OUR SPRING & SUMMER 2009 PROGRAMME

Sat 7th February     Hard Times             www.frontroommusic.freeservers.com/custom.html

Hard Times is a three piece traditional acoustic band, featuring a wide and varied repertoire which includes music and song from Britain, Ireland, America and other sources.
The band play a variety of instruments eg; Guitar, Banjo (5 string and Tenor), Mandolin, Fiddle, Flute, Whistle and Bass - all to an extremely high level of competence.
They cover a wide spectrum of traditional and contemporary music and a few bits and pieces which don’t really fall into either category but everything is played at a level unsurpassed by most other bands.

Sat 7th March     KING VILLA : Swingers in Suspenders     www.absolutelyfrank.com

It's bold, brassy, occasionally risque and certainly not afraid to be excellent entertainment ...
Welcome to a swinging cabaret night at the King Villa Lounge, Hollywood.
James Cagney and Joan Crawford host a galaxy of stars ... Bing Crosby, Marlene Dietrich, Groucho Marx, Carmen Miranda, Dean Martin, Edith Piaf and Frank Sinatra have already agreed to lend their talents!
King Villa performers Jo King and Alexi Harden sing and play piano, trumpet, sax and guitar in "Glorious Technicolor".
Song, dance, comedy, puppetry, glamorous costumes (including suspenders) are all here in a kaleidoscopic, burlesque review of the 1930's, 40's and 50's.
A musical journey through the songs and stars of the Swing era, creating a vaudeville cabaret evening of first class entertainment.

Sat 4th April     Howard Haigh     Latino Guitar Blues - a world of music

LAVA consists of a tight unit of four excellent musicians:- Howard Haigh - Spanish Guitar, 2007 Composer of the Year nominee; Guy Morris - Acoustic Guitar, blues and bottleneck slide, vocals; Xtof Lheureux - Percussion, voice, dance; Dave Shooter - Bass
They possess a real rapport with each other and with their audience.
Stunning musicianship in a fast-moving and exhilarating performance-filled with warmth, humour and audience participation, stories, exotic instruments, juggling, props and spontaneity. Songs and instruments from around the world mix with dazzling originals to create a rich varied and satisfying programme.
Although the focus is firmly on guitars, the show includes a good many other sounds, bongos, harmonicas, melodica, cajon, musical cheeks (!), all the ingredients for a truly memorable evening.
Audience participation allowed and deeply encouraged! Suitable for all ages.

Sat 2nd May   Freerange Theatre Company   www.freerangetheatre.co.uk/

The Cutting by Maureen O'Brien is a UK Premiere tour and will be directed by Peter Wright. The cast will include Hugo Chandor and Isabelle Defaut.
Did Judith, a young woman held in a secure unit murder her mother? She has remained silent for five months and it takes Alex, a psychiatrist specialising in mutism weeks to unlock her silence. What follows could never have been predicted.

Sat 6th June                 Trovatori                         www.trovatori.com/

Whalley based professional opera singers Darren and Caroline make up the acclaimed singing duo Trovatori.
The versatile couple will present a light-hearted and entertaining concert including well-known duets and arias from such favourites as ‘La Traviata’ and ‘Madame Butterfly’, scenes from musicals like ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Phantom of the Opera’ alongside selections from classic operettas ‘The Merry Widow’ and ‘Die Fledermaus’. With Neopolitan greats like ‘O Sole Mio’, ‘Santa Lucia’ and English and Scottish songs with guitar accompaniment, we can look forward to a relaxed and enjoyable night’s performance.
To make the most of the varied selection the concert will (unusually) be in three parts with two short intervals..

Sat 4th July         Malkin Folk Quartet             www.malkinband.co.uk/

Malkin perform with: Guitars, Fiddle, Bouzouki, Banjo, Mandolin, Flute, Whistles, Bodhran and Uillean pipes.
They play traditional and contemporary folk music with songs from a wide variety of sources and influences. Material is mostly English and Celtic in origin, both accompanied and unaccompanied, with some original compositions.
They specialise in three-part harmonies and interesting instrumental accompaniments, but also play lively jigs and reels and beautiful slow airs.