7th November – Maurice Dickson

Pint-sized and bursting with talent, Maurice Dickson is the guest at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 7th November. Belfast born Maurice is a talented musician and has been described as a classic Irish troubadour.

Maurice has been writing, playing and singing and since he was fifteen, and put his first band together at sixteen. A few years later he hung up his engineer’s overalls for a life on the road as a musician. And he hasn’t looked back. His extensive travelling through Europe and North Africa means that he soaked up many musical influences as well as gaining valuable experience as a performer. Being exposed to such a wide range of styles is reflected in his choice of repertoire which does not fit any of the usual categories.

Stunning guitar skills and a strong stage presence are what come to mind when recalling a Maurice Dickson live gig. His folk and blues guitar picking are his trademark. Extensive travelling means he has accumulated a lot of experience and therefore knows the songs that suit his voice. Maurice also has a quirky sense of humour and freely admits to being prone to doing meandering song intros – must be the Irish in him!

He has a number of albums to his name as well as having recorded with Catherine Ashcroft – a fine Whistle and Irish Pipes player. When not touring solo, Maurice and Catherine sometimes go out as a duo. His writing, recording and touring in Ireland, England, Scotland, Holland, Germany, Denmark and the USA keeps Maurice keeps him busy the whole year round.

Guitar players of whatever standard should be at Irvine Folk Club to hear Maurice Dickson, asking themselves ‘How does he do that?!’ Hear this acoustic guitar master at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 7th November starting at 8pm in Vineburgh Community Centre in Caldon Road and remember it’s BYOB.

Looking not so far ahead, the dates for the 2019 Celtic Connection are 17th January – 3rd February. All info from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall or online at Celtic Connections. Tickets can be booked by phone on 0141 353 8000. The litany of names appearing is almost overwhelming, but search around. Diamh, Kathy Mattea, Danu, Gretchen Peters The Young’uns, The Tweed Project, Graham Nash – yes, that Graham Nash ! – plus load of theatre and workshops plus The Rebellious Truth: Celebrating Hamish Henderson and, in a similar vein, Grace & Danger: A Celebration of John Martyn and not forgetting the Gaelic Songs of Beethoven – all of this and more at the 2019 Celtic Connections.