Guildford Institute

This will be Belinda and Heidi's third visit to the club (Belinda's fourth including her accompanying Jim Boyes on piano in their collaboration Sensations of a Wound). As well as high praise for their beautiful, interweaving harmonies and sublime musicality, they are acknowledged as one of the strongest songwriting partnerships on the contemporary folk scene - and Belinda certainly takes full advantage of the club's Bechstein grand piano!

With a personal invite from Billy Bragg to play Glastonbury, sessions on 6 Music and Radio 2, umpteen five star reviews, the songwriting, voice and piano partnership of Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow is regarded as "one of British folk music's mightiest combinations" (Mojo). Nominated this year for the fourth time in the BBC Radio Folk Awards, this will be a very special evening of original, contemporary and traditional songs

Belinda and Heidi's boundless songwriting has been described by The Guardian as "exceptional". From an emotionally charged song about an elephant orphanage in Nairobi to a joyous celebration of the Leeds cycling champion Beryl Burton they explore, consider and connect subjects and stories in a distinctive, inventive and memorable way. Both lyrically and musically, Belinda and Heidi's powerful, thought-provoking and deeply moving performances are infused with an honesty and empathy that will disarm even the hardest of heart.

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Literally booked at the club by "public demand"! Many of the club's regulars first came across Cohen at Sidmouth Folk Week and we were all blown away by his fantastic singing and squeezebox playing. He graduated from the University of Leeds in 2017 with a First Class Honours degree in music plus an additional award as the most outstanding student in his faculty. You will understand why when you see him.

Cohen has been a musician since the age of 6 and took to squeezeboxes in his teens. He has since developed into a fine player of both the melodeon and anglo concertina. He is also a well-regarded singer and in 2014 won Bromyard Folk Festival's Future of Young Folk Award for singing. He has been performing at club's and festivals for over a decade and initially reached his widest audience as a member of Granny's Attic.

Cohen's solo repertoire consists mainly of traditional songs with accompaniment from anglo concertina or melodeon plus the occasional traditional tune and unaccompanied song. His style, approach and repertoire is rooted in the English tradition, however material and influences from Scottish, Irish, American and European traditions are also present in his performance.

He is one of the best young musicians we have seen in a very long time - "a future folk megastar in the making".

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A welcome visitor from the USA, Judy Cook has been touring Britain and the US as a professional musician for more than fifteen years and this will be her fourth visit to the club.

Judy lifts the spirit and entertains with splendid traditional ballads and songs from a huge and varied Anglo-American repertoire. Her clear and engaging presentation combine with her joy of singing is guaranteed to delight all lovers of traditional song. She is also recognised as a folk music researcher, author and historian, but above all she is a performer, communicator and entertainer.

Judy's the Real Thing. With Capital Letters. Peggy Seeger

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