Warrington Folk Song Club back after 'difficult' Covid era

Keeping an English tradition alive, the club holds its meetings at The Bull’s Head in Church Street and has been running for more than 50 years.

Dougie MacKenzie and Brian Miller will be the first guest performers since the pandemic on Sunday, September 26 after a 'difficult' period for the organisers.

The pair have enjoyed distinguished careers in their own right but recently joined forces in the studio for the album, Along The Way, and on the stage.

Dougie sang mostly Gaelic songs in his youth but was introduced to folk music at the renowned Inverness Folk Song Club. He is drawn to Scots' ballad language and the stories it carries to us from the past.

Brian Miller is a well respected performer in the Scottish traditional music scene and is best known for his collaborations with his daughter Siobhan Miller, The Occasionals, The Singing Kettle and Tom Paxton.

He is also a member of The Stars Band with Arthur Johnstone, Charlie Soane and Gavin Livingstone.

Dougie Mackenzie and Brian Miller

Geoff Bibby, who runs Warrington Folk Song Club, said: "It has been a very difficult break in all our activities. All the guests that I had arranged to perform for us had to be cancelled, and many professional folk singers were out of a job.

"The use of Zoom technology was a stop-gap process for some clubs, but Zoom can never successfully recreate the social interaction that takes place in such a personal setting as a folk club, nor does it deliver the sound of a live in-person performance accurately or consistently.

"The performer on Zoom has little idea of how they are sounding to others listening. Not being able to practice or play in public, caused by the lockdown restrictions, has also had an impact on our regular floor singers.

"We are at last now open every Sunday at The Bull's Head, and I can begin to arrange guest performers again."

Warrington Folk Song Club was originally launched by the Lever family at The Parr Arms in Grappenhall village in 1968.

It has had numerous homes since then including the Ring O’Bells, White Hart, The Golden Lion, Saracen’s Head and The Marquis of Granby.

Warrington Folk Song Club is held at The Bull’s Head in Church Street every Sunday between 8.30pm and 11pm.