CVFolk welcome would be songwriters

Kev Dempsey's workshop last February. Photo by Pete Willow.

CVFolk welcomes would-be songwriters this Saturday morning 4 May. Write a song in one morning. That's the challenge thrown down for this Saturday's CV Folk  Skills Workshop.

The ‘Folk Freshers’ Skills workshops take place on the first Saturday of each month at 11am in one of the newly-refurbished studios in Coventry’s Albany Theatre. They are proving a popular opportunity for people of all ages to develop a range of skills in folk music and performance, under the guidance of local experts.

This Saturday, 4 May sees members of the Coventry Singer Songwriters group hosting a 2-hour session during which, participants should be able to write an original song from scratch.

Formed nearly 15 years ago, the group consists of musicians who meet regularly to help, motivate and inspire each other to write new songs and share songwriting resources and contacts.  Members have appeared on local and national radio, as well as many local clubs and festivals, and have featured in a number of previous CVFolk concerts at the Albany Theatre.

Bob Powell. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Leaders of Saturday’s session will be Paul Monks and Jane Moss (who perform as popular duo Yonderland), John Neal (from the group Jericho), Bob Powell (from The Harvesters) and founder member of the CSS group, Jon Harrington (from the bands Little Mountain and The Stationary Wilburys).

Jon says, “The workshop will help you come up with ideas, build chord progressions and melodies, and actually write a song! The emphasis will be on having fun making music together – but also showing how modern songs are written by amateurs and professionals alike. Bring your own instrument if you want, but we’ll be happy to provide musical backing. There’s even a chance to record your song, or perform it to the rest of the group, if you want.”

Jon Harrington. Photo courtesy of the artist.

As part of its mission to support and promote folk music in the area, CVFolk’s Freshers Skills Workshops began in February when Coventry based and internationally acclaimed musician, Kevin Dempsey hosted a session for guitarists looking to improve their techniques. He will be back with a follow-up workshop on Saturday 1 June.

Talented multi-instrumentalist, Lauren South hosted a popular fiddle workshop for beginners in March and returns with a follow-up in July. Last month saw a well-attended slide guitar workshop led by Bob Powell. 

Admission is five pounds and you can book in advance from the Albany Theatre. Box Office phone number: 024 7699 8964.