Play or Sing, read a Poem, tell a Story, listen, fetch the beer, anything
John (aka Barty) and Pete have been singing in the SE of England for the best part of 30 years. Pete is a long-standing member of the Portsmouth Shantymen (described recently and accurately as "a power harmony group specialising in songs of the sea"). Barty and Pete were members of the 4-part harmony group 'Ramskyte', who were starting to make quite a name for themselves on the UK folk scene until the untimely death of Brian Ingham. All Ramskyte's members contributed material to the group's wide repertoire, but Barty is by far the most prolific and successful songwriter of the four with 'WholeHearted' singing many of his compositions, plus a few of Pete's and also songs from the tradition and from other writers such Bill Caddick's King Beer and Jim Boyes' Bringing in the Sheaves as well as traditional songs - they also have a CD called 'WholeHearted'.
On a basis of well-honed skill and natural talent and after several years 'learning his trade' at Clubs and Festivals (initially in the midlands and latterly down south) and also winning the EFDSS 75th Anniversary Song Writing Competition (for under-30s) in 2007 with his song The Gold Country, Gene (fine voice, superb guitarist) now lives in West Bromwich and is getting noticed, including supporting Ashley Hutchings and the Lark Rise Band at the Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham (where he is a redident) and as a booked artiste at the 2009 Saddleworth Folk Festival in addition to his songs being "aired" on Folk Radio Stations. His repertoire includes a wide-ranging mix of his own songs, traditional and contemporary songs (and a dash of gospel), mostly with sensitive guitar accompaniment, but he occasionally sings a beautiful unaccompanied song. He's been told he has an "unusual" voice and has found himself likened to Jake Thackeray, Noel Coward, Cat Stevens, Gordon Lightfoot, Ralph McTell, Richard Thompson, Roy Orbison and even Jacques Brel(!!), but as we all know, he's well worth listening-to as himself and he should have his latest CD called All Fools' Day with him.
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