Lots of Great Music for 2025!
We are pleased to announce some dates in 2025. We will meet on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month.
Cash only on the door please, £8 for guest nights, £2 for Singers Nights. Doors open at 7.30 for 8pm start
and we look forward to seeing you all very soon.
Sunday January 5th Singers Night
Sunday January 19th Eos Revisited
Stalwarts of Forest Folk Club since time immemorial, Doug McLean, Jan O’Neill, Jan Vaisey and Ian Harvey are getting together for a special guest night performance. Jan O’Neill and Doug formed part of the group “Something Stirred” way back in the 1980’s when they produced the album “Twixt Severn and Wye” featuring songs of the Forest of Dean, and appeared on HTV and BBC Points West as well as concerts and venues throughout the South West. In 1998, the two Jans formed the close harmony duo “Eos” and recorded their highly acclaimed album “The Child Inside” and performed at many venues locally and as far afield as Preston, where they were support for Anthony John Clarke! He ended up doing support for them that night, but that’s another story! In the early 2000’s they were joined by talented guitarist and mandolin player, Ian Harvey and continued as a trio, doing many more gigs locally and beyond. Doug and Jan O’Neill formed a duo in 2012, and were encouraged by the FW Harvey society to record an album based on Harvey’s poetry. Entitled “Where Blossom Blows and Severn Flows” it was highly successful locally and they perform many songs from the album at local events. Jan Vaisey and Ian Harvey also continued as a duo, and still perform at many venues throughout the South West and Wales. Their beautiful eclectic mix of contemporary folk and country music is interspersed with Ian’s lovely mandolin tunes, accompanied by Jan on guitar. This special evening will feature a retrospective of their musical history plus new acquisitions with lovely harmonies from the two Jans, and Doug and Ian’s musical versatility on guitar, mandolin and harmonica! A musical feast for the ears!
Sunday 2nd February Singers Night
Sunday 16th February Pete Morton
Pete Morton is a singer and entertainer with a wealth of self penned songs that express everything from the highly personal to the truly international. Often referred to as an old time troubadour he delivers an unruly mix of humanism politics, love, social commentary and humour, all wrapping its way around the folk tradition.Originally from Leicester, England, Pete discovered the acoustic music scene at 16, and has been on the never-ending tour as a folk singer songwriter ever since. With his powerful, euphonious voice storytelling and compelling stage presence he continues his merry niche, singing songs, peace, justice, open global inclusion, with a fun, loving and approachable style. www.petemorton.com
Sunday 2nd March Singers Night
Sunday 16th March Wynford Jones and Geoff Cripps
Wynford Jones and Geoff Cripps are the superduo product of two of Wales’s finest folk bands.Wynford, one of the most searingly perceptive songwriters of his generation, was leader of The Chartists whose song-cycles chronicled the hobnail-hard working-class struggle as never before. Multi-instrumentalist Geoff was the powerhouse at the heart of festival barnstormers Allan Yn Y Fan. Together they are a force of nature. “A stunning combination of brilliant lyrics, virtuoso playing and songs you’ll be humming all the way home,” says Newport’s Tredegar House Folk Festival. “Not so much a gig as a special occasion.” And amidst the hard-hitters there are shafts of glorious light, such as the anthemic ‘Summer Comes Rolling Around’, which could slide its way easily into a Fairport Convention or Show Of Hands set list. While ‘Barry Isle’ with its ginger beer and donkey rides is two and a half lovely minutes of Gavin & Stacey world. All is underpinned with Geoff’s & Wynford’s pinpoint instrumental work on guitars, bass, mandolin, mandolas and bouzouki. “We could have thought of a fancier name than Wynford Jones and Geoff Cripps,” says Geoff. “Then we thought, let’s leave it at that. We’re just two blokes having a great time with great songs, and making sure everyone else has a great time too.”
Sunday April 6th Folklaw
Acrobatic fiddling and earthy vocals are interwoven with distinctive vocal harmonies, mandola and guitars, as FolkLaw deliver a reflective social commentary within a patchwork of inspirational songs and melodies. FolkLaw are well known for their crowd-surfing fiddle antics, engaging on-stage banter, and an energized stage performance across the U.K. and Europe. A genuine “not to miss” band who’ve previously performed at Costa Del Folk, Cropredy, Sidmouth, Great British Folk Festival as well as supporting many of the great bands and events over the last decade. This performance at Forest Folk Club features Nick Gibbs on vocals and fiddle, Bryn Williams on vocals, guitar, mandolin and bohran, and Martin Vogwell on vocals, guitar, mandolin and banjo. www.folklaw.co.uk
Sunday 20th April Singers Night
Sunday 4th May. Singers Night
Sunday 18th May Sian and Rob Colquhoun
Sian and Rob Colquhoun are an acoustic duo based in the southwest of England. They perform a lively repertoire largely drawn from Old-Time, classic Bluegrass and early country. With close harmonies accompanied on guitar, mandolin, clawhammer banjo, autoharp and harmonica, these dynamic performers are skilled interpreters of songs and tunes calling on a rich tradition encompassing their own Scots-Irish roots. sianandrob.co.uk
Sunday 1st June Sarah McQuaid
Sarah McQuaid’s lush, chocolatey voice combines with her engaging personality, “subtle mastery onstage” (Huffington Post) and “brilliant musicianship” (fRoots) on acoustic and electric guitars, piano and (occasionally) drum to create a truly immersive experience. Born in Spain, raised in Chicago, holding dual Irish and American citizenship and now settled in rural England, she brings the eclecticism of her background to her “captivating, unorthodox songwriting” (PopMatters) and choice of material, spanning genres and defying categorisation. All this is abundantly demonstrated by her new live album and video series The St Buryan Sessions — but needs to be savoured in person to be fully appreciated. sarahmcquaid.com
Sunday 15th June Singers Night
Sunday 6th July Steve and Julie Wigley
Julie Wigley is a singer/songwriter from Derby and she and husband Steve are regulars at Folk Clubs around the country. Her output of original songs has been phenomenal. Since 2015 they have produced seven albums, a songbook and a poetry/songbook illustrated by Steve. Their eighth album, ‘Time Train’, was released recently with 17 new songs! Steve & Julie have featured on folk programmes on Radio Derby, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester, among others and performed last year on the main stage at Moira Furnace Folk festival and Derby Folk festival, as well as the Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties Festival, Isle of Wight. Julie’s songs always have a story to tell and a number of them feature their home county of Derbyshire. songwritersclub.co.uk
Forest Folk Club at Coleford Music Festival – Sunday 13th July
Forest Folk Club will be performing on the Roots Stage at Coleford Music Festival on Sunday 13th July from 2.30 until 4pm. Some of our regulars will be onstage, sets from Chris Arscott of Dean Radio, Anita and John Whitton, Colin Baird, Jan Vaisey and Ian Harvey, Jan O’Neill and Doug McLean! Do come along and lend us your support and enjoy the music and great atmosphere.https://colefordmusicfestival.co.uk/
Sunday 20th July Singers Night
Sunday 3rd August Singers Night
Sunday 17th August Ian Bruce
Ian Bruce is one of the most highly regarded of Scotland’s singer-songwriters, a strong and characterful singer and guitarist with a reputation for well-crafted and tuneful songs and a ready rapport with his audience. He’s released many fine albums, both solo and in duo partnership with brother Fraser or Ian Walker, and he’s been involved in a number of key projects including the Far, Far from Ypres stage presentation.
One of Ian’s earliest successes was 1998’s Hodden Grey album; named after Lord Elcho’s tartan, as bestowed on the London Scottish Regiment, and dedicated to his father, who had been the Regiment’s Pipe Major during World War 2.
The recent double album Together Forever, was awarded the Celtic Music Radio 2023 Album of The Year.
It featured many well known folkies. e.g. Barbara Dickson, Allan Taylor, Jez Lowe, Mike Silver, Artie Trezise, Jim Mageean, The Sangsters, Steven Quigg, The Sangsters, Grant Maloy Smith, Marilyn Middleton Mellor, Kev Green & many more. ianbrucemusic.com
Sunday 7th September Hungrytown
Rebecca and Ken met in New York City, where they had already been performing regularly–Hall as a jazz singer, and Anderson as a drummer for a variety of garage bands. Their introduction to folk music came later, when a close friend–who died young due to a tragic misdiagnosis–entrusted to them her collection of 1960s folk albums and her guitar (which has since been featured on all of their albums). Inspired by the grit and true-to-life experiences she heard in these traditional ballads, Hall was inspired to write the lyrics that later became her first songs, aided by Anderson’s flair for musical arrangement. Soon afterwards, Hall released two solo albums, Rebecca Hall Sings! (2000) and Sunday Afternoon (2002), both produced by Anderson. In the winter of 2003, the duo quit their boring desk jobs, moved to the green hills of Vermont, and decided to pursue a full-time career as touring musicians.
They released their first CD, Hungrytown, in 2008; Any Forgotten Thing in 2011; and Further West in 2015. The couple continue to spend more than half of each year on the road, especially roads in North America, Europe and New Zealand. Hungrytown’s music has received extensive radio airplay worldwide and has appeared on several television shows, including the Independent Film Channel’s hit series, Portlandia www.hungrytown.net
Sunday 21st September Singers Night
Sunday 5th October Singers Night
Sunday 19th October Pictureframers Duo
Pictureframers Duo is a collaboration of singer songwriters – Chez Dunford and Viv Sherman. Chez is a theatre maker, circus artist and community practitioner who uses music and story to connect people. Viv is a singer-songwriter, and guitarist in bands, playing music for ceilidhs’ and tunes from the centre of France.
This unlikely duo separated by a generation, are united by a love of songs that tell stories. They are currently touring their new album ‘Grounded’ a collection of traditional and original songs on lived experiences, observations, hopes and fears.
This will be a lively evening of folk songs and tunes on guitar, piano accordion,
melodeon, banjo and cornet. pictureframersduo.co.uk
Sunday 2nd November Singers Night in memory of Dick Brice
All proceeds from this Singers Night will be donated in memory of our great friend and Forest raconteur and songwriter, the much missed Dick Brice.
Sunday 16th November Tom McConville
Tom’s musical journey started in the North East folk clubs in the early 70s. Newcastle’s thriving Irish scene provided the opportunity, with his first band, to support Sean McGuire, John Doonan, The Fureys, Boys of the Lough and even a lock-in with The Dubliners. Tom still credits the legendary Sean McGuire, the fiddle genius from Belfast, for teaching him his bowing techniques.
Turning professional in 1974 he joined Bob Fox in a duo then folk/rock band Magna Carta to play all over Europe. A memorable partnership with Kieron Halpin produced two award winning albums and top billing at The Cambridge Folk Festival. His next group Dab Hand made several visits to the USA where Tom met with another of his hero fiddlers, Byron Berline. After a spell with Syncopace and a partnership with guitarist Chris Newman, Tom spent the next 11 years recording & touring with Northumbrian piper Pauline Cato.
Renowned for his musical accompaniments, Tom has played on hundreds of albums. The list includes: Barbara Dickson, Richard Thompson, Allan Taylor and Lindisfarne. Whilst he has shared stages throughout the world with Stephan Grappelli, Sean McGuire, Mark O’Connor, Paul Brady and The Chieftains, Tom has never forgotten his roots and is as happy in the intimate atmosphere of a small folk club as he is at the largest festivals. Tom McConville is a world class act! tommcconville.co.uk
Sunday 7th December The Lost Trades
The Lost Trades are a Folk/Americana Trio, based in the West Country, with a cool Laurel Canyon vibe. With a sound that is reminiscent of the California folk scene of the late 60s/early 70s, their three part harmonies have been described as “flawless”, “spine tingling” and “magical”.
After a global pandemic cut short their first tour after just a single sold out gig, the band retreated to their songwriting rooms to work on their debut album, “The Bird, The Book & The Barrel”. The album was released in June 2021 and was well received, spending 8 months in the Official UK Folk Albums Chart. The follow up, “Petrichor” was released in March 2023, and immediately followed suit, entering the chart at #31.
A live performance involves easy interchanging of instruments, including guitar, ukulele, bass and percussion at different points. There’s always a fun intimacy to the show, with the group engaging in comfortable repartee with each other and the audience like a group of old friends. thelosttrades.com
Sunday 21st December Christmas Singers Night