11th November – Maria Dunn and Shannon Johnson

The guests at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 11th November are Maria Dunn with Shannon Johnson and all reviews and information suggest that the Irvine audience are in for an excellent night. Both are based in Alberta in Canada and are in the UK for a month-long tour.
Maria Dunn was born in Scotland but moved to Ontario with her parents as a young child. She is now based in Edmonton, Alberta. She has five CDs to her name – all of them produced by Shannon Johnson, one of Western Canada’s most-in-demand record producers. Maria is a singer and also plays guitar, accordion and whistles. She honed her accordion skills accompanying fiddlers at weekly pub sessions. Her playing can meld folk, bluegrass and country.
Maria also has a formidable songwriting talent. She writes about the lives of working men and women and hopes that her songs will give a richer understanding of history and make for a more compassionate take on today’s world.
Appearing alongside Maria is Shannon Johnson. She began studying violin aged three and was playing professionally at eight! Since then, numerous fiddling awards at national and international levels have come her way. Shannon also has an excellent voice and is said to have a raucous sense of humour.
It’s strongly recommended that you are at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 11th November to hear Maria Dunn and Shannon Johnson. The Club starts at 8pm in Vineburgh Community Centre in Quarry Road and it’s BYOB.
Elsewhere, on Friday 20th November in the University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel a concert will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Muir –‘the father of Scottish democracy’. It is part of a series of events celebrating the life and times of a remarkable man. A contemporary of Burns, Thomas Muir was transported to Botany Bay for 14years for advocating universal suffrage and parliamentary reform. Dick Gaughan, Rallion and the Kirkintilloch Male Voice Choir are some of those appearing. Tickets are £15 from www.thomasmuir.co.uk/thomasmuir250