ALL KINDS of sounds go into the melting pot when North Cregg, one of Ireland’s foremost traditional bands, play at the Turner Sims Concert Hall in Southampton later this month. Irish dance music, influences from Scotland, Shetland, Nova Scotia and Quebec, even a bit of swing and bluegrass for good measure!
North Cregg originated as a result of the thriving informal pub session scene in Cork in 1995. Two locals - young accordion player Christy Leahy and veteran guitarist John Neville - were already regulars on the session scene when Armagh fiddler Caoimhín Valley arrived in the city to study music at the local university. An instant musical friendship between the three was struck up and the bones of North Cregg took shape. Frequent sessions together in local bars along with piano player Ciarán Coughlan revealed a fresh new sound prompting an offer for the quartet to perform a support slot at The Cork Folk Festival in September 1996.
Now was the time to find a name for the band; North Cregg was chosen as this was the name of a recently composed tune by John’s friend Jimmy Morrisson. Their appearance was a roaring success and they were invited back the next year. The offer of a tour in Germany in March 1998 resulted in the enlisting of Christy's younger brother Martin Leahy on snare drum, and he stayed on with the band on a permanent basis.
Their first CD was released in March 1999 and promoted on their first tour of Ireland in with rousing concerts in Dublin, Wexford, Limerick, Kerry, Armagh and their native Cork. More tours and festival appearances came in 2000.
  Their second album was released in 2001, followed by a summer full of music festivals. Family and work commitments forced John to quit later that year. Instead of a direct replacement two of Cork's finest musicians were enlisted - singer, Fiona Kelleher and guitarist, Jason O'Driscoll. The new line-up made it's first international appearance at Celtic Connections, Glasgow 2002 to great acclaim.
North Cregg play at Turner Sims on Tuesday January 28; tickets via 02380 595151. (©Peter Ashton 2002)

        THIS YEAR guitarist Gordon Giltrap celebrates 35 years as a professional entertainer. A wandering minstrel in the truest sense, he has several upcoming village hall gigs in Hampshire over the next couple of months through the Hog The Limelight scheme operated by the county council to take live music to rural environments.
Born in Kent in 1948, Gordon was raised in the poorer districts of south-east London. Like many other kids growing up in that era, his idols were Buddy Holly and Hank Marvin and he longed to play the guitar. His mum bought him his first instrument when he was twelve, Gordon progressed quickly - by the the age of fourteen, he was already playing in a band.
He left school at the age of fifteen hoping to pursue a career in art, but ended up working on building sites as an unskilled labourer. Meanwhile he channelled his creative talents into composing and playing the guitar. Completely self-taught, he developed his own unique style.
By the mid 1966 he was a semi-professional on the London folk/blues scene. Two years later he signed his first record contract , became a full professional and enjoyed huge success on the folk club and university circuit over the next decade, releasing several albums.
In 1976 the album “Visionary” marked a move towards playing wholly instrumental music. By the early 1980s, Gordon had progressed to writing commissioned classical orchestral pieces, including the "Eye of the Wind Rhapsody" which was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1996 Gordon had a spell playing The Troubador in the Cliff Richard stage musical "Heathcliff", for which he composed two songs. Since then he has toured solo with visits to the USA, Russia and Europe as well as gigs all over the UK.
Gordon plays Beech Village Hall near Alton on Saturday January 18, Wallington Village Hall on February 7 and West Tytherley Village Hall on February 8. (©Peter Ashton 2002)

        LOCAL talent gets a chance to shine when the Spring 2003 season kicks off at The Tower Arts Centre in Winchester on Friday January 10 with four local bands parading their talents. Music is a big component of the season right through until mid-April with the best in rock, blues, folk, pop and world music.
Beach Boys Inc bring the sunny sounds of The Beach Boys to the venue on Friday January 17 when they will be singing flawless covers of songs like “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” The following week Neil Innes replaces the previously advertised Acoustic Strawbs concert. The ex-Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band man presents a one-man show “Innes Own Words”, an evening of music, song and anecdotes, and, apparently the occasional duck!
February is another bumper month for music with American bluesman Kent Duchaine, the unique rock guitarist Wilko Johnson and his band, plus Batanai Marimba with some “jute” style rhythms from Zimbabwe. The month also unveils all the Tower’s spring theatrical events with no less than six productions. The popular girls’ boarding school parody “Daisy Pulls It Off” revived by Winchester Youth Theatre is the first of these on February 18/19. Later in the month Gonzo Moose take a trip back in time with “When In Rome”, puppetry and music help tell the tale of “King Arthur & The Holy Grail”, and elaborate scenery is a feature of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Amongst the highlights in March are a visit from 1980s singer Hazel O’Connor with some classic torch songs in “Torch To Flame”. Veteran rock blues guitarist Stan Webb appears with Chicken Shack, while the inspired Botley-based singer/songwriter Jackie Leven introduces songs from his new album. Folk music is represented by Deb Sandland & Phil Beer and ColvinQuarmby, with the season ending on Wednesday April 16 to the sound of The Animals and “The House Of The Rising Sun.”
For more information contact 01962 867986. (©Peter Ashton 2002)