Christmas Kitchen Garden Cafe date for folk duo.
Two of the UK folk scene’s singular and unique songwriters come together for a special evening of collaboration at the Kitchen Garden Café, Kings Heath on Sunday 17th December
Award winning songwriter and guitarist Chris Cleverley is renowned for his ability to draw audiences to the edge of their seats with hauntingly delivered tales of ghost women, lonesome clock towers, and hospital beds. His unique brand of folk contrasts the calming, pastoral influence of a childhood spent roaming the Cornish coastlines, with the anxious frenzy of an urban mind shaped by 29 years in the UK’s second city. The unsettling honesty of his lyricism sits curiously over intricate fingerstyle guitar and banjo, for which he is fast gaining the accolade of being among the most masterful players on the UK folk scene.
Kelly Oliver is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist, described by the Times as an artist who “blends traditional values with bold, indie-pop”. Her debut album This Land gained a four star review from the Telegraph and her second album Bedlam’ was included in The Sunday Times Essential New Releases. She performed the album’s third single Rio on BBC One’s Sunday Morning Live for her first national TV appearance. Kelly was awarded Best Female Solo Artist in both the 2016 NMG and FATEA Awards and has been described as “a vital voice in British folk music” by Bob Harris of Radio 2
Chris and Kelly first met when writing and performing together as part of the ten piece folk supergroup The Company of Players. The project, commemorating the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare releases its debut album in January 2018. Chris and Kelly formed a strong musical bond during the project and have taken this forward through a series of live concerts.
Chris’ critically acclaimed 2016 Christmas single Ring O’ Bells, featuring Kelly on vocals, received significant BBC radio play and these concerts mark the first anniversary of its release. So join Chris and Kelly for a festive evening of both individual and collaborative sets, including reinterpretations of their back catalogue as well as arrangements of our favourite traditional songs and carols. These unique events, marking the closing of the year, are not to be missed.
