Tamworth Folk Club

Special Guest Night Review March 2009

Tri

You may wonder why this is called a “special guest night review”. Well you have only to ask any one of the full house audience to get many answers. Tri is not a name you will have probably heard of and if you had what does it mean? Is it a misspelling of tree? Is it an anagram? The clue is in the number of performers. Yes that’s right 3, well it’s the Gaelic version of three and when you have heard what they play, you are not surprised.

But first the support band, yes you all know this up and coming group The Castle Band, oh dear I have left the Old out, but as this was a night for young stars, I may be forgiven. I have to say I don’t know if they were trying to prove a point in appearing  not to create such an age gap between themselves and our guests but their songs and general musicianship  could hardly be bettered, with even new arrangements to old (sorry traditional) tunes.

Now onto the main guests, Ciaran Algar, Niamh Boadle and Neal Pointon.
We have all seen Neal develop over the years from his first time at Bolehall; his fiddle playing enthralled us then. All three members have been active as solo performers in their own local areas for some time and they share a love of Irish traditional music. They have been booked to play at Warwick and Fylde festivals and Folk in the park in Stoke-On-Trent this summer. They also intend to keep on playing individually in their local areas.

Ciran Algar is from Stoke-On-Trent, he plays mainly fiddle and bodhran.
In 2002 he won an All Ireland fiddle title, also winning seven All Britain titles on fiddle, fiddle slow airs, bodhran and duets. In the same year he won the Tallyman trophy at Fylde festival. He was a finalist at St Albans New Roots, and as a result was booked for Sidmouth Folk festival. In 2008, Ciaran came 2nd in the All Ireland slow airs and 3rd in the All Ireland fiddle competition.

Niamh Boadle is an expressive singer/songwriter from Lytham St Annes who plays guitar, whistle, bodhran and fiddle as well as performing Irish dancing.
Niamh sings a mixture of English, Scottish and Irish traditional and self composed songs. She was a finalist at St Albans New Roots in 2008 and has played several solo gigs and festivals as a result. Niamh has won All Ireland and All Britain medals for her singing.

Neal Poynton is from Bedworth. He has played on the main stages at Bedworth and in town and folk club events at the last two Warwick festivals. He also plays regularly with the Coventry based Inisfree Ceili band. He plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin and banjo. He has multiple All Britain medals and was an All Ireland finalist on three different instruments last year. Neal also wan a BBC Fame Academy Instrument Bursary in 2007.

That was just a short resume of their talents and achievement up to date not bad eh? Tri did two 45 minute spots with reels, jigs, traditional songs and self penned, accompanied on guitar, bodhran, mandolin, banjo and fiddles galore, and Irish dancing as well. What an absolutely foot stomping evening, so much talent from so young performers.

I have to report one gem of a remark made by Neal, he explained that by adding the combined ages of all three of the group it totalled 42, he then asked if there was one member of The Old Castle Band with that age, much laughter ensued.
I thought he was referring to their waist sizes.

If you think this review has been a bit long, I make no apologies but just wait a few years and you will read a lot more of TRI.

 

RDC 2009