Southern Cross Trawlers at North By Northwest
8pm, Thursday, 2nd August 2007
Posted Friday, June 29, 2007
an astounding repertoire
Southern Cross Trawlers is a combination of singers Margaret Walters and Don Brian from Sydney. The two share an interest in Australian traditional songs, especially those with a maritime content. They have pooled their talents for unaccompanied singing and for trawling through song books and elsewhere for unusual material, and have built an astounding repertoire. They sing traditional and little-known Australian material.
Margaret Walters has been active in the NSW folk scene for thirty years, appearing at clubs and festivals throughout Australia as a soloist and in combination with various other performers and groups; and she has toured in England on four occasions, two with songwriter John Warner as Walters and Warner. Margaret is renowned for the quality of her voice, particularly when singing unaccompanied, and for her sensitive interpretations of folk song; she is also recognized for her intuitive harmony singing and her extensive repertoire. Margaret has a wide knowledge of Australian traditional song (the main focus of Southern Cross Trawlers) and contemporary English and Australian folk songs including a large number of John Warner's wonderfully evocative songs.
Don Brian is the Australian folk scene’s best kept secret, but is highly esteemed by the circle of Sydney folkies lucky enough to be in contact with him. For three decades Don has been collecting and absorbing songs, verse, history and folklore from the field and other primary sources including ships logs and old journals. Since moving to Sydney ten years ago, he has been active in the Bush Music Club. Don plays tin whistle and concertina. He has a sonorous bass voice, perfect for bush songs, and his flowing beard and laconic style of delivery make him the archetypal bush man.
After forming in 2005, they performed at the National Folk Festival in 2005 and 2006, and were guests at the Cygnet Folk Festival and the Tamar Valley Folk Festival in January 2007. Margaret and Don are also members of the group The Roaring Forties and participate in that group's presentation of Yarri of Wiradjuri , a song and verse cycle written by John Warner.
Individually, Don and Margaret participate in various activities in the Sydney folk scene, notably the sessions on The James Craig and theme nights at the Bush Music Club. They have plans for a CD as a duo.
Entry is $12/$10. Refreshments are available and BYO's are welcome. We also have space for some floorspots!
North By Northwest Poetry and Folk Club meets in The Cornucopia Cafe, and is one of the best acoustic venues in Sydney. There will be refreshments for sale and BYO's are welcome.
Cornucopia Cafe
Old Gladesville Hospital
Corner Victoria Road and Punt Road, Gladesville
For directions see this article.
Enquiries:
Jenny/John (02) 9559 3658 (h) or (0414) 903 259
Geoff (02) 9816 0393 (w) or (0421) 582 975
See you there!
