Author: Pete Heywood

Tickets are now available online for the first of our special Marymass 50 Concerts to be held in the upstairs hall in The Townhouse, The Portal, Irvine. Friday 27th October, 7.30pm. This first concert is The Johnny Silvo Story

Johnny Silvo was a regular performer at Marymass Folk Festival over most of its 50 year history, and he was one who connected more than most with Irvine audiences. Johnny Silvo sadly passed away in 2011, just a few weeks after he had headlined the Marymass Saturday Evening Concert. Thankfully we have some wonderful live recordings of Johnny at Marymass and his musical legacy lives on in his songs and our memories. Johnny’s life story is a fascinating one and The Johnny Silvo Story will give you insight into the life of a travelling musician who was at the heart of the post war revival of music making which swept the country from the 50s and 60s setting the scene for so much of the music which thrives to the present day. Through the wonders of technology, The Johnny Silvo Story will be another chance to experience the music of Johnny Silvo, to sing along with him, and to see images from the recent and not so recent past. With Special Guests.

Tickets are £8 and are available online from this website www.irvinefolkclub.org.uk/tickets/ or will be on sale at Irvine Folk Club. The hall upstairs in the Townhouse is a lovely venue (it was where we held the Marymass Exhibition launch). We are limited to a capacity of 80 people, for what promises to be a very special evening. Please book your tickets early.

Tich Frier is our next guest on Wednesday 13th September. Tich has been a friend of the club since its earliest days back in the late 60s. A fine singer and a sharp wit. If you don’t know Tich have a look at his website but we advise you not to miss this one. www.tichfrier.co.uk (The photograph is one from our Marymass History archive – with Tich on the right hand side as one of the ‘spoof’ Opera Singers.)

The website has now been updated with the guests up to Christmas and most of them have website links so you can check them out at your leisure. 27th September – Eileen McGann www.eileenmcgann.com; 11th October – TBC; 25th October – James Keelaghan & Hugh McMillan www.keelaghan.com; 8th November – Flossie Malavialle www.flossiemalavialle.co.uk; SPECIAL EVENT: Saturday, 11th November. Far, Far from Ypres – The Volunteer Rooms (Please get your tickets well in advance as we expect this special performance to sell out quickly.); 22nd November – Kieran Halpin www.kieranhalpin.com; 6th December – Luckenbooth; 20th December – Christmas Surprise Night!

Tickets are now on sale for Far, Far from Ypres which we are bringing to Irvine as one of our special 50 year anniversary events. This will be in The Volunteer Rooms on Saturday 11th November at 7.30pm. Currently this is the only scheduled performance of the show in 2017 – the next confirmed performance is at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh in November 2018. Tickets have deliberately been set at an affordable level and are only £10. We expect the event to sell out quickly and we advise you to book them directly from the Folk Club or On-line before our main publicity for this event is launched.

www.irvinefolkclub.org.uk/tickets/

The leaflets are available, if you can help to distribute them please contact Joyce. Meantime, details are here.

Our guest list until the end of the Year is now complete. Here is the list for your diaries.

July 6th Bob Wood
July 20th Kelly’s Heroes
August 3rd Enda Kenny

August 17th – 21st THE 49th MARYMASS FOLK FESTIVAL

August 31st The Mairs Family Band
September 14th Mark and Cindy Lemaire
September 28th David Francey
October 12th Jack Law’s Band
October 26th Saffron Summerfield
November 9th Fraser Nimmo
November 23rd Forgaitherin (Glenfarg)
December 7th Alan Reid and Rob Von Sante

To make it easier for friends to vote for Irvine Folk Club in the Trad Awards you could point them to a link on the Folk Club website which will then take them directly to the voting page. Tell them to go to www.irvinefolkclub.org.uk/voting

You could share this address in a Facebook post, in an email to your contacts or even by good old fashioned word of mouth!

Irvine Folk Club has been nominated for Club of the Year in the Trad Awards. Here is a link to the voting page. It’s easy to do – and as the club approaches its 50th year it deserves this recognition.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tradawards2015

I thought club members would appreciate a reminder about the Concert and Album launch for Fraser & Ian Bruce – Mrs Bruce’s Boys – this Saturday, 10th October at Adelaides, Bath St, GLASGOW, 7.30. Tickets and details from www.trad.org.uk

Fraser used to be an MC at Irvine Folk Club and did a great night at the club recently. On that night, his brother Ian played guitar, but for this evening as Mrs Bruce’s Boys, you get the full power of Fraser and Ian together.  A little bit of as they were then, a bit of as they are now – and a hint of things to come.

Dawn Martin and Willie Sinclair won The Open Stage Competition at the 48th Marymass Folk Festival. Dawn looks happy – Willie looks shocked !!! The Judges were Beth Folkemer of Dearest Home and the weel kent face Tom Smith of Prestwick. A very popular decision – Dawn has certainly earned it. We can now look forward forward to Dawn playing at the Saturday night concert, headlined by special guests Na Leanai – the next generation of The Sands Family from Rostrevor, Northern Ireland. Tell your friends!!