The Woods Hole Folk Music Society will open its 42nd season on Sunday, September 29th, with a concert by legendary Scottish singer and guitarist Archie Fisher.
Glasgow-born singer, songwriter and guitarist Archie Fisher is considered Scotland's foremost troubadour. His lyrical baritone, intricate guitar fingerpicking and evocative interpretations of both traditional and original material have earned him a place in the Scots Traditional Music Hall of Fame as well as a prestigious MBE award from Queen Elizabeth. He is widely recognized from his performances on radio and television, and> especially for BBC Scotland's "Travelling Folk"€ radio show, which he has hosted for over 25 years. Sing Out magazine calls Archie Fisher "one of Britain's finest song interpreters."
Archie Fisher grew up in a large singing family, which yielded three professional musicians: Archie and his sisters Ray and Cilla Fisher. His parents'€™ varied musical interests from vaudeville, blues and skiffle to opera and Hebridean Gaelic traditions contributed to Mr.Fisher's uniquely dynamic singing style. Political activism, ignited by his discovery of a recording by The Weavers, inspired him to create songs with deeply poetic and politically meaningful messages.
Based in Edinburgh during the folk music boom of the 1960s, he performed with rising stars Bert Jansch of Pentangle and Robin Williamson of the Incredible String Band. In the 1970s he worked with Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, producing a series of albums as their backing musician and arranger. He also produced albums for the ground-breaking Scottish folk band Silly Wizard. In the 1980s he turned his attention to songwriting and began a touring partnership with Canadian songwriter Garnet Rogers, who produced his highly acclaimed 1995 album "€œSunsets I've Galloped Into."€ Following the success of that release, Mr. Fisher began touring North America, often playing with John Renbourn and Bert Jansch.
His most recent album, "Windward Away," is a collection of poetic and evocative ballads highlighting the wild and rough beauty of Scotland'€™s Border country. While working on that album, Mr. Fisher discovered an original master of tracks from an old recording he made in the late 1970s with Makem and Clancy, releasing these as bonus tracks to the surprise and delight of his many fans. Together, "Windward Away" and "€œThe Missing Master"€ represent over three decades of Archie Fisher'€™s distinguished writing and singing career.
The concert begins at 7:30 PM. Doors open at 7 PM. Admission is $15 with discounts for members, seniors, youth and children. Community Hall is handicapped accessible. There is no charge for street parking after 6 PM.
Upcoming performances include: October 13, Two performers promising an exciting and dynamic evening with James Keelaghan and Jez Lowe; October 27, Songs and stories both exotic and familiar from Martyn Wyndham-Read; November 10, Various and unusual blues interpretations by Geoff Muldaur; November 24, Representing the finest traditional & contemporary music from Scotland and Ireland - Comas. No Concerts in December! We start again on January 5, 2014 with a TBD and January 19 with Bill Staines!
The Woods Hole Folk Music Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering enjoyment of folk music in all its forms. Concerts are generally held two Sundays per month from October through April. They are made possible by support from its members, season subscribers, volunteers, and performers. More information is available at www.arts-cape.com/whfolkmusic or by calling 508-540-0320.
