The evening opened with light, cheerful melodies written & performed by Bobby Burke. Bringing excellent lyrics & vocals, coupled with style & humour to the ever growing audience, Bobby provided an interesting musical selection & the perfect welcome to the evening!

Introduced to the stage shortly afterwards were musicians Pete Read with his acoustic guitar, & friend Terry Nightowl with his accordion.
The first of their songs was dedicated to newleyweds Dan & Monique, aka Tinderbox, & brought smiles to a happy audience.
Introducing & crediting each track individually, the duo performed effortlessly together, providing beautifully arranged americana style melodies.

Musical trio 'Jack in a Basket' were introduced by Paul Burke & gathered on stage for their Bournemouth Folk Club debut.
The group performed a mixture of their own compositions & other folk style songs. Interesting lyrics & strong vocals were accompanied by acoustic guitar, hand drum, recorder & fretless bass.

Next to take the stage was popular Brighton based songwriter, vocalist & musician, Donna Fullman & her travelling band, Nelson Day on acoustic guitar & percussionist Marianne Hillier-Brook.
With a warm welcome from the audience, the band opened with
'The Brave Favour The Sea' &  with sincere vocals, beautiful acoustic arrangements & fantastic rhythms, Donna Fullman went on to captivate the audience.
Introducing her unique style, gentle approach & occasional soft, breathy, textured vocals, combined with a natural purity, Donna brought her enchanting melodies & fragile refrains to the intrigued audience.

        ALEX ROBERTS

After a short interval, Paul Burke introduced the evenings headliner Alex Roberts & welcomed him to the stage. With an enthusiastic welcome from the audience & a full house to play to, Alex began by expressing his pleasure to be back at Bournemouth Folk Club.

Seemingly compelled to perform & release the music within,  Alex began to create rich harmonic waves of sound, and encompassed tracks including 'The 81st Verse' & 'Insolvency Road'.

With the audience transfixed, soft yet powerful, moreish tones filled the air, whilst Alex evoked acoustic beauty & mystery from his humble guitar.

Displaying perfect symmetry between guitar & vocals, coupled with a natural & unhurried performance, Alex freed interesting & addictive collections of notes, to create powerful yet delicate melodies.

The audience sat quietly in anticipation, as they enjoyed classics including 'Beachy Head Chimes' &  latest album title track 'By The Ley'.
Alex delivered a complex infusion of styles & techniques with natural grace & sincerity.

Fellow musician Catherine Burke was invited to join Alex on stage, & the audience were treated to a beautifully crafted, subtle blend of woodwind & guitar, during a stunning & memorable performance of 'The Lighthouse'.

With a fresh & casual approach, the lyrical genius intrigued his audience as he conjured story & melody alike before them, always exuding the magical spirit of song & perfect harmony with every note.

It was a sheer pleasure to witness such a natural & phenominally talented & gifted musician.

A truly superb evening, full of intrigue, surprises & fantastic music!

---

Review & Photos by Link2Music

For information on upcoming gigs at Bournemouth Folk Club,
please visit www.bournemouthfolkclub.com
or email paul@bournemouthfolkclub.com

BOBBY BURKE

PETE READ &
TERRY NIGHTOWL

JACK IN A BASKET

DONNA FULLMAN
 BAND