At: Groove Pad, 48 Saltaire Road, Shipley BD18 3HN
Venue (not Club) Tel: 01274 586542

Est: 1956

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Topic Newsletter Archive

Newsletter No 253 - July 2023

Hello again all, 

I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the summer

Here's the programme for the coming month:

6th July:   Singers & Musicians  (£1 entry)

13th July: Roger Sutcliffe

There’s really little to say about Roger that hasn’t already been said, probably many times. He has played at the Topic more times than we (and probably he) can remember for sure: according to our records it's 60 years since he first played at the club!! For those who have just joined us, so to speak, Roger is a blues/ragtime supremo who taught many aspiring musicians when he was living in these parts: now based in Whitby, he comes to the Topic every July to reconnect with Bradford and many of his erstwhile pupils.  £7/£6

https://www.facebook.com/RogerBluesmanSutcliffe/

Support tonight from Andrew Metheven, who was born and raised in Bradford, a city he still calls home. His first EP A Quiet Life -was released in March 2022 and is made up of six lo-fi folk songs.

20th July Singers & musicians    (£1 entry)

27th July Enda Kenny

Enda Kenny is an Irish-born songwriter who has made his home in Melbourne, Australia since the late 1980’s. His thoughtful, descriptive stories of his adoptive homeland have struck a chord with festival audiences all over Australia and are always memorable and spiced with plenty of humour.

Proud to sing of where he lives rather than where he left, he continues to grow his international audience with recent trips to Germany, Holland, UK, NZ and Canada.

After a decade of juggling performance with a career in Public Housing, the release of Heart Tattoo allowed a return to full-time music in 2013. His engaging performances have been captivating UK festival audiences every summer since then and he is continuing to grow his reputation as a cracking solo entertainer.

A multi-award winning songwriter and twice winner of the Port Fairy Folk Festival songwriting award, Enda’s recent compositions highlight his quirky sense of humour and add to an already impressive catalogue of songs which led Colum Sands to describe him as the finest Irish songwriter living overseas.   £7/£6

https://endakennymusic.com/

TOPIC ZOOM SESSIONS - SUMMER BREAK 2023

Due to individual holiday plans and summer festivals, the Topic Zooms will take a break during July & August.

The plan is to resume in September– provisionally September 18th. Watch this space...

Many thanks to those who have taken part so far this year, as audience, performers, MC’s and in particular our host, Jim Saville who gifts us the use of his Zoom facilities. 

NON-TOPIC STUFF

On Monday July 3rd at 8 pm Liz Narey's Bingley First Monday Folk has a local group, May Contain Notes, who perform a varied mix of folky tunes, contemporary pop songs as well as original material, with fine harmonies.

Venue: The Ryshworth Club, Keighley Road,Crossflatts, BD16 2HB. Doors 7 pm, with pre-guest spots 'Special Duo' and more tbc.

Entry by donation to the hat/raffle.

Other news from around and about:

Cleckheaton Folk Festival. A final sad reminder that as advised in the last newsletter this year's Cleckheaton Folk Festival, due to be held this weekend,has been cancelled. 

However: today, Saturday 1st July, Cleckheaton Methodist Church Hall, Mortimer Street, Cleckheaton BD19 5AR is hosting an interesting-sounding event from 1.30 - 3.45 pm: a Dulcimer Workshop Afternoon. It will feature a "Come and Try" session for the Hammered Dulcimer and the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer, followed by a "slow and steady tune session" for all instruments. The event will be run by Sandie and Ken Hudson of the Nonesuch Dulcimer Club. Free entry.

Vaughan-Williams concert series: “Pub to Pulpit”

2022 marked the 150th anniversary of Vaughan-Williams birth. These concerts are in celebration of Vaughan-Williams collecting of folk tunes and repurposing them as hymn tunes. The concerts will include the original folk songs and hymns which they became.

The following link will give details of the local (and national) concerts and events.

https://www.broomdasher.com/FromPubToPulpit/dates/index.ht

There are still 2 days left of The Otley Music Festival www.otley-music-festival.co.uk. (NOT to be confused with the Otley Folk Festival which takes place in September).

Today's concert features Ranagri (7 pm at Otley Parish Church), tomorrow's features The Hall Brothers & John Carey  (12.30 pm at The Horse & Farrier), both concerts with quality support acts.

TOPIC STUFF

Please note that from now on guest nights as well as singers and musicians nights will be held in the downstairs room at Groove Pad.

For those of you wishing to partake of drinks that are only available from the upstairs bar, would you please go upstairs to purchase them, as the bar staff are not able to leave their bar area. When doing so, it would be much appreciated if you would try to leave and come back between songs, as is normal folk club etiquette.

Remember that we now accept (indeed prefer) payment by card.

MEMBERSHIP 

Membership of the Topic Folk Club - still only £5 - runs from 1st January and entitles you the lower ticket prices shown in this newsletter as well as the chance to become more involved in the workings of the club if you would like to. You can join or renew your membership on any club night. 

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For performers who may be thinking of approaching the club for a booking, please email: info4topic@gmail.com

If you’re visiting the club for the first time, be sure to come and say hello, and if anyone has any suggestions for the club, for example if you would like us to try to book a particular artist, we’d like to hear them.

The Topic runs on Thursdays at Groove Pad, 48 Saltaire Road, Shipley BD18 3HN, 7.30 pm start with a target time of 10pm to finish. Like all the clubs in the area, our aim is to provide good quality live entertainment to suit all tastes of those interested in folk music, and we are hoping we can count on you for your continued support.

Floor singers are always welcome (though may be limited if we have a booked support act - please check). Please arrive by 7.15 pm if you’d like a slot – it helps the MC to plan the evening. 

Covid is still around: please continue to take precautions when visiting the club.

Best wishes

Tony Charnock

Topic Folk Club