Chas Clark

Bio:

I began by "Floor Singing" in the sixties. around the London Folk Clubs, like the Troubadour. Where Martin Winsor and Red Sullivan were the residents.

Attended Mike Mulligan's Magnolia Jazz Band in Edmonton, London in the late fifties. George Melly was young then.

JUST THE THING FOR YOUR CULTURAL EVENT.

English folk music and song from the British Isles.

Although similar to and a relation of the Celtic music and song of Scotland and Ireland. There is an Englishness of difference in style.

Collected from the early 19th Century to the middle of the 20th. Century, so's they wouldn’t be forever lost.
There are now thousands of collections and variations. Which have spread worldwide. These are the traditional English folk song ballads that have been passed down orally for 4 – 500 years or more.

They are full of humour, romantic and tragedy.

A member of the English Folk Song and Dance Society for over 40 years,
I sing songs from the Alfred Williams, Cecil Sharp and Hammond & Gardiner collections. A few of the Child Ballads and songs from the Bodleian Broadside Library.
With and without, guitar, concertina and melodeon accompaniment.

Along with several of the newly penned songs written in the tradition.
All introduced with a slight ironic humour an entertaining evening is hopefully assured.

Moved to Norway in 1968 and to Sweden in 2002.

I also paint watercolours.



Used to do ceramics as well. Gave that up several years ago.
Too time consuming.
Still have some that I exhibit now and again.



Next exhibit is in Vänersborg, Sweden, in November 2008.
Vänersborg is on the South Western edge of the largest lake in Sweden. Lake Vänern.
Lake Vänern is the the third largest lake in Europe.

I have also done a few murals different places.



Here are two of them that are in Oslo, Norway.
The first is on a large veranda to a private apartment.
The second is the back wall to a stage in a pub.
.

Member Since:

December 18, 2007

Members:

Just me.

But I also play with Roger Green and Eileen Burgess in our group called,

"The Fidjits"

You can see us on the website. After December 2009 this website will no longer exist Planning a myspace one just for the Fidjits. for January 2010.

my Yuotube videos

Since moving to Sweden in 2002 I've been playing for the,

"Dansere & Spelmän på Dal"


A local Swedish Folkdance group. Great it is to be disciplined.

And also, playing guitar accompaniment with the,

"Dalslands Spelmannsforbund"

January 2nd. 2009 my good friend Doris Forsdahl had her premier showing of the Mini Opera in Folkton that she had directed. Her daughter Kristina played maria. The place was packed and the response was gratifying..



Photos by Fredrik Ahl and myself.

Since November 2008 I've been playing with "Halmstråket" (Straw Bow) for dances and concerts. Good fun.



November 2009. One year on and we've been really busy the whole time. Apart from the Monday evening practice time with Bengtsfors and Dals Ed dancers, there have been several small festival like events. A 30 year celebration and coming up next week a 50 year celebration. 14th. of May next year, 2010 Halmstråket will be playing at an all day dance teaching seminar of Dalsland dances, at Folkets Hus, Göteborge. Looking forward to that.

my Yuotube videos

Influences:

Traditional English Folk Singers.

Some North American ones too.

Started with Trad Jazz, then Skiffle. American Leadbelly stuff.

Then found that we had our own Folk Music and Song in England. What a revelatiion!!




Fidjit



Ah my world map.

And my visitors map



Lets me see where you are.

Sounds Like:

Folk Music to me.
....

Just back from a Melodeon Makers course at the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust, Museum, in Stowmarket, England.

..

My new CD, "More Scratches . . . . ." is now available. Here's a preview. You can hear a couple of tracks above.



Heres' pictures from an Ancient Tractor Festival where we, "Spelman and Dancers from Dal" played for the dancing.



Photos by Björn Schullerqvst

Just had a look inside my concertina to control that the number was correct. It was.
.. ..

Needed to confirm the age of the instrument. Seems it was made around 1895 !

Record Label:

Our own label called. "Ceramic Songs".