The Railway Folk Club

"Who?" I hear you say! Bernard is one of the residents at the Railway Folk Club...

He's been around forever, and tonight you get a rare chance to hear him perform in concert...

Bernard is a multi-instrumentalist with guitars, banjo, mandolin, accordion, concertinas, flute, whistles... to name but a few. He's also a master of comedy with comic songs and lightning wit. Many of us already know Bernard's comic stuff is brilliant but he is also a skilled and sensitive singer and musician.

Nancy Kerr (Fiddle, Viola, Guitar & Vocals) and James Fagan (Guitar-bouzouki, Piano & Vocals), the winners of the 2003 BBC Folk Awards for the Best Duo.

This well-loved duo (website) combines highly skilful and innovative performance with accessibility, warmth and stage presence. Rarely are duos so full in sound; Nancy's earthy and exquisite fiddle and viola playing dances with the striking rhythmic texture of James's guitar-bouzouki, with their rich singing both as soloists and in harmony evokes the stories of the songs they choose and write. They approach their music with energy and infectious smiles.

SUPPORT: NELSON PEACH

Chris While and Julie Matthews (website) are breathtaking singers, songwriters, musicians and performers whose dedication to their craft and audience holds no bounds.

Their songs cover life as they see it, from the industrial waste lands of the north, to injustice and freedom, matters of the heart and everything in between.

"They're simply World Class, it just doesn't come any better than that!", Chris Leslie of Fairport Convention was heard to say on his way out of a While & Matthews' concert.

Julie plays: guitar, piano, bouzouki, mandolin & harmonica.

Chris plays: guitar, bodhran, banjo & percussion.

SUPPORT: STEWART LEVER

Back of the Moon (website) are one of the greatest bands to emerge in the Scottish traditional music scene in the last five years...

"Best Up and Coming Act" at the Traditional Music Awards 2003 and "Best Celtic Group" at the Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival 2003.

Since forming in 2000, the band has been rapidly gaining a reputation for their dynamic live performances. The tightly woven pipes and fiddle, the intimate pairing of whistle and flute, the distinctive rhythmic force of the guitar/piano combo, the awesome three-part harmonies in their Scottish songs - in which each unique singer takes turn at the lead - all contribute to Back of the Moon's giant acoustic sound.

SUPPORT: BERNARD CROMARTY

Anthony John Clarke (website), a singer/songwriter/guitarist with some of his friends accompanying his music... an all time favourite at our Club.

Frances Black: "AJC is not only a wonderful songwriter but also an excellent entertainer."

John Wright: "Happily, there are many songwriters around but those that are special... well, you can count on one hand. AJC is one such songwriter."

Colum Sands: "Like all great artistes, AJC understands light and shade. Between each songline that he sends towards your mind, he leaves a space where the unexpected and the unspoken meet and conspire to come whispering to your heart."

SUPPORT: DON & HEATHER DAVIES

Tom McConville & Pauline Cato (website) is one of the most popular and successful duos around. Since their debut together at the Shetland Festival in 1995, they have toured extensively in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, USA and New Zealand.

Their fiddle and pipes blends effortlessly together to produce a unique and full sound. Pauline and Tom specialise in both dynamic unision playing and beautiful harmonies.

Pauline and Tom's latest album, The Great Northern Roadshow with Terry Docherty, continues to get good reviews. For this concert, Dave Wood joins the duo for some tracks from the album.

SUPPORT: NICK & LIN TYSOE

Garva have been playing the Irish Night every year for our Festival... so get yer ticket early!!

Their line-up is:
Tony Gibbons (cittern, vocals)
Terry Coyne (flute, whistle, vocals)
Eamon Coyne (fiddle and mandolin)
Lesley McGough (keyboards, vocals)

...and turn up early if you want a good seat! Doors open at 05.00 a.m... well, maybe not!!

The Grand Finale for the festival is our ceilidh... dancing the evening away... will we all get worms this year??? Ask someone who came last year to explain!!

The band will include:
Richard Peach (Fiddles, Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo & Vocals)
Peter Orpet (Guitar/Vocals)
Cathy Barman (Bass, Vocals)
Bernard Cromarty (Accordion & perhaps other things?)
and a guest appearance of John Jocys (melodeon)!

Our Caller will be Arthur Marshall... and if Arthur can't get you up dancing, Stewart'll give you yer money back!!