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Your Feedback Home Page Past Guests Folk Club Programme

(Clwb Gwerin Llantrisant)

meets every Wednesday at 8.30pm in

The Windsor Hotel, Pontyclun

Welcome to Llantrisant Folk Club! The Windsor Hotel has been extended and refurbished in the recent past, and has new management, food, improved real ale from handpump (Greene King Abbot **** and Brains SA ****) and a comfortable function room.  It is in the middle of Pontyclun on the A4222 Talbot Green to Cowbridge Road, near Pontyclun station and on the 122/Shamrock bus route from Cardiff

To locate the Windsor Hotel, click here

For contact information, click here

The Club, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on September 7, 2005, exists to educate local people and visitors about community music. Its programme offers gigs by a wide range of performers from all over the world and also provides members and visitors with the opportunity to perform themselves. Admission on guest nights is £5 to non-members and £3 to members (Occasionally we might book a very important guest, but we'll tell you about prices the minute tickets go on sale.) Wednesdays where no guest is booked are £1.50 admission Song and Music Nights, where members and visitors can swap songs and tunes in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We have introduced some exciting Showcase Nights, to give artists and bands time to stretch their legs and show what they can do - admission is still just £1.50, and Llantrisant Folk Club starts at 8.30pm until 11pm.

It is normally not necessary to pre-book - just phone or email Pat Smith (see CONTACT INFORMATION below) or just come as you are! 

FORTHCOMING ATTRACTIONS

Wednesday August 13, 2008

The Outside Track

Lauren McColl, Scottish fiddler and BBC2 Young Folk Award winner, joins this amazing and stunning international band who are making their debut in South Wales. With a truly diverse international line-up, they combine music from all their different cultures to form a distinct and dynamic musical sound. Norah Rendell (Canada) plays flute and sings beautifully; Ailie Robertson (Scotland) plays clarsach harp and electroharp; Fiona Black (Scotland) plays accordion and Alan Jordan, the only Irish member and the only man in the outfit, plays guitar, sings harmonies and takes the lead on the occasional Irish-language song. Their first CD has received some rave reviews – in fact, celebrated accordionist Karen Tweed approves: “The most exciting music, let alone folk music, I've heard in years. Beautifully sung and played, they aren't afraid of boundaries. It's so my kind of music!

THIS CONCERT IS BEING FUNDED BY AN ARTS COUNCIL WALES NIGHT OUT SCHEME

Wednesday August 27, 2008

Pete Cooper

Born in the Midlands, long based in London, Pete teaches, plays, composes and writes about fiddle music. He’s also, on a good night, a decent singer. Drawing on a wide knowledge of fiddle playing, gained over years of teaching, study, travel, practice and too many late-night sessions, he brings a relaxed, good-humoured delivery to his workshops, concerts and folk club shows alike. Pete and Richard Bolton (cello and guitar) have worked together as Cooper and Bolton since 2000, performing English roots fiddle music and songs, including many of Pete’s own tunes. Pete also sings and plays in the old-time trio Rattle On The Stovepipe (who delighted us here at Llantrisant Folk Club) - their 2006 and much-praised CD Eight More Miles (WGS 333) is on the Wild Goose label. Pete has also worked with Californian Holly Tannen, singer Peta Webb and banjo maestro Pete Stanley.

Wednesday September 17, 2008

Steve Turner

Steve comes from a family of singers and concertina players. His grandfather was known to have sung and played the instrument in the 1890s.

He began his career on the Manchester folk scene at the end of the 1960s. Joining the Geordie band Canny Fettle in 1970, he made two albums and toured in Britain and Europe with them for eight years. In 1979, he won the Melody Maker "Stars of the 80s" national competition, which persuaded him to turn professional for 12 years until 1991. During this time he made four solo albums with Fellside Records and toured internationally.

A period of 13 years away from the folk scene followed, with Steve building a violin retailing business and diversifying musically into a more classical mode - but folk music has a habit of getting into your blood. So 2004 saw Steve make a somewhat nervous return to the folk scene, and he was warmly welcomed to the extent that he was asked to make a new fifth album, which is now completed, at Ollie Knight's studio in Robin Hood's Bay and includes guests like Martin Carthy, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Kevin Brown and others.

Wednesday October 29, 2008

Showcase with Sandy & Graham Ball

Sandy & Graham are well known for running the very successful Folk at the Oak club in Corsham, Wiltshire, and also the Club Tent at Priddy Folk Festival. Both of them are great singers and musicians, drawing from both traditional and contemporary sources. Come and see what a friendly club they run, as well as being superb entertainers in their own right. Priddy Folk Festival website hit the nail right on the head when it enthused: "Great to see them back."

Wednesday November 12, 2008

(photo by Mick Tems)

Finest Kind (Canada)

Truly amazing stuff! From Great Britain, the Southwestern US, and Toronto, Canada, Finest Kind are the remarkable trio from Ottawa whose exquisite harmony singing and brilliant vocal arrangements bring a fresh sense of excitement and discovery to the performance of old songs. Formed in 1991, Finest Kind are Ian Robb (ex-member of St Albans Folk Club and a concertina player extraordinaire) Ann Downey (guitar, banjo, bass among other instruments) and Shelley Posen (professional folklorist, versatile singer and multi-instrumentalist).  Roy Harris, expert, writer and reviewer, says: “Exemplary! We could do with them over here for a while – they would refresh our folk scene greatly.” They last visited Llantrisant Folk Club in 2006 - do not miss them.

THIS CONCERT IS BEING FUNDED BY AN ARTS COUNCIL WALES NIGHT OUT SCHEME

Wednesday December 3, 2008

(photo by Mick Tems)

 

Jeff Hankins (Wales)

Jeff, from Deri, near Caerphilly, is very much a regular at Llantrisant Folk Club - and the buzz of excitement and interest is quickly mounting as he takes the stage for his second set in the Club's 27-year run. His self-made songs are sometimes amusing, sometimes tearfully powerful, always intelligent and incisive, and Jeff carefully blesses them with startling and original chord structures to die for. His easy charm comes through on every performance. His rare CD is a masterpiece - recorded live at Llantrisant Club, you can almost feel the audience hanging on every word. 

Wednesday December 17, 2008

 

Christmas Party no. 1 with Roots & Galoots (Wales)

Here it is! That amazing, stunning musical master, Chris Moreton, has played three times in Llantrisant Folk Club - once in his jaw-dropping solo debut, twice as a member of Rattle On The Stovepipe and three times jamming with Jim Couza. Chris is playing a fourth time as a member of Roots & Galoots, our special South Wales guests at the Christmas Party - a joyous, happy good-time bluegrass band who are whipping up a melodic storm and who are winning themselves plaudits every time they come off a stage. Roots & Galoots are Bill Steele (guitar and vocals), Becky Lee (acoustic bass and vocals), Roland Emmanuel (mandolin and vocals), Roy Nicholls (fiddle) and Chris (guitar and banjo). They have just brought out their new CD, which was recorded live at Didmarton Bluegrass Festival, and their second CD, Another Night, was launched in 2006. Roots & Galoots enjoy delighting audiences at weddings, concerts, barn dances, festivals, house parties, Western theme nights and ceilidhs - a good all-round band! 

Wednesday January 14, 2009 Showcase with Zoox
Wednesday February 25, 2009 Pint and Dale (Seattle, USA)
Wednesday April 1, 2009 Belshazzar's Feast (England)
Wednesday May 6, 2009 Craig: Morgan: Robson (England)

 

DON’T FORGET:

All other Wednesdays are Song And Music Nights, starting at 8.30pm. 

For past guests, click here

For booking Information & General Enquiries

 

Pat Smith Mick Tems 

Telephone

01443 226892

Telephone 01443 206689

Mobile

07989 209824

Mobile 07980 474918
Email (click) Pat Smith Email (click) Mick Tems

 

ABOUT LLANTRISANT FOLK  CLUB... 

The club's symbol is Dr William Price of Llantrisant,  the great 19th century free thinker, social fighter, druid and cremation pioneer.

You don‘t have to become a member - but if you do, you become entitled to a range of benefits including reduced admission fees and the chance to take part in trips and special events. A newsletter is e-mailed to all members.

The club welcomes families and has produced a string of young performers.

We're proud of our achievements during our first 27 years...

We've staged more than 700 guest concerts from all over the world.

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Page last updated 28 July, 2008

Copyright © 1999 Mari Arts