All posts by Stephen Riddell

No Monthly Concert and JPA Winners

As Wellyfest is on this month we aren’t holding a monthly concert. For more info about Wellyfest check out their website: https://wellingtonfolkfestival.wordpress.com/


Also, we have had a very positive response to our call for entries for this year’s Joan Prior Young Performers Award and are presenting the Awards this year to eight young singers and musicians – four solo performers and two duos.

Sofia Machray and Alex Hoare (singer songwriter, guitar and cello).

*  James Hunter (singer, guitarist, alternative folk).

Catherine Bullock (singer songwriter, guitar).

Zavier Boyle and Jackie Lamb (whistle and mandolin, Irish and Scottish folk).

Alexander Guy (singer, guitarist, international folk songs and originals).

Caoimhe Lane (singer, guitarist, contemporary and traditional folk).

Acoustic Routes monthly concert featuring The Three Js with Chazanne and Kev & Rosie

Roseneath School Hall, Thursday 22 September, 7:30 pm

Entry: $15/$10 for members. A bargain! Cash only (no eftpos facilities). Vaccinations and masks encouraged.

Jo Sheffield, Jenny Kilpatrick and Jude Madill – The Three Js (a.k.a the Threegals), have played and sung together in various lineups for a few years now. Often accompanying each other’s solo projects as well as being part of the lower-North-Island-famous Eagles tribute group the Eagals. J, J and J are looking forward to joining forces to share some of their favourite music, and a love of harmony singing, with Acoustic Routes.

Chazanne are an exuberant and engaging duo whose songs are thought-provoking, witty and highly entertaining. Charles Harter and Anne O’Donnell share lead vocals and song writing credits. Their music ranges from frivolous and satirical to serious and poignant- all observations of the human condition. Guitar, ukulele, and harps feature alongside close harmonies and a marvellous cheeky sense of humour.

Kev and Rosie sing predominantly British traditional songs, in unaccompanied harmony. They met through singing, at Wellyfest, and have been singing together for almost four years. Kev’s background farming in Sussex informs his Copper-influenced repertoire. Rosie was brought up in the Auckland folk scene. They live on the South Coast of Wellington.

Acoustic Routes at Orange COVID Level

Please note: The Acoustic Routes Committee has agreed on the following approach under Orange COVID Level.

  • Some audience members may not be fully vaccinated and/or may choose not to wear a mask, since these are no longer mandatory requirements.
  • The Committee encourages audience members to be fully vaccinated and wear a mask for their own protection.
  • Workers and volunteers at gatherings must wear face masks unless they are exempt.

June Concert

Thursday 23 June, Roseneath School Hall, 7:30 pm

Entry: $15/$10 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). Vaccinations and masks encouraged.

Whimzik

Whimzik aka Glenn Kastrinos and Kjelsty Hanson live in Hawkes Bay and have been playing traditional music together for many years. Kjelsty comes from Montana and plays a variety of percussion instruments including bodhran, bones and spoons. She also turns into characters that will stir the imagination. Kjelsty has been a sculptor for many years and brings her artistic vision into her stage performance. Glenn has been playing traditional music since the seventies and competed in fleadh cheols (Irish traditional music competitions) in New York City and Ireland. He plays fingerstyle guitar, irish flutes and whistles and sings. He is drawn to unusual tunes (especially waltzes) from Appalachia, Idaho, Ireland, Brittany and Scandinavia.

Music is about experiencing emotions, and their playing will bring a laugh one minute and a tear in the next. They can’t wait to share some music with Acoustic Routes.

Steampunk Minstrels

Steampunk Minstrels is a largely acoustic guitar-based band with Mairi-Anne on mandolin, twelve string and bass guitar and Marius on six and twelve string guitar. They play original music which is a fusion of African and Celtic music with a hint of rock and jazz. They were part of the regular Folk Club scene in South Africa until parenthood struck and have recently re-emerged on the Wellington music scene. It is a real pleasure to have them back at Acoustic Routes.

Pick and Mixolydian

Pick and Mixolydian are a Wellington-based acoustic duo featuring Jo Shrigley on ukulele and vocals with Bruce Omundsen on small pipes, tin whistle, and vocals.

Jo has been part of Wellington’s WOSOSI (World Song Singers) choir for over 4 years, which has cemented her love of things international. As well as picking away at her ukulele, Jo is studying Music Theory at Victoria University.

Bruce also joined WOSOSI recently, which was a spark for the idea of forming a folk duo. Highland piping has been a constant presence for him over the last 40 years, highlighted with many trips back to his ancestral roots in Scotland. Scottish and other Celtic music is a natural choice for the duo but Bruce enjoys expanding on the mixolydian scale available to his main instrument.

Together Bruce and Jo have been building a varied folk repertoire and look forward to sharing their joy of music with you.

Acoustic Routes at Orange COVID Level

Please note: The Acoustic Routes Committee has agreed on the following approach under Orange COVID Level.

  • Some audience members may not be fully vaccinated and/or may choose not to wear a mask, since these are no longer mandatory requirements.
  • The Committee encourages audience members to be fully vaccinated and wear a mask for their own protection.
  • Workers and volunteers at gatherings must wear face masks unless they are exempt.

May Concert

Thursday 26 May, Roseneath School Hall, 7:30 pm

Entry: $20/$15 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities).

Please note: The Acoustic Routes Committee has agreed on the following approach under Orange Covid Level.
• Some audience members may not be fully vaccinated and/or may choose not to wear a mask, since these are no longer mandatory requirements.
• The Committee encourages audience members to be fully vaccinated and wear a mask for their own protection.
• Workers and volunteers at gatherings must wear face masks unless they are exempt.

Mike Harding

What better way to celebrate New Zealand folk music than with Mike Harding.

A musical storyteller at ease with his instrument, his audience and his mission to locate, archive, learn and perform the folk and popular songs of New Zealand’s past and present, from our colonial and folk roots to the Kiwi music of today.

Mike will present a solo performance of songs of home with humour and affection, spontaneity, and wonderful musical skill. Celebrate with him New Zealand, our people, and our stories.

English As, aka Deb Harding and Mary Hubble, will share some of the folk songs they have enjoyed over the years with a certain Englishness about them. Deb had the good fortune to grow up in the North of England – quite a different country to the South – and always sang with her sister. Since emigrating to Aotearoa over 30 years ago she has found many ‘sisters in song’ to join her in a song or two and is delighted that Mary has taken up the challenge.

March Concert

Thursday 24 March, Roseneath School Hall, 7:30 pm

Entry: $15/$10 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities).

Red Level Protocols

A venue gathering limit of 40 people will apply so please RSVP to Ruth Birnie to confirm your place  ruthlbirnie@gmail.com

Everyone will need to be fully vaccinated, with a pass, or have a vaccine exemption. You will need to sign in at the door and keep your masks on indoors. 

Featuring:

UzBlokes

hat happens when 2 grumpy old men – Jon Callwood and Pete Hancock – meet a young didgeridoo/ bagpipe player – Phillip Scott Cowan? Answer – UzBlokes. When they get together all that matters is ‘Let’s make music!’.

Jon Callwood, on guitar, banjitar and vocals, identifies his roots as being in traditional folk music in the North of England and New Zealand, but now enjoys genre-defying song writing and recording – humour, nostalgia, social comment, whatever comes along.

Phillip Scott Cowan (aka Bagpipe Boy) brings real diversity to the mix with Highland bagpipes, Scottish small pipes, practice chanters, whistles, didjeribone, didjeridoo, electronic pipes, melodiphone, and vocals. As he says, ‘with only 9 notes you have to be pretty creative at times and be inspired by people saying you can’t do that on the pipes’!

Pete Hancock on bouzouki, guitar and vocals describes himself as ‘another product of the 60’s North of England folk revival’. Since then, he has played in various bands and line-ups in New Zealand and for him, creating new music with UzBlokes ‘has brought the passion to life again’.

Dusty Burnell

Multi-instrumentalist Dusty Burnell has been playing stages throughout New Zealand and Australia for the past 5 years. He has played in as many line ups as he has strings on his instruments. His diverse background ranges from Cajun to Indie Rock but always layered with a heavy dose of Blues and Americana. Audiences will take a trip through the American Song book touching on High Lonesome ballads, Jazz standards, Old Time, trad Folk and country songs that hurt so much you’ll empty the bottle.

Mary Livingston and Sue Chamberlain

After a bit of diversion into other creative pursuits, Mary is excited to be back into her song writing, guitar playing and learning new repertoire with Sue (although she still has a preference for anything haunting or harrowing). Sue loves singing many types of music – jazz, country, show tunes, world music and the wide umbrella that is folk. Mary and Sue have sung together sporadically in the past, but in 2022 they have started seriously sharing their musical experiences to develop an eclectic repertoire which they are keen to share.