Braunston Folk Club

As we move into autumn, I’m pleased to announce that we’re back with our live in the barn events at The Old Dog & Gun in late October and a night which promises to be one of the best yet, as we welcome the wonderful Melrose Quartet to Braunston.
Multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners Nancy Kerr and James Fagan (Nancy was voted Folk Singer Of The Year this April) join forces with legendary Sheffield duo Richard and Jess Arrowsmith (Crucible, Hekety, Pecsaetan) and the band a...re capturing imaginations with their bold take on old and new English songs and tunes. Glorious four-part harmony singing combines with crunchy twin fiddles, full-bodied melodeon and powerful bouzouki in a set that will leave your heart singing and your feet tapping. Their live performances infect audiences with the warmth and sparkle that these four seasoned musicians feel when they unite, and their track ’50 Verses’ ranks as one of my all-time favourite tracks.
http://www.melrosequartet.co.uk
If you’d like to come along, please let me know as soon as possible how many seats you would like to reserve as there is sure to be much demand for this gig. 7pm for 8pm start, £15 pp including snacks with pay bar, as usual.
Looking forward to seeing you if you can make it.
pete@petelawrence.net
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Doing a house concert with the wonderful Furrow Collective (Emily Portman, Alasdair Roberts, Lucy Farrell, Rachel Newton) in the evening on Easter Sunday. Still a few seats left, if you'd like to come PM me...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vwc jZEuiHQ

The Dog & Gun gets back into its stride at Easter with its second live gig of the new season and we’re very pleased to hear that the artists in question have just been nominated for ‘Best Group’ and ‘Best Traditional Track’ at the annual BBC Folk Awards, this year taking place in Cardiff just after our concert.
All four members are well-known in the British folk scene for their songwriting, solo work or membership in other bands, and have the ability to cover an impressive r...ange of musical territory. Their latest album 'At Our Next Meeting' concentrates on dark and quirky traditional songs, arranged with deliberately sparse backing, bringing together gems from the traditional repertoires of four of the finest folk musicians from both sides of the English/Scottish border. Daringly exposed, unaffected voices are accompanied by harp, guitar, viola, concertina, banjo, fiddle and musical saw. With a bold, improvisatory approach, their focus is to capture the raw edges and fleeting magic of narrative song, with storytelling at the centre.
It’s not easy listening but it is powerful stuff! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utHPUSvUJ Nw
Check out their individual biographies at http://www.thefurrowcollective.co.uk/biog raphies/
If you would like to reserve a place, door entry is £15pp payable on the night, so please PM me to reserve entry as demand is sure to be high.
Hope to see you there!
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Great new video from Sam Lee... we're lucky that he's coming to Braunston just after his Mercury Music Prize nomination.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1it2M7-ME0 Y&feature=youtu.be

coming to Braunston this Saturday...

Congrats to Sam Lee - who I have recently booked to play in Braunston in November - for his Mercury Music Prize nomination today http://www.mercuryprize.com/aoty/news.php

Saturday October 6th : Ashley Hutchings and Blair Dunlop live in Braunston
As the son of folk legend Ashley Hutchings and singer Judy Dunlop, Blair Dunlop has been encouraged to take to the stage since a young age. He has now blossomed into a greatly admired singer, guitarist and actor. Some of the highlights of his performing career include playing Little Willy Wonka in the blockbuster movie of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (Johnny Depp starred as the grown-up Willy), ...touring for the whole of last Autumn in a new production of the play “Lark Rise” and appearing at festivals such as Big Session, Towersey and Cropredy Fringe.
To kick off our autumn season in Braunston next month, Blair will be performing with his father, Ashley Hutchings - the 'Father of British folk-rock' and founder member of three of the most noteworthy bands in the history of the genre; Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band. For four years he worked at London's National Theatre with his Albion Band as music director of a number of ground-breaking plays with music, including the phenomenally popular “Lark Rise” and “Candleford”.
Throughout his career, Ashley has sought to inspire and nurture new talent and it is a great pleasure for him to take to the stage with his own son. Together, they produce a warm, intimate atmosphere, described as "like being in the cosy front room of their cottage on a cold winter's night." That description totally suits the barn at The Dog & Gun, and although not yet cold and wintery, we look forward to welcoming in the autumn with our first gig of the season.
If you would like to reserve seats for this gig, please e mail me as early as possible for details as there is sure to be a demand!
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Haddo were excellent last night

On July 4th, we stage our second 'Hearth Music' concert of 2012 at The Old Dog & Gun, a private concert by invite only.
Haddo are husband and wife duo Will and Nicky Pound, joining forces to create a new and unique sound. Combining rich and exotic melodeon harmonies with the dark tone of the viola, they take well known tunes and twist them 180 degrees. From morris to bluegrass, traditional tunes to their own compositions, Haddo are guaranteed to raise the roof.
Those of you w...ho saw the blistering concert last autumn by 24 year old Will Pound with Simon Care will know the sort of thing that is in store. Will is one of the world's top harmonica players and has taken the instrument to new places and new music, and has a style that is completely his own.
As well as his pyrotechnics on the harmonica, Will is now making a name for himself as a virtuoso melodeon player. While Haddo is his debut outing in a concert setting on this instrument, his dulcet tones have previously been heard in the recording studio with ceilidh band Steamchicken. He also guested on the recent release, Purpose and Grace, from the guitar genius Martin Simpson. More recently, he received a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nomination for Best Musician and has been performing and recording with Goldies Band: By Royal Appointment, as well as songwriter Guy Chambers.
Having studied violin from an early age, Nicky Pound graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a masters in Baroque Viola in 2009. During this time, she had the privilege to work with the late great Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Colin Davies and Sir Elton John. Since then, as well as playing with groups such as the Brandenburg Baroque Soloists, she has been going back to her folk roots and has recently joined the excellent Chinewrde Morris. Nicky has also worked for SAGA, playing on the recent cruise of the Norwegian Fjords on the SAGA Pearl II.
Haddo's debut album release 'Homecoming' is going to coincide with their appearance in Braunston. Copies will be available at the gig.
Invites are strictly limited. Please let me know if you would like to come. Arrival time from 7pm for an 8pm start.
http://www.haddofolk.com/
Hope to see you on July 4th!
Pete x
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Just four places left for John Kirkpatrick on Saturday.. e mail me direct if interested

John Kirkpatrick is coming to Braunston!

Following the closure of The Admiral Nelson we will hopefully have details of a new venue in the new year...

coming up this autumn...

Autumn season starts tonight - and it's free!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch…

a great clip fro our opening night in May...Bellowhead's Spiers on blistering form

Autumn season under way!