DAVE ARTHUR - May 2

DAVE ARTHUR

Sussex resident Dave Arthur and his former partner Toni were top billing in the heydays of the folk revival. What set them apart from many of their contemporaries was their assiduous research into the cultures they encountered on their world travels and the way in which this was absorbed into their repertoire, at a time when interest in musics from outside the Anglo-Irish and American traditions was scarce.

Having spent many years performing English traditional material he began again to explore the transatlantic roots of old time American music. Equally adept as a player of the melodeon, banjo and guitar, these cross-cultural influences are the bedrock of his live performances.

His exhaustive research into multicultural customs and traditions was widely disseminated via The Folk Music Journal and his 20-year tenure as editor of England’s oldest folk music magazine, English Dance and Song.

When playing live his academic mantle is worn lightly; his engaging personality and warm humour is a magnet for the tales he has to tell and the songs that open doors to the rich folkloric traditions which we are heirs to. He will be joined on the night by multi-instrumentalist Dan Stewart, a stylish exponent of the same repertoire.