An afternoon with Martin Carthy, live-streamed from the Falcon studio in Whitby, UK. Old Songs partnered with the Folk Music Society of NY, the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston, the Folklore Society of Washington, the Branford Folk Music Society, and Janie Meneely & Rob Van Sante to bring you this rare and wonderful event.
To call Martin Carthy a master musician doesn’t do him justice. To put it simply, he personifies the British folk revival of the 1960s-70s and continues to dominate a genre rife with ancient ballads and bursting with contemporary songs reflective of these ever-so changing times. His musical repertoire aside, Carthy’s unique guitar style remains the envy of guitar players the world over.
If you liked Simon and Garfunkel’s version of “Scarborough Fair,” you need to know that it came from Martin Carthy. You probably did know that, but I repeat it here to underscore the fact that Carthy’s music underpins so many of the folk classics we have come to know and love in the last 50 years. He has influenced writers and performers from Bob Dylan to Richard Thompson as well as the most recent generation of folkies (we just haven’t heard of them yet). Whether as a solo artist, a member of the fabled Watersons family band (he married Norma Waterson in 1972), or part of the trailblazing Steeleye Span, Carthy has left his mark on plenty of stages and consistently wowed audiences with his spot-on interpretation of traditional song.
Martin Carthy turns 80 in a couple of weeks. The latest lockdown in England and the subsequent end of public music has left him chafing at the bit and nearly ready to burst with songs unsung. The lockdown has had a tremendous negative impact on musicians, Carthy included. And not just the economic loss (which has been substantial all around) but the simple unabashed ability to perform, to sing, to stoke the inner fire that keeps folk music alive.
Please join us for what will be a very special and intimate afternoon. The blessing of a YouTube concert, of course, is that the show will be available on screen for 48 hours after the initial viewing. Tune in when you can and then tune in again.
Buy Tickets:
The concert will be streamed on YouTube. A link to the concert and a reminder will be emailed to registered attendees a day before the concert. No Refunds.
