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Our next guests are The Rye Sisters on Wednesday 17 June. They are Sue Pomeroy, guitar and vocals, and Ishani Siriwardena, fiddle and vocals. They have now been together in close harmony for ten years with a shared love of Americana music from both sides of the Atlantic.
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They say that Carrington is “a club with very talented musicians in the audience as well as those put on at the club for everyone’s entertainment. We are delighted to be playing there this year – a real highlight of our calendar.” We’re delighted they’re playing here, too. Here they are, playing a full set at Crossover Festival 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwSyQ0ASVa0
The Gladstone, 45 Loscoe Road, NG5 2AW Members £10 non-members £12. You can pay using our card machine so cash is only needed for the raffle. Doors open at 7.45 pm for an 8.15 start, and we finish by 11pm.
This is probably the fifth time Kip and Dave have been guests at the Club since I booked them after seeing them at the first Gate to Southwell Folk Festival. They started with the title song from their first duo CD “I hear Voices Sing” from 2003 which was pitched for sales at a fiver, but went on to a more recent lament of a mother for the son she had to give up for adoption Is It True His Eyes Are Like Mine?.The Freo Doctor then showed Dave’s song-writing flows as well in Perth, W. Australia as in Sleaford, before Kip showed that she writes and sings from personal experience in The Angry Mother. The only songs they sang that they’d not written were Judy Small’s anti- war song Mothers, Daughters, Wives and Joni Mitchell’s song A Case of You that she wrote in Saskatoon, a prairie city they visited on their second Canadian tour, which has a statue of Joni. Kip picked up her accordion to add to Anyone’s High Street an attack on the state of the nation in the last weeks of the Tories, and Dave’s other political song Hitch Up the Wrecking Ball was even more hard-hitting. Kip’s powerful blues singing has always featured in a set and we had a fine example in Old Habits although Dave couldn’t say if his riff was derived from Big Bill Broonzy or Robert Johnson. They ended each set on a high note, following Old Habits with the title track Home, which showed us that the place we call home is where our heart is.
Their second set built to a climax with Kip’s powerful rendition of Metagama, the ship taking young emigrants from Stornaway to Canada, then Storm around Tumbledown, which has led Dave to be recognised as a great song-writer, both of which had us joining the chorus with enthusiasm. How do you top that for the encore? They had a great joiner-in with What Would Johnny Cash Do Now? and we all went home happy from a great night.
Singers who contributed earlier included Nick, Hugh, Phil Hind, Blossom (pictured above), Sarah and Paul. Martin Smalley
Our guest on 29th April 2026 was Sarah Farrell, of this parish, launching her debut album “Stoat-Hearted Woman”. From the moment the doors were opened the room filled to capacity and beyond. Mustelid mania, some called it. Only those bearing pitchforks were turned away. With beautiful voice and dexterously-fingerpicked guitar, Sarah treated us to a delicious mixture of traditional songs, tasteful covers, and her own compositions. There was also an earnest speech, the contents of which sadly cannot be reported as your reviewer was sent to fetch fresh towels during its delivery. Highlights among the trad numbers were an unaccompanied Sweet Lemony (pleasant and sorrowful), a slightly-reworded North Country Maid (pleasant and arboreally contentious*), a delicate Banks Of Green Willow (pleasant and disturbing), and a rousing Pleasant And Delightful (pleasant and delightful). The eclectic selection of songs written by others ranged from early 60s material right up to the present year, all performed with captivating clarity, taking us from Tomorrow Is A Long Time (Bob Dylan, 1962) to Weary Arms (Carsie Blanton and The Burning Hell, 2026), via It’s Over (Roy Orbison, 1964), A Pair Of Brown Eyes (The Pogues, 1985), Tougher Than The Rest (Bruce Springsteen, 1987), For What Is Chatteris… (Half Man Half Biscuit, 2005), and Bottom Of The World (Tom Waits, 2006), swerving only to avoid Wonderwall (Oasis, 1995). Special mention goes to the impeccably ferocious rewrite of Love Me, I’m A Liberal (Phil Ochs, 1965). Not one of the songs mentioned so far appears on “Stoat-Hearted Woman”, which is an album of entirely original material. From among its thirteen tracks we were treated to the righteous defiance of Wrong Of Way, the profundity of Scattering My Tarantula’s Ashes At The Recreation Ground, the life-unaffirming wisdom of (You Can’t Eat) Monkey Nuts In Bed, the pongine injustice of Joe Martin, the forlorn howl of Environment Song, and, with Steve Benford accompanying on a second guitar, the gorgeous chip-cob blues of Chip Cob Blues. Add to this the appearance of Lunch Break Blues, a gem of a song too new for the album which it was launching. All share the wit and charm of a gifted songwriter. A swift exit-poll amid cries of “Huzzah!”, “Cracking!”, “Perfectly normal!”, and “Marvellous!” strongly suggests that we should book Sarah again. Meanwhile, fill your ears with this: https://sarahfarrell.bandcamp.com/album/stoat-hearted-woman Paul Carbuncle
* Ellum and rowan are available to those who choose to disbelieve in ivy trees.
Brilliant solo from Steve Benford (as usual) as well as accompanying Sarah
In their third very welcome visit to the Carrington Triangle, Christina and Alex again brought their unique blend of contemporary and traditional music to a very appreciative audience. In a small club like ours without a PA their intimate and engaging delivery comes across beautifully. Christina sings in a lovely pellucid, plangent voice and Alex closely harmonises in intertwining countertenor – although they sing English music they told me that they have been influenced by Americana style harmony singing. Christina, usually plays fingerpicking guitar in her inimitable eight to the bar strumming technique while Alex adds gentle melodic texture on the fiddle. This was how they began the first set, soon settling in to one of their most famous songs The Mountain Hare. Many of their songs are inspired by animals or nature and this was a feature of their performance tonight. I really enjoyed their interpretation of traditional songs — for instance, Christina played clawhammer banjo and Alex his 1950s Martin tenor guitar for My Flower, My Companion and Me and Sing John Ball, both given a distinctive Appalachian flavour. They followed this with Hunter, about a magical bond between a brown bear and a grey wolf, and then the beautiful A Hundred Years Ago which celebrates the birth of their daughter Etta. When they sing together, Christina and Alex often look at each other and it seems to the audience as if we are being included in intimate, emotional moments. This is one of the unique aspects of their performance. High spots in the second set included The Greenland Shark about ‘the oldest living vertebrate on earth’ that lives up to 500 years! ‘ 500 years I swam these seas, calling, calling for you.’ Safe Travels, the title track of their new album, and Our House both celebrate the importance of human community in our lives and were a fitting finale to the evening. For encore they did a rousing version of the shanty Blow Boys Blow with Alex playing spirited bluegrass style fiddle – great stuff! Mike Wareham
Jon Marsden, another of our great collection of floor singers
On Wednesday, 18th March, our guest at the Carrington Triangle was Bob Fox from Seaham, a former coal mining town, about six miles south of Sunderland, hence he specialises in songs from the North East. After the usual half hour of floor singers, Bob moved onto the ‘stage’ with an ease of manner, immediately engaging with the audience through interesting and amusing stories and song introductions, He began with My Love is in America by Chris Leslie, a wistful, haunting song about a young man whose girlfriend is forced to leave him in order to emigrate to the States with her father. This was followed by a song about the Sunderland naval hero, Jack Crawford, sometimes called The Hero of Camperdown. It tells the story of how he ‘nailed his colours to the mast’ during that battle in 1797. The third song, The Year Turns Round Again, was from the theatre production of War Horse, in which Bob appeared as Song Man, followed by another song from that production, Learning to Plough, where Joey the horse had to be taught how to ‘ plough a good furrow’ for a Devon village competition. Bob told us that he had to learn to play the melodeon for War Horse, and had one made in Gateshead to look like an early twentieth century instrument (Just a bit of info for melodeon enthusiasts!).
Towards the end of the first set came a song by Jez Lowe called Greek Lightening about a couple trying to get by on benefits, dreaming of a holiday in the Greek islands, but having to settle for day trips to Roker and Whitley Bay. As a northerner myself, I don’t happen to think those choices were a bad alternative, but a life on benefits is not much fun. Bob began his second set with Champion at Keeping Them Rolling about old-style long distance lorry drivers. It was written by Ewan MacColl, and Bob did mention, in his humorous way, that Ewan, who was really English pretending to be Scottish, sang as a Geordie (well, why not ?!). Peppers and Tomatoes was next, a political song by Ralph McTell referring to how the Orthodox Serbians and Catholic Croats got along with each other until Serbia, supported by Russia, went to war, intent on divide and conquer tactics. The Whitby Tailor was a rather quirky music hall song in which a shy young man, trying to date a young woman, suggests, after too many drinks, that they swap clothes. He ends up half naked while she runs off in his trousers, the pocket containing all his money! Bob followed with such well-known Geordie songs as The Bonny Gateshead Lass,When the Boat Comes In, The Lampton Worm and The Water of Tyne, ending this very entertaining evening with ‘ Big River’ by Jimmy Nail, another well-known Geordie. Inspired by Bob’s mention that Sunderland people were not Geordies but Mackems, I did a bit of research into these names. Apparently Mackem originates from Sunderland’s shipbuilding heritage, ‘we mack’em and they tack’em’, meaning, of course, ‘we make the ships and they take them out’. The name Geordie, on the other hand, possibly originates from the support Tynesiders gave to King George 2nd, during the 1745 Jacobite rebellion, or perhaps the nickname for local coal miners who used safety lamps or ‘geordie lamps’ as designed by George Stephenson. There is much rivalry between Geordies and Mackems, stemming from sides taken during the Civil War, industrial competition and football teams. Just thought you might like to know all that. Yes, it was, in Geordie-speak, a champion night, having that canny lad back after a ten year gap. We all enjoyed his many chorus-songs, his powerful – and at times very passionate – singing, skillful guitar work, his melodeon playing, and well, his northernness!
Great floor singers again: Matt Blick and Phil Harrison, even cooler than usual
Maureen McGuinness, on behalf of Carrington Triangle folk club.
This month’s guest was Paul Carbuncle, launching his new CD Reverse Canterbury Pleasure. The title is the name of a peal of bells: you can interpret it as you wish.
Paul has connections across a much wider social activist and music scene than folk clubs like ours, so he attracted a wide range of admirers. Often it’s the job of a guest performer to win over the audience and to provide some background and justification for their songs, but we were all on Paul’s side (and knew a fair few of the songs) right from the start, so he just got on with the music, and gave us two well-filled sets – 29 songs in all. Many were from the new record (Drinking Money, My Name is Dessie Warren, A Tree Song), but there were welcome favourites like Cookie’s Old Cries of Nottingham (with a tribute to Cookie’s help in recording and performing on the CD), Pig Farmer, Isambard, Deport First, The Mermaid (with Blossom demonstrating the ‘three times round’ bit), Ben Kenobi….
Paul’s performances are always powerful and impressive. His singing is beautifully clear, so it’s possible to make out every word (a skill that’s not that common, unfortunately), and, more importantly, he conveys the meaning of every word, too – and all the songs have a message or a story. His guitar style is quite idiosyncratic, and often fast and furious, but the power and vigour of this playing can be deceptive: it’s not all sound and fury. His left hand is wonderfully dexterous up and down the fingerboard, and the right hand is really precise, as well as rapid.
The CDs Paul brought sold fast, and he was kept busy in the interval with a queue of people wanting them signed (if you missed your chance, CDs and downloads are on Bandcamp). There were mugs and T-shirts available, too. There was already someone wearing a T-shirt by the beginning of the second half.
At the end of the night, Paul had difficulty getting away, because of the queue of people waiting to tell him what a great evening it had been. They were right.
Phil Harrison and Rob Duley, two of our excellent collection of floor singers
This is the fourth time Reg Meuross has been to the Carrington Triangle and more than ever I am struck by how lucky we are to have such a major artist at our little folk club. Reg seems to be able to write great songs about a huge variety of subjects and he makes each song hit home with real emotion.
He started off the first set with three songs from his latest song cycle Fire and Dust, which is about the life and songs of Woody Guthrie. Pete Townsend from The Who had the idea of drawing a direct line between Guthrie and Dylan up to Meuross (he produced the LP) and in these songs you can see that Reg is a worthy bearer of their torch. The first song, Fire and Dust, starts off with the verse,
You are the voice you are the call You are the word of one and all You who know a lesson learned in fire upon your heart is burned.
Fire played a tragic part in Woody’s life and dust refers to the dust bowl where he was brought up and wrote many songs about. In the next song A Folk Song’s a Song, Reg sings
Hey hey Woody Guthrie I made you this song from the words you’ve been saying and the tunes you have sung I wrote it to say we’ve been listening to you from those who have been having some hard travelling too.
The last song from Fire and Dust was the Gypsy Singer, sung in the voice of Bob Dylan when he went to see Woody Guthrie in hospital dying of Huntington’s Chorea in 1961. It’s a haunting, lyrical account -masterly songwriting. Reg sings in a distinctive tenor voice — and fingerpicks and strums his 1940s Martin guitar in a non-flashy way that never gets in the way of the lyrics. He talks to the audience fluently and warmly between songs, telling us lots of stories about his life and about the songs he’s singing. After telling us a lovely story about his Appalachian dulcimer called Dave he sang the song I am a Fish-house Woman from his Hull trawler disaster cycle. He then told us about how he wrote the song cycle Stolen from God (2022) which is about the pernicious slave trade between the 17th and the 19th centuries. He sang Good Morning Mr. Colston (which has become a classic) and ended the first set with I Bought Myself an African. Both songs employ a biting sardonic humour in the English satirical tradition:
Their purpose is to labour for your need Sanctioned by his holiness, by royalty decreed and it’s the right of every English man … so I bought myself an African.
Reg started off the second set with two much more personal songs – the Shoreline and the Sea and Jealous– both show that he is just as adept with emotions as with social and political subjects. He continued with another classic, Angel in a Blue Dress, a paean to an NHS nurse. He also sang Leaving Alabama, Cry a New Song and I Believe in You. He finished with another all-time classic, England Green and England Grey — one of the only songs I know that captures our ambivalence towards a country so beautiful and so marred by corporate and capitalist greed. This was an inspiring and inspiriting performance, delivered with warmth, humanity and passion and we all sang the encore Shine On with, I like to think, similar passion!
‘Shine on like a diamond in the mine Shine on like the spirit of mankind’.
Notts Alliance packed the club last Wednesday, 10 December.
The group has been an important and respected part of the Nottingham traditional music scene, with some changes in membership, since 1972. The current lineup, Chris Orme, Phil Hardcastle and Stephen Bailey, dates from 1986. So there were many old and new familiar faces of singers, dancers, and musicians in the audience. I remember Notts Alliance from back in the 70s, when the much-missed Sid Long was in the group, and I was certainly pleased to be there this week. Although they’re active and important around Nottingham, they hadn’t been guests at Carrington for a long time, not since before the pandemic. They gave us an entirely unaccompanied set with striking harmony singing, sharing leads across all three. They’re all grand singers, but I particularly enjoyed Phil’s clear tones coming through on some of the quieter numbers. Steve effortlessly shifted across a very wide range for his harmonies. Although Notts Alliance were always part of the local traditional scene, they gave us a lot of contemporary songs mixed in with the old songs*. They started with Richard Thompson’s stirring Wall of Death and ended with Jez Lowe’s Back in Durham Jail. But in between there were several old songs like Creeping Jane (a tribute to Joseph Taylor) and a lovely version of Bushes and Briars, with several verses which aren’t usually heard. We had seasonal songs too – a wassail, and John Jacob Niles’ I Wonder As I Wander (probably not as traditional as Niles made out, but at least 90 years old, so it’s become part of the repertoire by now – and it’s a nice song). Chris has raised the telling of bad jokes to a fine art, and that livened up the evening, too. Some of the jokes even made Phil and Stephen wince. In all, a great evening, with powerful chorus singing from the audience, as always, and a great feeling of mutual support around the room coming out of the strength, depth and longevity of the local scene. We hope it’s not so many years before we have them back again.
Notts Alliance’s long history brought some important singers from the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire folk scenes to the club. Here’s Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham giving us a song, with Al Atkinson and Ken Brammah listening. Hugh Miller
*My classification of ‘contemporary’ is a bit biased: Ewan MacColl’s Radio Ballad songs (they gave us a few) from 1960 or so are still modern as far as I’m concerned.
Usual time. Free admission. Bring some snacks to share. No raffle, but if you bring a small wrapped present you can join in the tombola. Christmas jumpers will not be barred. Don’t forget Notts Alliance on 10th December, as well.
(No meetings 24th and 31st December: see you January)
Doug and Sarah are longstanding Derbyshire artists who had been our guests before Covid, so longstanding members expected a mix of traditional songs and dance tunes, some of them by Sarah and Doug. They have had 30 years of playing together in ceilidhs and folk clubs, which showed in their clear introductions and well-planned set list. The Taoist Tale from Doug, a song by Tucker Zimmerman about the uncertainty of luck, was followed by hornpipes and the Child ballad Willy’s Lady where Sarah shone.
They soon let us join choruses of In Praise of Alcohol, a Robert Service poem, and the 16th century Jolly Good Ale and Old. We had dance tunes from Belgium and France, Orange in Bloom and a lovely tune written by Chris Wood. Sarah followed the Thomas Raine song Fourpence a Day with her composition Gathering Round about the joy of participation in celebration. When we asked for an encore, they gave us the Padstow May Song which let us finish the night with a rich chorus.
