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Chris Foster was at the forefront of the folk revival in the '70s when he was highly regarded as a cutting edge, serious interpreter of traditional song. He made two fine albums for Topic, gigged extensively and then diversified during the '80s into more of a mixed media bag, steadily re-emerging onto the club scene over the past 10 years. That his ability is undimmed is confirmed by his latest BBC Award nominated album "Hadelin", featuring Jackie Oates, John Kirkpatrick and Jim Causley and produced by Jim Moray. Traditional music (and a couple of Leon Rosselson items) delivered straight - memorable songs with deft acoustic guitar arrangements. His aim as an artist working within the folk tradition is to create music whose sense of history is easily matched by an unassuming feel for its current relevance, songs such as "The Flower of Serving Men", "Arthur McBride" and "Lord Bateman". As Chris says, "I find they offer a richness of imagery, insight and music that still speaks to me powerfully in the 21st century."

Admission £11.00 on the door, £10 in advance

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(60 tickets remaining)

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In 2008 piano player Gareth Kiddier was asked to put together a pit band for the Saturday night concert at a musicians’ weekend. He went for the glamour angle and asked five of the most talented and female traditional dance musicians to join him - Fi Fraser, Nina Hansell, Jeannie Harris, Sue Harris and Katie Howson. The result was so much fun that they now play for English dances as PolkaWorks. As they are scattered across the UK from Wales to East Anglia and all busy people, the opportunities to play together are always special occasions! Between them, these musicians have played in many of the most significant English ceilidh bands over the last forty years, influencing the shape and sound of traditional English dance music in the twenty first century. This will be approximately the tenth anniversary of the band's first ever public barn dance which, by an amazing coincidence, took place at Godalming Borough Hall!! Calling the dances will be one of the Borough Hall dancers' facourite callers, Barry Goodman. Barry has been calling for barn dances and ceilidhs for the best part of thirty years both with own own band, Time of Your Life, and with many other bands at folk festivals and ceilidhs all over the country. Barry's calling style is extremely inclusive, ensuring that absolute beginners, occasional dancers at experienced ceilidh-goers all have a fabulous time.

Admission £12.00 on the door, £11.00 in advance (£6.00 children up to 16 years of age))

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Record Corner, Pound Lane, Godalming GU7 1BX

(125 tickets remaining)

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2018 BBC Horizon Award nominee Georgia Lewis is a "young, exuberant and musically adept" (R2 Magazine) folk singer and multi-instrumentalist with "the stage assurance of a veteran". She plays whistles, accordion, piano, guitar, sings and is fast becoming one of the most in-demand artists on the club and festival circuit. In 2015 Georgia Lewis and her trio released her self-titled 5-track EP. Since then they have performed at festivals and folk clubs in the south of England and received air-play on national and internet radio stations including The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe on BBC Radio 2 and Mike Harding’s Folk Show. In 2015 Georgia won The Future of Young Folk Award at Bromyard Folk Festival and later won the Ely Band Competition at Ely Folk Festival. In 2017 Georgia released her debut album The Bird Who Sings Freedom, recorded in her parent's kitchen, featuring five musicians and co-produced with Josh Clark (Kate Rusby). The other members of her trio are Rowan Piggott, who last came to the club with Rosie Hodgson, and Felix Miller. Rowan learned fiddle growing up in Ireland, then trained as a chorister before undertaking a diploma in Jazz at Trinity College of Music. Felix studied music at Stratford College and as well as supporting Georgia he also plays for the Causeway Céilí Band as well as writing/arranging his own music.

Admission £11.00 on the door, £10 in advance

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(60 tickets remaining)

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Having enjoyed a series of successful come-all-ye's during our 2017/18 season we look forward to welcoming back our regular singers, musicians and wordsmiths - as well as meeting as many new local performers who wish to share their favourite songs, tunes, poems and tales. As ever Tim Stansfeld will be hosting the evening and making everybody welcome and inviting everyone who wishes to take the open stage in warm and friendly surroundings. Audience members are also extremely welcome as they are an essential ingredient to the success of the evening.

Admission £3.00 on the door (to cover the rent)

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Two of the finest exponents of Traditional Song in the United Kingdom, it is difficult to accept that these relatively young men have a combined 40+ years experience of performing at folk venues. This will be the duo's third visit to the club, though Mike has visited a couple of other times with the Wilson Family. Raised in Norfolk and heavily influenced by earlier Norfolk singers such as Walter Pardon and Peter Bellamy, Damien is a stylish and distinctive singer, either unaccompanied or using guitar or concertina and is probalby widest known as the Demon Barbers' front man. Though he has lived for a long time in West Yorkshire he retains a strong East Anglian identity. Mike Wilson is the youngest member of the Wilson Family, the powerful Teesside singing siblings who have raised the rafters at many a festival or folk club event. His musical heritage is emphatically that of the North East – rural and industrial folk song both traditional and modern. Damien and Mike have a rich shared repertoire of traditional songs plus the work of modern folk writers such as Bellamy, Ewan MacColl and Mike Waterson.

Admission £11.00 on the door, £10 in advance

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(60 tickets remaining)

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We are absolutely delighted to welcome Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne back to the club only a year after their last visit. They gave us one of the most sublime club nights of 2017 but they did not get the audience they so richly deserve to we booked them again immediately so that everyone got a chance to hear Niamh and Graham as soon as possible. One of the most distinctive voices in Irish music we strongly recommend you click on the YouTube link to hear Niamh in full flight. Growing up in Dublin, Niamh’s music-loving parents took her to local folk clubs where she was exposed to the songs and singing of the likes of The Johnstons, Sweeney’s Men, etc. "‘My father was a great singer, and on long journeys the family used to sing in the car – I don’t remember a time in my life when I was not singing – I love songs." Niamh, who was famously invited to sing at the White House by Bill Clinton, began her professional career with the Irish band Loose Connections in 1990 and then with the group Arcady. She began performing solo in 1999 and has released seven albums since 2002. Accompanying Niamh will be guitarist Graham Dunne, a musician of eclectic tastes. Graham's musical explorations have seen him dabble in Jazz, Flamenco and Indian music as well as the Irish tradition. This eclecticism has led to the accumulation of a vast repertoire of material, some items of which may well be included during the evening.

Admission £11.00 on the door, £10 in advance

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(60 tickets remaining)

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Admission £3.00 on the door (to cover the rent)

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We’re delighted to welcome this new combination of three very familiar faces - Kevin Dempsey, Paul Hutchinson and Carolyn Robson. Together, they will take us on an incredible musical journey, interpreting songs and tunes from Playford to the Rolling Stones and from all four corners of the earth in ways you have never heard before! Kevin Dempsey is a master guitarist and fine singer and is one of the most sought-after musicians on the UK folk scene and beyond. He has played and recorded with many of the most famous names in acoustic and folk music: Dave Swarbrick, Peter Knight, Dando Shaft, Whippersnapper and Mary Black. Paul Hutchinson is a superlative accordion player with a unique style inspired by church organ music, violins and concertinas! He has been a member of several groups including Hoover the Dog and The Playford Liberation Front but is probably best known and loved as one half of Belshazzar's Feast. Carolyn Robson is an acclaimed singer and interpreter of folk song from her native North-East as well as songs from early music to Cole Porter. She is probably best known locally as musical director of the Alton, Petersfield and Winchester Community Choirs. Carolyn’s exceptionally warm voice augmented by Kevin's apparently effortless guitar accompaniments and complemented by the imaginative depth of Paul’s accordion playing guarantees an evening of fabulous eclectic music.

Admission £11.00 on the door, £10 in advance

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(60 tickets remaining)

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Join one of the club's favourite guests, Jim Causley, in celebrating the Christmas season as he entertains you with lesser known West Country carols, medieval and secular carols from around the British Isles, his own settings of moving Christmas poems by his relative, the late Cornish poet Charles Causley, as well a gurt dollop of festive fun with songs of over-indulgence. Maybe even a spot of panto too! If you are feeling a little dismayed with the over-commercialisation of “Christmas present” then join Jim for a journey through "Christmas past" that will be guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit!

Admission £11.00 on the door, £10 in advance

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(60 tickets remaining)

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Admission £3.00 on the door (to cover the rent)

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The "Music Institute" folk club meets at
THE GUILDFORD INSTITUTE
Ward Street, off North Street, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LH
(Nearest parking Leapale Multi-storey)

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These pages designed and constructed by © 2005 Lawrence Heath
and were last updated on 15th January 2018 when he should have been in bed with man-flu.