Ropery Hall News

Back in 1995, five of the finest folk, blues and soul singers of their generation found themselves at the Cambridge Festival, decided to sing some songs together, magic happened and Daphne’s Flight took off.

“At the time Daphne’s Flight was seen as marking a turning point in the role of women within the English folk movement,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk.

The group will be appearing at Ropery Hall, Barton upon Humber, on Saturday, May 27.

Now, more than two decades after their impressive and much loved debut album Daphne’s Flight,  the remarkable ensemble of Christine Collister, Melanie Harrold, Julie Matthew, Helen Watson and Chris While have once again got together again – older, wiser and twice as powerful!

Their second album (and the first in 21 years)    Knows Time, Knows Change was released at the beginning of May and according to Liz “’the repertoire crosses a huge range of topics and genres, blending folk, blues, jazz and pop whilst also dipping into new and vibrant arrangements of classic songs – all woven together with striking harmonies and supported by a range of instrumentation and percussion.

“These live well-matched female artists have come up with an inspired offering,” Liz carried on.  “The music of Daphne’s Flight is a unique and magical blend of their five individual styles, completely captivating now as it was then – with the same magical blend of simplicity and sensitivity as on their debut recording, but now with a powerful new layer of weight and gravitas”

From the 1990s to the present day these women have woven their way in and out of each other’s lives working together on albums, tours and ultimately the collaboration at the Cambridge Festival that begun this unique collaboration, recording their first album and then going on to record and perform independently.

With as much energy and enthusiasm as they ever had, Daphne’s Flight is as excited to be reuniting again as we are to hear them play,” added Liz.

Tickets to see Daphne’s Flight cost £18 in advance or £20 on the door.  Advance tickets can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person at The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery or by calling 01652 660380.

Sax virtuoso Snake Davis returns to his roots for the next two Sax Sundays at Ropery Hall as he invites on stage two musicians who have both collaborated  with him on his musical journey.

On Sunday, May 7, Snake is joined by Chris Parkinson, one of his favourite collaborators.

“Chris is an incredibly gifted multi-instrumentalist, piano, guitar, concertina, melodeon, piano accordion,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk.

“Whitby based musician provides those melodic extras to tunes, helping to give them that magical touch and if you’ve ever watched Billy Connolly`s  World Tour Of England, Ireland and Wales and listened to the theme tune, you’ll have heard his work,” Liz continued.

“Known more for his work in the folk world but equally at home and adept with jazz world and soul, his credits include Ralph McTell, Billy Connelly, Martin Carthy & Norma Waterson, Mike Harding, Steve Tilston, Martin Simpson, Steve Phillips.

“Legendary in folk music circles he also performs blues, rock ’n’ roll and even a bit of jazz and is hugely knowledgeable about his craft.  He can  also tell a good yarn and  you’ll catch his dry sense of humour too.”

This show will certainly include English Scottish and Irish traditional tunes, Tex-Mex, Cajun, jazz and a bit of Bob Dylan with Snake  on flutes, saxes, whistles and vocals.

The following month, on Sunday, June 4, Snake is joined by John Thirkell , one of Britain’s top trumpet and flugelhorn players.

Since the 1980s, he has played on literally hundreds of pop, rock, and jazz recordings and has also appeared on 22 No. One records. He was on at least one album in the UK charts continuously, without a break, for more than 13 years and in 2009 he had two consecutive UK No.One singles with Pixie Lott.

After leaving school at 16 John worked in a coal mine before heading off to university,  then to Leeds College of Music where he and Snake met. They have played together as often as possible ever since.

The performances on each evening start at 7.30pm and tickets cost £13 in advance or £15 on the door.  They can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person at The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery or by calling 01652 660380

The end of the month Folk Night on April 29 at Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall features singer and harpist Rachel Newton who earlier this month won BBC Radio 2’s Folk Award Musician of the Year 2017 award.

Rachel has performed all over the world and at major festivals including the Tonder Festival in Denmark, Cambridge Folk Festival, and Celtic Connections.

Awarded the Scots Trad Music Awards Instrumentalist of the Year in 2016,  Rachel writes and performs her own solo material, releasing albums The Shadow Side in 2012 and Changeling in 2014 and, a year ago, her latest album, Here’s My Heart Come Take It.

A skilled collaborator, Rachel also recently started working with Scottish/Norwegian band Boreas and was one of the eight musicians to work on The Elizabethan Session project.

“Born and brought up in Edinburgh her interest in traditional music was sparked at an early age and her upbringing, both in Edinburgh and the Highlands,  has meant that she has been strongly influenced by a diversity of styles and this is highly evident in both her playing and singing,” said Mick Harding of promoters Mad Dog Folk.

Tickets to see Rachel’s gig, which begins at 8pm, cost £13 in advance or £15 on the door.  Tickets can be bought through www.roperyhall.co.uk

Sheffield singer-songwriter John Reilly and Canadian pianist Lewis Nitikman are playing at Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall on Saturday, April 8.

Liverpool born John, the front man for  Boy On A Dolphin and Acoustic Angels will be appearing alongside his Canadian writing partner Lewis Nitikman on piano who he has been collaborating with for 10 years.

“A John Reilly concert is almost a spiritual event,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk. “It promises to be anevening where every emotion is touched and unleashed in a uniquely intimate atmosphere created by his intensely profound lyrics and stunning vocals.”

Now living in Sheffield, John was one of three writers, the others being John Parr and Grammy award winning producer Eliot Kennedy who were responsible for the song Women of Steel that culminated in a major statue in the centre of Sheffield being erected to honour the women who worked in the steel industry during both World Wars.

It was in 2007 that John first collaborated with Lewis that began an incredible flurry of creativity that saw Lewis flying to the United Kingdom to continue the partnership.

Being asked to perform and be musical Director for a charity concert with Paul Carrack, Def Leppard and other Sheffield artists gave him the opportunity to showcase some of the new songs.

“This will be an amazing evening of stunning vocals, heart stopping lyrics and superb music. An up close and personal performance and  a wonderful chance to chill, listen and relax. Original acoustic songs with a few choice covers which have to be heard to be believed,” Liz continued.

“New songs continue to be tested by John in stripped down shows with him on guitar, percussion and vocal and Lewis on piano in concerts and there is a mixture of deep emotion and banter between the two. A real pair of opposites!”  Liz went on.

The pair will be on the Ropery Hall stage at 8pm and tickets in advance, costing £12, can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person at The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery or by calling 01652 660380.  Tickets on the door will cost £14.

.

A duo from the southern hemisphere, The James Brothers, will be bringing their own brand of folk, blues and bluegrass to Barton upon Humber when they appear at Ropery Hall.

The duo comes from Australia and New Zealand, countries in which the traditional songs and tunes of the British Isles have evolved their own unique characteristics and it’s these songs and tunes, and several of their own making, that The James Brothers have united to play.

“The James Brothers are not brothers and only one of them is called James but this duo allows them to be centre stage away from their other musical commitments,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk.

“The James Brother who is called James is Sydney-born James Fagan and is best known as one half of Nancy Kerr and James Fagan (both musically and maritally), and has also been spotted playing guitar and bouzouki in The Cara Dillon Band, the live circus that is Bellowhead and with his parents and sister as The Fagans, where his folk career began (in a decade which has only just become fashionable),” she said.

“The James Brother who isn’t called James is Jamie McClennan, a Kiwi who found himself in a duo with Scotland’s BBC-award-winning Emily Smith (whom he also married),” she went on.

“While both men are quick to point out that their work with their wives is still the primary passion, The James Brothers allows them to be centre stage – playing the music of their roots and telling jokes without fear of being told off.”

Drawing from the folk, blues and bluegrass that inspired them, the Brothers’ repertoire includes  songs written in the 1800s as well as  self-penned tunes.

For Fagan and McClennan this is about bringing their distinct Antipodean-steeped folk to a new audience, with songs and tunes brought to life by a fraternal bond between two very silly, but captivatingly gifted musicians.

“And that’s the James Brothers. Two men. Two Voices. Two Instruments… No Sheilas,” said Liz.

The James Brothers will be appearing at Ropery Hall on Saturday, March 25, starting at 8pm  Tickets cost £13 in advance or £15 on the door.  Advance tickets can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person at The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery or by calling 01652 660380

Talented guitarist Martin Harley and bassist Daniel Kimbro will be appearing on Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall stage to give the audience a taste of Nashville.

The duo will be at the Maltkiln Road venue on Saturday, March 4, with a sound that has been described by Guitar Magazine as “staggeringly good, no one is making music like it.”

“Martin is a supremely talented acoustic roots and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter with a burgeoning global reputation,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk. “His new studio album ‘Static In The Wires’ that was recorded in Nashville has just been released and follows the critically acclaimed ‘Live At Southern Ground”.

This is Martin’s seventh album to date and the second to feature Daniel Kimbro as well as 14 time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas (Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, and Dolly Parton), Derek Mixon (Chris Stapleton, Sam Lewis) and Micah Hulsher (Alabama Shakes).

“Their live shows seek to bring aspects of blues, Americana and folk to the table,” Liz went on. “ Martin plays a 100 year Weissenborn (Hawaiian acoustic lap guitar), while Daniel plucks beats, scratches and bows his double bass to create and an unexpected array of textures and sounds”.

Recently Martin has headlined Music City Roots in Nashville, while Daniel has played the Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry, and Bonnaroo.

Last summer in Canada the duo played Winnipeg, Vancouver, Canmore and Calgary Folk Music Festivals as well as shows in the Caribbean, the US and Europe.

The duo will be on stage at 8pm and tickets to the show cost £14 in advance or £16 on the door.  Advance tickets can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person at The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery or by calling 01652 660380.