Pontardawe VALLEY FOLK CLUB
VALLEY FOLK CLUB
HAS RETURNED TO
PONTARDAWE
About (Pontardawe) VALLEY FOLK CLUB
Valley Folk Club usually meets on 1st. 3rd. and 5th Fridays with a few exceptions which are posted in the diary on the web page.
1st Fridays are usually Open Nights, 3rd Fridays Guest Nights and often a 50/50 Night on 5th Fridays featuring 2 acts.
On OPEN NIGHTS a warm welcome is extended to everyone to sing, play, recite or just enjoy. We sometimes allow a short set showcasing visiting performers. Please make contact to pre-arrange this. Open Nights are £2 to cover room hire.
GUEST NIGHTS Usually 2 x 40/45 min sets with floor spots before the 1st set. Usually £8
Evenings usually start at 8pm.
The club web page is www.casbar.co.uk/pontardawe-valley-folk-club/ which is updated regularly.
Email:- PontyVFC@casbar.co.uk
We are also on Facebook. See Pontardawe, Valley Folk Club
https://www.facebook.com/Pontardawe-Valley-Folk-Club-267787909911885/
For contacts please see the Folk Clubs page on this web site.
START TIME - 8pm Guest Nights £ see below Open Nights £2
All club nights are held in Pontardawe Heritage & Visitor Centre, The Old Stables, Herbert St.
Pontardawe SA8 4EB (Behind the Dillwyn Arms at the traffic lights.) There is ample parking in the town car parks. Free after 6pm. Bring Your Own Refreshments.
ALISTAIR ANDERSON May 3rd £8
ALISTAIR ANDERSON
As a touring soloist, with no less than 37 tours of the USA, 5 trips to Australia and countless European tours to his credit, Alistair Anderson is internationally acknowledged as the master of the English Concertina and a fine exponent of the Northumbrian Pipes. He delights audiences with traditional music from Northumberland and beyond, as well as his own music, which has grown out of his love of these traditions.
Anderson’s passionate belief that traditional music had an important place in contemporary society led him to find ways to excite a new generation of young musicians and draw them into playing, singing, dancing and making the tradition their own. He founded ‘Folkworks’ an organisation that helped to change the face of folk music, with large numbers of young people discovering traditional music, song and dance through their summer schools, workshops and education projects.
“He is a treat to watch… His involvement and delight in the music are infectious… Beautiful music, played with skill, taste and affection.” fRoots
The Daily Telegraph described his self-penned STEEL SKIES CD as follows: Anderson has achieved what many others have tried without success. He has composed work which, while remaining rooted deeply in the traditional music of his region of Britain, contains neither pastiche nor attempts to fuse irreconcilable elements. The melodic lines of songs without words give way to dance patterns enriched by unexpected harmonies and delightful combinations of instruments. It is a fluid living work, which will yield even more riches with successive performances.
“The pleasure comes chiefly from the excellence of the playing. The concertina emerges as a flexible and sensitive instrument; in the hands of a player of Anderson’s quality it is amazing what it can achieve.” The Guardian
“He remains one of this country’s most majestic and inclusive instrumentalists” Colin Irwin.
OPEN NIGHT May 17th £2
50/50 NIGHT (2 GUESTS) May 31st £8
BROADOAK + GREG ROWLANDS
BROADOAK
Broadoak are a trio based in Pembrokeshire. They have
played together informally for decades, and have been Broadoak for five years. They have played in some interesting places (the Cropredy Festival fringe, a cruise liner and a nunnery spring to mind)
and have supported some big names including Andy Cutting, Emily Portman and Rob Harbron, Jackie Oates and John Spiers
Their material is wonderfully eclectic, ranging from their arrangements of traditional songs to some carefully-chosen covers. Their own original material always features in their performances. This
too is an eclectic mix, featuring such varied themes as the romance of finding ancient objects, the importance of a healthy self-image for geese, and sex under the table in a cafe in Vienna in
1910.
A Broadoak gig is predictable only for musicianship and variety. They are as likely to make you cry as to make you laugh, but they will always entertain you.
Broadoak are Chris Kay (voice, whistle), Wendy Lewis (fiddle, voice) and Peter Kay (voice, fretted instruments). Their website is https://www.broadoakfolk.com/ , they have a Bandcamp page featuring their first
album at https://broadoak1.bandcamp.com/album/hand-made-heart , and you will find them on
YouTube if you search Broadoak folk Pembrokeshire.
GREG ROWLANDS
An experienced singer guitarist with a very broad repertoire from many genres. Greg thoroughly enjoys singing, meeting people and supporting live music. He has been singing for many years at folk clubs, in cabaret, and is involved with charity work. Greg sings story based quality songs with feeling. His voice has been described as mellifluous but not to worry, it’s not contagious.
Greg draws his inspiration from the more progressive and modern folk catalogue and includes songs from the writing of Ewan MacColl, Stan Rogers, Colum Sands, Steve Tilston and many more. His work is described by Tom Lewis as “driven by the song without complicated guitar work”. That said, his guitar accompaniment is sound and complements his singing admirably.
OPEN NIGHT June 7th £2
JACKDAWGS + some ARMADILLOS June 21st
July & August Folk Club Summer Break
FOLK SERVICE in GELLIONNEN CHAPEL
Mynnydd Gellionnen, on the mountain, above Pontardawe
AUGUST 18th 10.45am
Join members of the congregation and performers from Valley Folk Club for this much loved and well attended annual social event.
Service led by Marian Littlepage.
FOLLOWED IN THE AFTERNOON by a FREE
VALLEY FOLK CLUB SHOWCASE between 2 - 5pm in
PONTARDAWE HERITAGE AND VISITOR CENTRE,
The Old Stables, Herbert St. Pontardawe SA8 4EB
when a dozen or so of our regular performers will entertain you.
The venue is behind the Dillwyn Arms at the traffic lights. There is ample parking in the town. (Please don't use the pub car park.) BRING YOUR OWN REFRESHMENTS.
HALLOWE'EN SPECIAL October 18th
with ANDREW McKAY & CAROLE ETHERTON £8
50/50 NIGHT (2 GUESTS) November 29th £8
WYNFORD JONES & GEOFF CRIPPS
+ PAUL NICHOLAS
WYNFORD JONES & GEOFF CRIPPS
THE stunning duo of Wynford Jones and Geoff Cripps has musical connections and roots which stretch back into the last century and in particular their involvement with celebrated folk/rock band The Chartists. The Chartists disbanded in 1991 and Wynford and Geoff went on their own musical journeys. Geoff was one of the founder members of the brilliant Allan Yn Y Fan in 1996, with whom he toured extensively in the UK and internationally, whilst releasing six acclaimed albums between 2003 and December 2018. At the start of 2022 Wynford and Geoff rekindled their friendship and their mutual respect for each other’s music-making skills. Initially they played as the trio Lauford Cripps alongside former Chartists member Laurence Eddy, and the superb live album celebrating that collaboration is ‘Lauford Cripps Live At BGFM Nantyglo’. Look out for it on our merchandise desk. Since Laurence’s departure, Wynford and Geoff are moving forward as a duo. Expect a virtuoso combination of instrumentalists and vocalists at the very top of their game. (Paul Nicholas)
PAUL NICHOLAS
Self penned, story driven songs.
XMAS PARTY with WHISKEY RIVER TRIO
December 13th
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