May Music Month – Folk in the Library

New Lynn Library, Saturday 3rd May, 10am – 4pm

and

Titirangi Library, Saturday 10th May 10am – 4pm

Montage of Titirangi Folk Music Club performers
Titirangi Folk Music Club performers

Drop in and out or stay for the whole day – we’ve got a jam-packed line-up of performances from the amazing members of the Titirangi Folk Music Club!

Bring your friends and enjoy a day of great music and good vibes:

Here’s the programme:-

10:00am Friday Folk

Some musicians performing at Friday Folk: Paul, Clive & John

Featuring performances from a mix of musicians from the Club’s ‘Friday Folk,’ a session held each 4th Friday of the month, where various musicians gather to share, perform, play individually or together, in an informal way, giving people an opportunity to gain confidence and collaborate with new and different artistes.

11:00am Forgotten But Not Dead

Once heard, these guys are hard to forget, with Lew Black’s powerful voice, Andrew Gough’s intricate guitar work and John McKeown’s smooth harmonica playing, together with their combined harmonies. All three have a long involvement in the local folk music scene. Lew is well known for guesting at the Auckland and Hamilton Folk Festivals and for performing, internationally and locally, with the Maritime Shanty Crew, and with Andrew in ‘Brouhaha’ and ‘High Wide & Handsome.’ They’ll entertain you with eclectic songs and some humour in the mix.

11:30am Anglo

Anglo is Madeline Beasley and Bill Morrison, talented singers who have been long-time performers in the folk scene in various groups or solo. Anglo will present songs from England and America, or whatever takes their fancy. When they perform, you will hear close harmonies either a capella or backed with a variety of instruments including guitar and banjo.

12:00 Beverley Young

Beverley Young is one of the brightest stars in the New Zealand folk firmament, with a vocal talent that enables her to perform in a variety of folk genres. But her heritage is English – her father emigrated from Durham – and it is the folksong traditions of the British Isles that are her first love and that remain at the core of her extensive repertoire. Beverley has won acclaim at concerts and festivals throughout New Zealand and in Australia and the UK for her singing, and her recordings have had equal success – her first won the New Zealand Folk Album of the Year award, and two subsequent albums were finalists.

12:30pm Al Young

Al Young is an elder statesman of New Zealand blues and folk. He’s played every major folk festival in the country – and some in Australia – he’s been a featured artist on the annual “Beale Street Mess Around” in Memphis, Tennessee, three times, and he’s won the NZ Folk Album of the Year Award. As well, he’s an international authority on blues and gospel music, with two books and many articles and CD liner notes to his credit. But above all, he’s a great blues guitar picker, known for his mastery of slide-style guitar, a powerful singer… and a dynamic, entertaining performer.

1:00pm The Three Voices

The Three Voices

The Three Voices are Hannah Pronk (18), Shannon McClennan (17) and Charlotte McClennan (15) who enjoy singing a mix of folk, theatre and country music. Individually, they have achieved significant roles in various musical productions by the Glen Eden Playhouse Theatre. The McClennan sisters have grown-up being involved in folk music with their musical families; both sisters have won the coveted Martin Blackman Junior Awards at the Auckland Folk Festival and run children’s concerts at both Auckland and Hamilton Folk Festivals. They’ve chosen a range of folk music and musical theatre songs for you because they like them. Come along and support our young musicians. We’re sure you’ll enjoy the show.

1:30pm Celtic Ferret

Celtic Ferret’s performances are lively celebrations of Jean Reid & Ian Bartlett’s rich heritage of traditional music, thoughtfully arranged, sprinkled with humour, with plenty of opportunity for audience involvement. As quality exponents of British Traditional folk music, Celtic Ferret is one of the very few duos in New Zealand keeping this genre alive. They have performed on the main stages of many NZ folk festivals and are regulars on the folk club circuit. Their repertoire includes tunes, ballads, cautionary tales, stories of rogues and vagabonds and original material. They intersperse their sets with New Zealand traditional songs and a few of their own originals performed on any one of flute, guitar, whistles, smallpipes, mandolin and a couple of bodhrans, singing in harmonies from downright raw to eerily haunting.

2:00pm Pomahaka Tyne

Pomahaka-Tyne are a folk duo who perform traditional and contemporary songs and tunes from North-East England, Scotland, Ireland, America and beyond. Janet Thomson sings and plays guitar, alongside Helen Douglas who plays the Northumbrian Small Pipes and a variety of whistles. They are named ‘Pomahaka Tyne’, after their home-town rivers.

2:30pm Paul Brown

Paul (Bolshie) Brown has been agitating the Auckland folk scene for the past 15 years since his arrival in Aotearoa. Hailing from Dundee in Scotland, Paul has a vast store of Scottish urban working-class songs which he sings with great gusto at the slightest opportunity. Paul sings with his audience, not to them, so singing choruses is compulsory! Let’s use the power of song to change the system and celebrate the working class!

3:00pm Warren & Fi

Warren Payne, a multi-instrumentalist, and regular performer on the Auckland music scene for several decades, is well known for running Celtic pub sessions, Folk Festival singalongs, numerous Folk Club and Aged Care appearances, long-time membership of The Maritime Crew, and several Celtic bands playing pubs, weddings etc.
Partner Fi Sadiq presents an eclectic selection of lovely songs, as well as bringing sweet harmonies, percussion, banjo, guitar, autoharp, harmonica and ukelele into the instrumental mix as required.
Together, they form a charming, fun-loving duet that entertains with grace and good humour.

3:30pm Paul & Jennifer

Paul and Jennifer Howarth sing without the aid or hindrance of instrumental accompaniment. Their songs mainly come from the industrial north of England, many via the folk revival of the 1960s, but at least one dates back as far as the 1560s. Songs of work and of hard times when there is no work, dramatic songs, humorous songs, songs of love, songs of war, songs of grief and loss, songs of joy and celebration.

TFMC @ Titirangi Library – Saturday 4th May 2024

As part of their promotion of New Zealand Music Month in May, Auckland Libraries have given the club an opportunity to entertain their visitors with a day of music at the Titirangi Library on May 4th.

Here’s the programme:-

Lew Black with guitar, other instruments in background

10:30-11:00  Lew Black

A singer with a big voice and a wide-ranging repertoire from sea songs, shanties, Country, Americana, traditional British and comedy. This entertaining musician is full of surprises.

11:00-11:30 Mike & Ros Maguire

Harmony singers who make an art out of playing ukeleles.

Mike & Ros Maguire performing to microphones with Ukuleles
Warren & Fi, in close up, before a background of trees and sky

11:30-12:00 Warren & Fi

A singing duo who describe their style as ‘laid back acoustic.’

12:00-12:30 Good Times

Alice McLeod & Bea Parker – a duo accompanied by guitars who will entertain us with fine harmonies and sweet songs.

Alice and Bea, accompanied by guitars
A reflective looking John in front of a leafy background

12:30-1:00  John McKeown & friends

From Titirangi Folk Club’s Friday Club – made up of different performers who play once a month at the club’s informal get-together.

1:00-2:00 The Shambles Band

Comprising 4 members of the Auckland Morris Band who will play lively tunes and songs in costume, with all sorts of instruments.

The Shambles Band, with instruments, dressed in Morris Dancing Regalia
Alex, Shannon & Charlotte, in a relaxed pose

2:00-2:30 The McClennan Family

Alex McClennan (guitar & vocals) and his daughters Shannon (16) and Charlotte (13) performing a mix of contemporary and trad songs.

2:30-3:30 Celtic Ferret

Ian Bartlett and Jean Reid, who perform as a duo and soloists, bringing us a delightful mix of harmony singing and tunes on various instruments with a celtic and traditional flair. Fresh from the Wellington Folk Festival.

Jean and Ian, playing mandolin & whistle respectively, in front of fireplace and beside table with various 'pub' games
Janet and Helen, with instruments in front of New Zealand Bush

3:30-4:00 Pomahaka-Tyne

Helen Douglas (Northumbrian Smallpipes & whistle) and Janet Thomson (guitar & vocals). Named for the rivers of their home towns, they will perform a variety of traditional songs and tunes from near and afar including Scotland, Ireland and Northumberland.

Pick your time, or make a day of it, then just go along and ENJOY!

CONCERT with Aro – Saturday 14th November 2020

NOW AT GLEN EDEN BAPTIST CHURCH 97 GLENDALE RD, GLEN EDEN.

This will be the first time we’ve put on a concert for some time, but we’ve got some great guests, and a great support act, to make it all worthwhile.

Aro
Aro
Aro

Aro are a husband and wife duo, made up of Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata, Te Ati Awa) and Emily Looker (nee Rice). The pair met at Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau (University of Auckland), both studying for a Bachelor of Music (Pop), and discovered that they shared a passion for the power of language and music to tell stories, create community and remind us of our cultural identity.

Love defines this jazz-pop-RnB, husband & wife pair, and harmony is their signature.

Their first single Kōtare is a showcase of the distinctive sound that Aro has become known for; a warm blend of pop, R&B, jazz, and taonga pūoro. The track is a jubilant guitar driven melody, inspired by the kōtare (kingfisher). The gorgeously harmonious dual vocals carry the song, Emily’s honey-voiced jazz blending with Charles’ full throated haka sound, allowing the poetic te reo Māori lyrics to truly shine. Punctuated with percussive clicks and joyful whistles, Kōtare is an uplifting and beautiful example of the energy of the manu.

“The musicianship throughout – haunting and interlocking vocals, stick percussion, evocations of taonga pūoro, touches of Latin rhythms – is clever and diverse”

– Graham Reid, Elsewhere – Manu album review

To open the evening local group HIGH, WIDE & HANDSOME will perform a selection of…

  • Songs of the sea and songs of the land.
  • New songs, old songs, that centuries span.
  • Songs from all over, dusted out in the light.
  • Songs of joy and despair, of love and delight.
  • Stories of success and failure, some sad, some gloomy.
  • Songs we will sing with you so glad and so groovy!
High, Wide & Handsome

ADMISSION: MEMBERS $20, PUBLIC $25

We are here. At the bottom of Titirangi Beach Road, just beyond the car park.

The Jews Brothers Band / Bluegrass and Beyond – Saturday 13th July

Concert @ Lopdell House

DOORS 7.00PM for a 7.30PM START.

$20 All Comers.

The Jews Brothers Band

This idiosyncratic five-piece has become a legend throughout the land and after more than twenty years is still going strong, playing most recently at Auckland Folk Festival 2019 and Luminate 2019.  The secret of their enduring strength lies in the astounding musicianship of every band-member, their tightly wound mesh of instrumental and vocal harmonies, their exhilarating ‘beyond klezmer'” repertoire and their enormous drive and infectious rhythms.

Continue reading “The Jews Brothers Band / Bluegrass and Beyond – Saturday 13th July”

Danny Priestley – in Concert – Friday 22nd March 2019

Danny Priestley kissing microphone

Large stage presence, honest banter, famed voice and great choice of songs have been known to make hardened outback diggers cry into their Coopers. That’s what the Auckland Folk Festival publicity said about him and we’re not going to argue.

Originally from Australia, now from Hawke’s Bay, Danny was a big hit at the recent AFF and we’re sure he’ll prove just as big a hit with us this evening.


Madeline Beasley and Bill Morrison

2 musicians who have been regular features of the Auckland Folk Music scene for some time, recently they’ve started playing as a duo, and we’re very glad to have them open for Danny tonight.


Doors open 7.30pm for an 8.00pm Start.
Admission – limited to 50 persons.
$15 – Pre-Registration Recommended.
Contact Tricia Lee on 818 5659 to book your place.

We are here. At the bottom of Titirangi Beach Road, just beyond the car park.