Monday evenings at 8pm

5 Oct: Alice & David Wylde: Alice was raised in a small hollow in the heart of the state of West Virginia. She comes from a long line of singers. Singing was part of everyday living and many of her songs were passed down to her. Alice’s mother sang constantly, and songs were absorbed as chores were done on the small farm. Alice has lived for many years in England and is very often joined in song by her husband, David; also see www.wildgoose.co.uk/artists/alice-wylde and https://www.youtube.com/@AliceandDavidWylde.

12 Oct: Jerry O’Reilly & Rosie Davis are both much in demand as singers and dancers. Jerry, from Dublin, has been one of the organisers of the renowned An Góilín Traditional Singers for 40 years and of the Frank Harte Festival since its inception in 2006. He has recorded two solo CDs and has been involved in the production of books and CDs promoting the Irish song tradition, singers and collectors. Rosie, a singer, step-dancer and musician, has been a member of Sisters Unlimited, Jig Jaw, old-time trio Davis, Locker & Winquist and the English String Band, and has played bass in several well-respected bluegrass and old-time bands.

19 Oct: Arthur Knevett has been singing folk songs since the early 1960s. His extensive repertoire is mostly made up of English traditional songs but also includes a few Irish, Scottish and contemporary songs. He has developed his singing style by extensive listening to traditional singers, the influence of which has allowed him to develop a style of singing embedded in the tradition. He has also written and published a number of articles dealing with the early folk song movement, and his book The Folk-Song Society: A History, has just been published by The Ballad Partners, ISBN 978-1-0686406-7-4.

26 Oct: Three Idle Women sing with warmth and humour about life, love, adventure and the rich heritage of the UK’s waterways. Their beautifully blended close harmonies and a delightfully quirky array of instruments – including saw, propeller, ukuleles, concertina, trumpet, accordion – bring fresh life to traditional folk songs alongside a collection of their own. Expect stories of waterways people and places, along with an abundance of friendship and community. Suitable for all ages – for land-lubbers and canal enthusiasts alike.

2 Nov: Dónal Maguire is a masterly Irish singer of traditional and other songs, and plays mandolin and tenor banjo. Originally from Drogheda, County Louth, he came to Britain as a teenager, and his interest in traditional music and song was generated by the Clancy Brothers and the Dubliners. In London, he became a resident at the famous Singers’ Club, alongside Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, John Faulkner and Sandra Kerr. He then lived in Lancashire for many years, and issued several albums to great critical acclaim, culminating in his CD Michael Davitt – the Forgotten Hero? and the film Chasing Michael Davitt, which received very good reviews. He’s now back in Ireland, in County Clare.

9 Nov: Stanley Accrington has written hundreds of songs in a range of styles and on many subjects; some are very silly, some political, most very funny. There are old-style songs on current happenings and modern style songs on ancient events, plus poems, pastiches, parodies, and possibly anything; an entertaining evening is guaranteed.

16 Nov: Peter Shepheard is a singer and melodeon player with a song repertoire that includes many songs from his own collecting. While a student at St Andrews in the 1960s, he started his collecting among the traveller singers on the famous berry fields of Blairgowrie, and also recorded among the gypsy families of Gloucestershire. He was a founder member of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) in 1966 and later set up his record label, Springthyme Records, based at his home in Fife. He has performed both solo and as part of the trio Shepheard, Spiers and Watson. He is an organiser of the annual Fife Traditional Singing Festival (FifeSing). In 2018 he was given the Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Traditional Music.

23 Nov: JEoin hails from Limerick City in the west of Ireland. In the mid-1980s, he moved to London, where he made a name for himself as a folk singer and traditional accompanist. His lyrical “song poetry” style and innovative guitar skills caught the attention of his contemporaries and led to his involvement in a number of solo and group projects throughout the 1990s. During a 30-year career in London, he was active in local community projects and many diverse musical activities, some at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith. From headlining events to regular guest appearances, he played an active part in the thriving Irish session scene around London as both a singer/accompanist and a session organiser. JEoin has toured extensively in mainland Europe, and has made a number of albums, including Exiles, Acrobat, Sunshowers and Snakes. He moved back to Ireland in 2017.

30 Nov: Rosie Stewart is a renowned and popular singer from County Fermanagh with a great repertoire of serious and funny songs. She has won various awards, including TV station TG4’s singer of the year, and has sung all over Europe, in Canada and the US, and for two presidents of Ireland. When younger, she and her siblings performed as the McKeaney Sisters, inspired by Irish traditional lyrics they’d learnt from their father.

7 Dec: Elizabeth & Jameson: Hannah Elizabeth (vocals/violin) and Griff Jameson (vocals/guitar) have merged their individual backgrounds in traditional folk and folk pop/rock to create a stunning acoustic folk-roots duo, with original songs rich in emotive storytelling and a harmony-driven sound featuring guitar, violin and exquisite vocals. Since first releasing material as a duo in 2016, they have become mainstays of the UK acoustic folk-roots scene. In addition to their own extensive touring, they have performed at some of the UK’s biggest acoustic and folk clubs and festivals, including Cambridge Folk Festival and the British Country Music Festival, and have opened for several well-known performers.

then closed until 4 January

Kevin McDonnell has taken many photos at the Cellar since 2010; you can see them here
To see a history of the club from 1960 to 2020 (when it was written), click here