I looked East and I looked West - Part 2

An event to celebrate the life and music of Julia Clifford will be going ahead on the weekend of 26th-28th April 2019 in Suffolk, organised by Katie Howson.

"We are thrilled to be able to announce the first of our special guests for “I Looked East and I Looked West”. We will be welcoming from Ireland: Billy Clifford, Matt Cranitch, Jackie Daly, Bryan O'Leary, Gerry Harrington, Peter Browne and Jerry O'Reilly for starters! Alongside them will be many musicians and friends of Julia’s from England, and there will be more invitations going out when we are a bit further along the road."

This is a fantastic line-up of brilliant musicians, not to be missed. Melodeon / Button accordion fans should not miss the chance to see Jackie Daly and Bryan O'Leary, grandson of the great Sliabh Luachra accordionist, Johnny O'Leary.

Tickets for the event are likely to be available in late 2018.

Not sure where this photograph was taken, Ciarán MacMathúna in the background, so in Ireland c. 1982. Any more information welcomed!

 

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Julia Clifford - Katie Howson

Katie Howson, ex-Director of The East Anglian Traditional Music Trust, is currently undertaking a research project into the life and music of Julia Clifford, an important traditional fiddle player, originally from Kerry but a resident of East Anglia in the later years of her life. Katie is looking for information anyone has about Julia.

Julia Clifford was a wonderful - and very influential - fiddle player from east Kerry who lived in England for most of her life. After the issue of several LPs, in particular The Star Above the Garter in 1969 and the Topic series in 1977, the music played by Julia, her brother Denis Murphy and accordion player Johnny O'Leary helped to define a style now known as Sliabh Luachra.
Within months of the issue of those albums, Julia moved to Norfolk and the last twenty years of her life and music have been undocumented until now. Anybody wishing to know a bit more about Julia Clifford is recommended to visit the Rushy Mountain website https://rushymountain.com/2016/04/22/julia-clifford/

Clive Gregson & Liz Simcock

Saturday 19th May Canopy Theatre, Hungate Church Beccles

Acclaimed singer/songwriters Clive Gregson & Liz Simcock first toured together in 2015 in a series of shows performing songs from the Clive Gregson & Christine Collister back catalogue. The tour was a resounding success, so Clive and Liz decided to keep the partnership going and in October 2017 they released Underwater Dancing, a CD of 14 brand new Clive Gregson songs

They undertook a very successful and well received tour in support of the album in autumn 2017 and will be embarking on the next leg of that tour in early summer 2018, bringing them to the Canopy Theatre at Hungate Church Beccles on Saturday 19^th May at 8.00 p.m.

Photo Sara Porter

Read more: Clive Gregson & Liz Simcock