Category: Spotlight

Recently formed folk trio Trygger’s Broome are made up of two familiar faces from the local folk scene Anthony Burke (banjo and guitar) and Ellie Hill (fiddle) plus rock drummer turned guitarist Chris Papapetrou.

Expect an energetic set with a repertoire of folk favourites, some gutsy self-penned songs, lashings of harmony vocals and big choruses.

We’re looking forward to two great sets from them!
We’re also looking forward to a song from you! It is also a sing-around after all.

Entry is by £6 minimum donation (Cash or Card)

---

 

Living on the Isle of Wight, Coppersmith, consisting of Glenn Koppany and Linda O’ Connor play modern home crafted folk songs.

Glenn’s lyrics are moving and uplifting while Linda provides beautiful harmonies and recorder accompaniment.

Entry is by £6 minimum donation (Cash or Card)

---

Glenn has taken part twice in the Watford Folk Club Song Competition, winning in 2018, and getting to know some fantastic people in the process.

Glenn is a great writer and performer when playing solo, and we’re really looking forward to hearing him and Linda play for us.

So join us on an emotional journey of lost loves, historical tales, modern day angst and quiet heroism, these are songs you will remember.

Mandy Hardingham regularly sings at the Watford Folk Club performing floor spots and at singarounds.

We are delighted that she will perform two 20-minute sets at this spotlight singaround, giving us the opportunity to hear more of Mandy’s sweet vocals and delicate guitar style.

Performing traditional and contemporary songs, she will be joined by friends and family for what promises to be a brilliant evening.

Entry is by £6 minimum donation (Cash or Card)

---

 

It will be a real treat to hear two 20-minute sets from Boris Magraw, with a selection from his extensive store of songs ranging from English Traditional to Americana, all performed with passion in his own inimitable style.

Entry is by £6 minimum donation (Cash or Card)

---

Boris was born in 1950 Croxley Green and attended Chater School and Watford Grammar later obtaining a History Degree and PGCE

He taught in Dagenham for over 30 years and then worked at the National Gallery for 10 years. His likes include music, football and cricket.

Boris’s older brother was jazz fanatic and he always liked 1960s folk on the BBC with performers such as The Corries and Robin Hall & Jimmy McGregor. He then fell for Tamla and British R& B and then started going regularly to gigs. Helped run a folk club at University and worked in record shop. Got into blues and later country. His favourite band is The Grateful Dead.

 

Ady Shaw and Jill Waterson have been performing as a duo since 2016.  They have a mixed repertoire that includes traditional, contemporary acoustic and Ady’s original songs, which have been described as ‘powerful and passionate’.  Their songs are varied in terms of type, tempo and mood – ranging from heart-wrenching to funny.  All their songs feature original arrangements and strong vocal harmonies.

Jill has been singing since she was knee-high to a grasshopper in various settings including musical theatre, choirs, an acappella quartet, and, of course, folk clubs and has recently taken up the Bass Guitar.

Ady’s first musical influences were Burl Ives, the  Ian Campbell folk group, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, Ray Davies, Kurt Weill, Lennon and McCartney and Cole Porter.

He had three guitar lessons, and joined a pop band ,which after a year became a folk band and then played in a harmony based pop band, which after a year switched to folk, playing on the album “Stoke Folk “on Smoke Records in 1997, and recorded an album of original songs in Denmark St.

In the late 70’s Ady wrote a musical and came to Watford in 1977, where he played in bands and duos on the Working men’s club circuit for 30 years

In 2016, Ady decided to get back to his folk roots, and started coming to Watford Folk Club, where he has become a popular performer with a repertoire comprising his own original songs through to Traditional material and lots in between. Lately he has been joined by Jill Waterson.

Spotlight Singaround with RAY OWEN   £6

Ray’s musical journey began in 1962 as bass player in a teenage band.  After a series of promising but unsuccessful record releases and songs published, a bit of success arrived 12 years later when Ray and a friend won the Opportunity Knocks Songwriting Contest.

When the record of the song only reached number 38 in the charts, Ray cancelled the order for the Bentley!

Ray’s first real introduction to folk music was attending, in the mid 1980’s, a production of “Lark Rise”, featuring The Albion Band.

A couple of years later Ray wandered into The Watford Folk Club and has enjoyed playing and listening ever since.

A well-received tape (produced by Ady Shaw) in the early 90’s enabled Ray to get a series of guest bookings at folk clubs in Herts, Bucks, Oxfordshire and Middlesex.

This century Ray has enjoyed playing solo and also being part of Jus S’posin for a while, as bass player, as singer/guitarist in harmony trio “Debbie Wears The Trousers”, and as original bass player in DWTT electric spinoff, “Marchant”.

(Though closer to 80 than 70) Ray still enjoys writing, performing and learning new stuff.

You must wear a face mask to attend this event