Entrance costs £6 and you can usually expect about three hours of music!  There is a coffee bar but you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic drinks (there is a Co-Op nearby).

A Great Evening of Blues, Folk and 15 Different Performers

We had another great evening on Saturday 2nd June – it was good to see so many people at The Saltcellar Folk Club, including many first-timers.  Jim Tigwell headlined with his fellow musicians, Brendan, Nigel and Martin.  They played a superb set of blues and folk including some covers of well-known favourites and lifted the spirits on a wet Saturday evening.   In all, 15 different musicians and singers performed, providing a wonderful musical evening. Special thanks to Jinksi, all the way from Newcastle who were joined by Karen Tweed on piano accordion.

The next Folk Club will be on Saturday 7th July when our guest artist will be Pete Kiddle,  well-known to regulars at The Saltcellar as he has played a floor spot on several occasions.  Pete has spent many years singing and playing traditional music and regularly performs solo and as part of the Bath group Sulis.  He is well known in the South West for his singing and fine bouzouki and concertina accompaniments, as well as his skill with dance tunes.  He released his first solo album last October, Gunpowder Tea.  There is more about Pete at http://petekiddle.com/.

The Saltcellar Folk Club website (http://www.saltcellarfolk.org.uk/) has links to the home pages of earlier Saltcellar performers as well as to the websites of other folk clubs.  We look forward to a seeing regulars and newcomers on the 7th for the last Folk Club before the summer break.

 

This Saturday (2nd): Jim Tigwell and band

On Saturday 2nd June Jim Tigwell will be our guest artist.  Jim is one of the founders of the Saltcellar Folk Club and is well-known in Totterdown for running the Jam night at The Oxford pub.  He is an experienced performer, performing regularly in the Bristol area and beyond. On Saturday Jim will be joined by Martin Froud on dobro steel guitar and Nigel Greville on double bass for playing acoustic music with a blues flavour. 


As usual, singers and musicians are invited to perform from the floor.  Please make yourself known at the start of the evening if you would like to do this.  We are delighted that folk duo Jinski  from Newcastle will be attending and will perform as one of the floor spots. 

The Saltcellar Folk Club meets from 7.30pm in the basement of Totterdown Baptist Church on Wells Road. Entrance costs £6 and you can usually expect about three hours of music!  There is a coffee bar but you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic drinks (there is a Co-Op nearby).

A Tuneful Start to May

We had another excellent musical evening last Saturday with beautiful, expressive music by The Raven, a duo from London who played songs and tunes from their excellent new CD "Black is the Colour" (see http://www.theraven.me/discography?id=5092).   An enthusiastic audience enjoyed some talented floor singers and musicians as well as our guest performers.  

The Raven enjoyed themselves too.  They tweeted  "had a fantastic night at the Saltcellar Folk Club! Wow!"  Many thanks to Stephen and Carolyn for making the trip down the M4 last weekend and to our entertaining floor singers and musicians.

Next Folk Club Saturday 2nd June

Next month we look forward to welcoming our own Jim Tigwell as guest artist.  Jim is one of the founders of the Saltcellar Folk Club and is well-known in Totterdown for running the Jam night at The Oxford pub.  He is an experienced performer of folk, jazz and blues music, performing regularly in the Bristol area and beyond.   See his website for more information: http://www.guitartuitionbristol.org/aboutjimtigwell.html .

As usual, singers and musicians are invited to perform from the floor.  Please make yourself known at the start of the evening if you would like to do this.  We are delighted that folk duo Jinski  from Newcastle will be attending following their gig at the Bath festival the previous evening and will be one of the floor spots.

We look forward to seeing you at the Saltcellar for what promises to be a wonderful evening of music.

Further information

For more information about Folk Club evenings and the programme for the rest of 2012, see http://saltcellarfolk.org.uk 

The Raven at Saltcellar Folk Club: Saturday 5th May

After a break for Easter, we are looking forward to returning to the Saltcellar for the next Folk Club on Saturday 5th May.  It is wonderful to have London folk duo The Raven as our headline performers.  We also welcome any local floor singers and musicians. If you would like to perform, just turn up and let us know. 
 

The Raven are Stephen Moncrieff (guitar/vocals) and Carolyn Forbes (vocals/flute/guitar). They describe their music as a unique style of dark ballads, stomping tunes and beguiling songs from the English tradition.  The Raven perform regularly in folk clubs in London and at folk festivals, captivating audiences with their warm, engaging set, and have supported artists including Eliza Carthy and Spiers and Boden.  You can find out more, and listen to some tracks from their recent CD, Black is the Colour, on their website: http://theraven.me/home .

For more information about Folk Club evenings and the programme for the rest of 2012, see http://saltcellarfolk.org.uk 

A big thank you to all who performed on 3rd March

We had another wonderful musical evening on Saturday 3rd March with the largest audience since the Club re-started in September last year.   

Thank you very much to all the excellent singers and musicians for providing a wide range of music from the floor which made the evening so enjoyable.  The evening was rounded off in fine style by our guest artist, Si Barron.  He demonstrated great talent on the guitar and (a first for the Saltcellar) the harmonium.  It was a delight to hear his interpretation of many traditional songs, and to hear some of his own compositions.  If you missed this performance, or would like to hear more, see his website http://barronbrady.com/.  

 

Fran Begley took some very good photographs of the performers which capture the enjoyment of the evening. She has posted them on her Facebook site. Thanks for this, Fran.

There is no Folk Club evening in April as this would clash with the Easter weekend.  The next Folk Club will therefore be on Saturday 5^th May which will feature The Raven - Stephen Moncrieff (guitar/vocals) and Carolyn Forbes (vocals/flute/guitar) http://theraven.me/home , and hopefully another set of superb floor performers.  Put the date in your diary and we look forward to seeing you there.

Si Barron at the Saltcellar Folk Club

Next Saturday, March 3^rd, at the Saltcellar Folk Club, we are pleased to welcome Si Barron will be performing as our headline act.

Si is a songwriter and interpreter of traditional English folk songs, as well as being an excellent singer and superb musician.  He has recently been touring the UK with Ros Brady, promoting their latest album.  They also feature on a new compilation CD of contemporary folk.  For further information see http://barronbrady.com/

 
Some reviews of Si’s music:

Terrific... Good songs well sung... I kept hearing things- Incredible String Band, Nick Drake, John Martyn- lots of stuff and yet at the same time the music is very much their own... very very good. Mike Harding, Radio 2
Beautiful. Bob Harris, Radio 2
Really beautiful songs- and no extraneous guff. Karine Polwart
Mighty good, I was very impressed, an absolute joy. Lester Simpson, BBC Derbyshire
Great new album, they've really done well, there's some lovely songs. Johnny Coppin, BBC Radio

The evening will start with performances from the floor.  If you would like to perform in front of a friendly audience, please come early and make yourself known.

The Saltcellar Folk Club starts at 7.30pm, admission is £6 on the door. 

Steve Turner at the Saltcellar Folk Club

The next Saltcellar Folk Club is on Saturday 4^th February, 7.30pm, and we are very excited to be welcoming as headline artist Steve Turner, singer and concertina & cittern player.   

Steve began his music career on the Manchester folk scene in the 1960s and became professional after winning a Melody Maker award in 1979.  In 1991 he took a break from performing to pursue other interests and made a welcome return to the stage and recording studio in 2004.   

His 2008 album The Whirligig of Time featured guests Martin Carthy, Nancy Kerr & James Fagan and Miranda Sykes and received glowing reviews, including the following:

• This CD is a triumph and deserves to be recognised as one of the year’s best traditional albums
• Steve Turner is one of the finest exponents of concertina accompaniments around, if not the best.
• His interpretative power with narrative ballads reigns supreme – a mature and accomplished folk talent.      
• This is a great CD....... Go and see him live!

Steve has a new CD, Rim of the Wheel, released in December 2011 and he was featured on The Mike Harding Show on Radio 2 in November. Read more about him on his website www.steve-turner.co.uk.

The Saltcellar Folk Club starts at 7.30pm, admission is £6 on the door.  The evening will start with performances from the floor.  If you would like to perform, please come early and make yourself known.

For more information about Folk Club evenings and to see the programme for the rest of 2012, see www.saltcellarfolk.org.uk

Images from the January Singaround

We had a very enjoyable singaround at January's Saltcellar Folk Club with contributions from half a dozen or so high quality singers and players.  Thanks to everyone who performed.

A local illustrator, Ruth Whiter, has produced drawings of some of the performers at the singaround (see below). If you would like an artist print of any of them please contact Ruth (see Ruth's blog for more information).

A reminder that the next Saltcellar Folk Club is on Saturday 4th February at 7.30pm where we are excited to be welcoming Steve Turner, renowned singer and concertina & cittern player. See www.steve-turner.co.uk for more information.


Images from January's Folk Club:

 

 

Happy New Year!

The first Saltcellar Folk Club evening of 2012 is next Saturday, 7^th January and will be a singaround with performances from the floor.  If you play or sing, this is your chance to perform in front of a friendly audience.
  

If you enjoy listening to music, then come along to hear what promises to be a range of folk styles – there will undoubtedly be opportunities to join in too.   As there is no guest artist, the cost of admission will be reduced.  Admission £1 on the door.

Please make a note of the other Saltcellar Folk Club dates for 2012:

Feb 4:  Steve Turner www.steve-turner.co.uk

Mar 3:  Si Barron www.myspace.com/barronbrady

April       NO FOLK CLUB (Easter)

May 5:  The Raven (Stephen Moncrieff & Carolyn Forbes) http://theraven.me

Jun 2:  Jim Tigwell  www.theacousticroom.co.uk/tigwell.html

Jul 7:  Pete Kiddle  http://petekiddle.com

Aug        NO FOLK CLUB
Sep 1:  Keith Judson  www.keithjudson.co.uk

Oct 6: Sarah Jones    www.sarahjones.org.uk 
Nov 3:  Jeff & Elaine Gillett  www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aLWHuSo5g8

Dec 1:  The Yirdbards  www.myspace.com/sdfsdfwer4234