Join us for a popular evening concert of folk music performed by tutors of the WCCP* Concertina weekend – Claire Wren, Brogan McAuliffe, Sandra Kerr and Iris Bishop.
*West Country Concertina Players are a Club of friendly concertina enthusiasts formed in 1983 and one of very few teaching clubs in the country.
They are joined by this years’ guests:
Claire Wren
Brogan McAuliffe: Anglo Concertina
London-born Brogan is a concertina and whistle player, whose family hails from Killarney, Co.Kerry. Her concertina influences include Micheal O’Raghallaigh, Edel Fox and Timmy Collins amongst many more. Brogan holds 4 All-Ireland titles and enjoys playing and touring with renowned band ‘The London Lasses and Chris O’Malley’. She has played at world class venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican Centre and Trafalgar Square in London and also has toured with the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland and the most recent Comhaltas tour of Ireland and Britain.
Sandra Kerr: English Concertina
Sandra Kerr has had a long and distinguished career in traditional music and as a song-writer of some distinction. She was tutored by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, in their celebrated (some say ‘controversial’) Critics Group, and with them and after, performed worldwide, and recorded many albums, both as a singer and as a multi-instrumentalist. Along with John Faulkner she wrote the songs and music for the much-loved and award-winning TV series, Bagpuss, and later became a popular and highly regarded lecturer on the Folk Degree in Folk & Traditional Music at Newcastle University. She was awarded the EFDSS gold badge for her contribution to the folk arts, and recently recorded a well-reviewed CD ‘Rebel With Her Chords’.
Iris Bishop: Duet Concertina
Iris is widely recognised for her skill and originality in playing the Duet Concertina, with a subtle and expressive approach to song accompaniment and a solo repertoire that includes styles not usually associated with this instrument. She is probably best known for her playing alongside singer Martyn Wyndham-Read with whom she has toured and recorded extensively, as well as performing in theatrical productions of shows like ‘Maypoles to Mistletoe’ and ‘Down the Lawson Track’. While continuing to perform with a variety of singers and instrumentalists, Iris is also in demand as a musical arranger and workshop leader, where she is inspiring a new generation of players with her enthusiasm and expertise.