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FLASHNEWS 1:  30th Birthday special: Snowdonia and The Glan Aber Hotel and Bunkhouse, June 25 – 27, 2010:  The snow last week disrupted events nationwide.   Llantrisant Folk Club stayed open on Wednesday, after Pat trudged through the snow – and NO-ONE, including the Llantwit Major Mummers, turned up!  A thawed-out Pat says:

“Due to the snow and members not being able to turn up at the club on January 6th, here is the update on the Snowdon trip:

"We can have all nine rooms of two-bedders for £33 per person, without breakfast for the two nights. (That's £16.50 per person per night) or £44 per person with breakfast for the two nights. (That's £22 per night.)

“They said we could decide nearer the time if we want breakfast or not and also we could play music etc in the lounge or restaurant if we wanted to.

“Could you let me know any interest next Wednesday or email me before then?  If we are going, we don't want to lose this one - there aren’t any other bunkhouses with rooms for just two people.”

FLASHNEWS 2:  The Licensing Act 2003: Register your protest NOW!  Some very good news comes from Kent Folk News about the confusing, senseless, draconian and totally unfair Kim Howells Licensing Act, which basically deprives the Folk Club of a choice of musical venues. Please note that the Act is utterly incomprehensible to the layman and MP alike – there was a former Welsh Secretary, a member of the Cabinet, who couldn’t understand the rules and regulations of the Act! Over to Kent Folk News:

“The petition to the Prime Minister to exempt small venues from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003 has finally had a positive effect. There is now a Consultation Document on a proposal to exempt small live music events from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003. This consultation document seeks your views on a proposal to exempt live music events for audiences of not more than 100 people from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003. The consultation also seeks your views on the draft Legislative Reform Order and Impact Assessment:

Consultation Document: Proposal to exempt small live music events for audiences of not more than 100 people from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003) PDF (192kb)

Impact Assessment of proposal to exempt small live music events for audiences of not more than 100 people from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003) PDF (84kb)

“It is VITAL that we all respond to these documents, if we are to free live music from the strangling effects of the Licensing Act. To do so, please send your comments or if you have any queries about this consultation to: licensingconsultation@culture.gsi.gov.uk or by post, to: Shelley Mickleburgh, Licensing Team, Sport and Leisure Directorate, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH. Closing date for responses is 26 March 2010, but please respond NOW!” 

Review: The James Keelaghan Trio - Wednesday September 30 

Photo: Mick Tems

Wow and double-wow - this Canadian touring band really is something else. James has guested several times before, but this time he came back with two wonderful, sparkling players. James sang his timeless, elegant songs like a dream; his imposing, magnetic presence and his deep, coffee-rich voice delighted the audience. He’s an international writer of repute, and the amount of Juno awards he has won speaks volumes. The James Keelaghan Trio is a band to die for, peppering both sets with brilliant musicianship. David Woodhead, in a subtle, jaw-dropping solo, made his bass guitar sound like three instruments in a masterful exploration of every jazz chord that's in the firmament, while Zav RT coaxed the Club voices into sounding like several hurdy-gurdies as she led her fiddola (a five-string viola) through a hypnotic, alluring dance. As the Trio finished their set, the roar that went up was just unbelievable.

Pause for a poignant moment - Zav had taken the place of Oliver Schroer, a visionary and prolific fiddler/composer, who had played in Llantrisant Folk Club before he sadly died of leukaemia. We watched in silence as James delivered his personal tribute, a simple, quiet song to a dear friend which tore at the hearts of everybody present. An astounding, brilliant night, and the satisfied smiles and grins of the musicians showed they had done their job superbly. Excuse me while I get my breath back... (MT)

Jim Couza: April 27, 1945 - August 2, 2009

Jim Couza, stunning hammered dulcimer player, ex-Llantrisant Folk Club member and Massachussetts-born session musician, was buried on Saturday, August 22 at the churchyard at his home in the village of Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire. The sun was shining and the  Methodist chapel was packed out with friends and relatives who had come to celebrate Jim's life and sing their hearts out. Jim's godson, Maclaine Colston, who toured with Jim as a dulcimer-playing duo, harper Jenny Crook, banjo and guitarist Chris Moreton and Sally Whitehead of the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club were among the musicians. 

Mick Tems and Pat Smith met Jim during their American tour in the 1980s. Jim, a mature student who was studying under Professor Kenny Goldstein at Philadelphia University's folklife department, interviewed them on university Radio WIOQ, broadcast to the whole of Philadelphia, and they immediately hit it off. Their stories of Wales persuaded Jim to emigrate to South Wales, and he became a Llantrisant Folk Club member, wowing the Club with his scintillating and captivating playing, his warm-hearted singing and his extremely knowledgable folklore. He shared a upstairs flat, above Talbot Green Post Office, with Siwsann George and Stuart Brown of Mabsant. 

Later, Jim moved to the West Country, and Mick rehearsed with him - but Mick was still tied to the South Wales Echo, and found it difficult to tour with Jim. Joe Stead invited Mick to be a guest musician on Jim's latest album, Friends And Neighbours, which they recorded at Nigel Mazlyn Jones' home in Cornwall. 

Jim was a diabetic, and complications with the operation meant amputations with his two feet. With Jim in a wheelchair, Llantrisant Folk Club honoured him with a guest booking. Jim's wife, Karen, drove him up, and Chris Moreton jammed with Jim. Jim hadn't been playing, and he was pretty nervous - but it was a fabulous, exhilarating night. 

Mick, Pat, Olly Price and John Prior travelled to Whitchurch for the funeral. To honour Jim, Karen held an American-syle barbecue in the open air at their at their home, Yew Tree Cottage, a perfect place for a session. As Jim would say: "Bring your instruments!"  

Click here to see Jim perform and talk about his performance.

Happy 30th Birthday To Us!

Llantrisant Folk Club celebrates its 30th birthday in September 2010 with a party featuring Chiefly Ourselves - the resident singers and musicians - on September 8 and a rare and fabulous chance to see and hear The Jo Freya Trio on September 15. Watch this space!   

To read some of our past news stories, click here

Page last updated 08 March 2010

Copyright © 1999 Mari Arts