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July 26. Well cant seem to get my head around putting content on here, But am going to try again. Still playing around Perth Check out my latest videos on the Video page. Earlier this year I complegted my Masters research into the Music of the Britishe Settlers in the Swan River Colony. I am in the Process of editing my thesis into a book.( Watch this space) I have also signed for PhD in Performing Arts reseacrhing the musical and social backgound of a prominant local family The Cliftons. I am luck enought to be in possesion of music from the family ranging from beautifull hand written volumes from the early 1830's to mjusic from the 1920's. There is also guitar music from around the 1840's so I am having great fun playing this on my reproduction of a 19th century classical guitar. Still giging and loking forward to playing a few gigs in the UK in Sept and Oct. See my upcoming gigs page.
June 2025. Had a fab time playing at Wimborne Folk Festival. Played two concerts .I was invited on stage to play with the incredible Gerry Colvin band and their son The Bell. Also found time for a bit of busking( made a fiver!).
See my video page for further songs.
July
Feb 1 2026.
Wher did the time go !! Well my excuse for not writing is that I have been a tad busy.
First I have gained a Masters Degree in Music( Performance) from our local WA Academy of Performing Arts. My reseacrh was on the Music of the forst Brirish Settlers from Colonisation i 1829 to 1841. Some fascinating insights into who, how ,and where they used their music. I am planning to turn it into a book later this year.
Also I am nearly finished with participating in two projects in the Perth Fringe Festival. I have played 3 shows with Perth Celtic Band Amarach. Called a Celtic G'Day it highlighted Australian Colonial Songs. My other project has been organised by Phil Gray and is a sho about the early 19th century goldfields here in WA. The story When Bayley's Star Gleamed Bright is told through narrative song and a visual presentation. Many of the songs come from local goldfield poets. We have done two shows and have three more to do at the Old Mill theatre in perth. See Above for Photos.
Now gearing up for solo gigs and pub gigs with Joe.
Sept 2025.
Well again a busy couple of months. My masters thesis is in and being marked (Fingers crossed i will not have many changes to make).
I played with the celtic band Amarach in a concert for peace in aid of the musiians for peace charity and it was well attended and a fair bit of money made. It is good to play in this ever expanding band consisiting of Cello Fiddle Flute Guitar Banjo and vocals. I mainly play Mandolin and Octave Mandolin which is brilliant.
I also played in the classial guitar ensemble Plectra for their final concert of the year at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts.(WAAPA). Played quite a challenging peice by Jim Duddel called Freaky Dancer for guitar ensemble and Vibraphone. It was good to stretch the brain and fingers.
Playing a couple of pub gigs with Duality always good fun ( see events page).Lots of acoustic pop, rock and country classics with a bit of folk thrown in.
I am presenting my researcj on the music of Early Western Australia at a research presentation at WAAPA and also at the Australian Musicololgical Society conference at the University of Western Australia in November ( See events page).
Also excited to perform at Busselton where i will be playing the songs found on my research to a folk audience. Organised by Emma Clare Bussel a descendant of the family that gave Busselton its name. I will be playing guitar music and songs from the Robert Clifton who was aguitarist and arrived in the colony in 1841. I am fortunate to have his original guitatr music and this will form part of my presentation.
Finally will be starting to rehearse with Amarach for christmas shows coming up as well as preparing for the Perth Fringe festival in January. Will also be joining Phil Gray for his fringe shows highlightinh music of the WA Goldrush.
I am still finding time to play at the local folk clubs and also teach a few students.
I am still having trouple getting videos on this site so if you want to see more of what I do check oout my facebook site.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063616775085
Till the next time.
June 2025.
Had a busy couple of months. In April I played in a concert of WA Folk music organised by the WA Folk Federation and in conjunction with the National Trust of Australia as part of their Heritage month.Great to play all WA focussed songs with other great local songwriters.
Have been finishing off my thesis on the music of the Swan River Colony 1829. Nearly done and almost ready for submission. Hope to convert it to a book later on this year.
Am currenlty in the UK to looking forwardplaying at the Winborne Folk Festival and the Quay Folk Club on the Isle of Wight before heading back to play at Bunbury Folk and Shanty Festival in July. All details on the upcoming gigs page.
I will also be giving a talk at Bunbury Museum as part of this festival.. Onwards and upwards.
With Amarach at the Perth Fringe Festival.
Not seeing anything above? Reauthenticate
5.03.25.
Well the Fringe festival went well.Capacity crowds for both of our gigs and favourable reviews.
Currently in er Sophie for our two gigs over St Patricks Day (See events Page).
Have been invited back to play another solo set at the Hills club this Friday. They must like what I do!
My reseach thesis on The Music of the European Settlers in the Swan River Colony is due on April 1st so I am wrtitng like crazy at the moment. Lots of what we now call Scottish foll msic in there which I am preparing to perform.
Also lots of Classical guitar music and prlour songs which I am preparing. I will be giveing a talk for national hertitage week on the 1st April at Perth town Hall. So keeping busy.
See my facebook page for more up to date stuff and vids etc.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063616775085
2.02 25.
Things are hotting up on the gig front.
Things are hotting up on the gig front.
I went up to the Merriwa follk club on Tuesday for their come all ye. Only time for two songs as there wer so many people wanting to play. The come all ye genre is very popular which is great,
This Friday I am playing my first solo gig for a while at the Hills Folk club. On of the longest running folk clubs in Perth. All unamplified like the folk clubs of old.Audience within spitting distance!. It is a great buzz playing there. The evening features artists playing songs from Western Australia. I will be playing a mix of taditional songs from the Early days and my own compositions.
Then the week after I have three gigs with Amarach. Two for the Perth Fringe Festival and one for Nuns!!( yes thats right). No details locked in for this one yet.
See my events page for more details.
Happy New Year.
Thought I would do review of my musical life in 2024 and look forward to 2025.
No wonder I didn’t update my website!!!
Classical Guitar.
I played three concerts in the classical guitar ensemble at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
The fist I accompanied a first year opera student in a song by John Dowland.
The second as part of a concert in collaboration with Chinese Students from Nanjing.
The third a concert of Spanish Guitar Music.
The Perth Guitar Orchestra premiered my composition Nyinggullu.
Folkie Music.
Trevor Smith a playwright and poet from Northampton (UK) used one of my songs as a basis for his short play ‘Tell us another tale Gran’.
I played Mandolin and added Vocals to the brilliant local duo Warralakin on their album Rhythms of the Outback.
I was on guitar duties with Perth Celtic band Amarach playing a sell out gig for Perth Fringe Festival and The Wanneroo Folk club.
With my son Joe we played as Duality at the first Bunbury Folk and Shanty Festival. It was great to play 5 sellout concerts over the weekend. We played in our first Bush Dance as a duo with me calling and playing the Banjo!!! The dancers and us had a really good night.
We had a couple of mainstream music gigs busking (but paid) in the streets of Victoria Park for their summer season as well as a birthday party and a gig for New Years Eve.
In March for St Patricks day we were Joined by my daughter Jade and her fiddle for two gigs in a day. Tiring but great fun.She stayed to play a gig at the hills folk club.
Solo Gigs
I payed my original songs with a first nations theme for a school in Freo.
I was invited to pay at the Folk in the Forest Festival where I played and gave a spinoff talk on my research ‘Songs from the Inns Taverns and Grog Shops of The Swan River Colony. Plenty of chorus songs.
I was also asked to perform a song poem ‘Do you think I do not Know’ in a presentation about Henry Lawson.I arranged it for DADGAD guitar which went down well,
I as usual played floor spots at Wanneroo Folk Club, The Hills Folk Club Matildas Folk club and Merriwa Folk Club.
I had my last two cd’s This Pilgrims Progress and Originals with Influences reviewed favourably in Australias Trad and Now magazine
My research into the Music of the Swan River Colony continued and I gave 6 illustrated talks to historical societies throughout the year.
Phew what a great music musical year.
2025 is shaping up to be just as busy. I have retired from teaching in schools but will carry on teaching at home for a while because I enjoy it.
I will play again with Amarach in February for two gigs in the Perth Fringe Festival(see upcoming events for details.
We will play as The Emerald Trio for two gigs over St Patricks Day weekend in March this time joined by the fantastic Sophie Lenz on fiddle.
Duality have been invited back to play at Bunbury in July.
I am making a brief visit to the UK in June and will be playing at the lovely Wimborne Minster Folk Festival. and the Quay Folk Club on the Isle of Wight.
I will be giving two talks in April and one as part of the Bunbury Folk and Shanty Festival.
I continue to run the folk club at Wanerroo and am also vice Chair of the West Australian Folk Federation.
I should have finished my thesis on Music in the Swan River by April 1st and am planning to release it as a book early in 2026.
10 Sept. Wow it has been a while. I have been writing and researching like crazy on the Music of the Swan River Colony. Lots of what we now call folk music. I have had my first paper published in Early Days the journal of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society which I really chuffed with. I will be presenting my Songs from the Inns Grog Shops and Taverns of the Swan River Colony at the Folk in the Forest Festival in November.
I am also writing for my 5 th solo album 'Unpopular Music. aiming for release in 2025.
Also my work for Guitar Orchestra 'Nyinggulu' wil; be premiered at WAAPA in December. Phew
now I know why I have not updated this.
8th June.
Looking forward to talking to the Maylands Historical and Peninsula association on the 15th June. I will be speaking on the subject of Dance and Music in the Swan River Colony, as part of my research into the music of the early settlers.
Full details in the upcoming gigs section.
6th June 24.
Well Bunbury was a blast. Had some really positive comments from people. See our Facebook page for vids.
Also ahd my last two albums reviewed in Trad and Now Magazine.(see above) My last CD this pilgrims Progress can be heard on Bandcamp.
https://johnralph.bandcamp.com/
Will get details of how to purchase my 4 cd's on here soon.
June 24.
Getting Ready to play at Bunbury Folk and Shanty Festival this weekend with Joe. Have four gigs over the weekend 28th 29th and 39th June so will be super busy.
You can find us at;
Mission for Seafarers Club. Friday 11 pm
Koombana Bay Sailing Club Sat 12 pm.
Froth Sat 6 pm
Koombana Bay Sailing Club Sun 4 pm.
We will also be leading a couple of songs in the Big Sing on Sunday starting at 8 pm.
Should be a cracking weekend. Come and say Hi
For updates see our facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100030928884670
Lots more happening in the next weeks so will update regularly
11 April 24.
Well have been mega busy. I am at the West Australian Acadamy of Performing arts undertaking a Masters in Musicology researching the music made by the early settlers of the Swan River Colony. Fascinating how they used their music to remind them of home, for entertainment and for work. I am developing a thread where they were writing lyrics that reflected their life in early WA. Lots of folk music references.
Have had articles published in Trad and Now and Early Days, and have given three talks on the subject.
Also playing loads especially like playing with my son and Daughter as the Emerald Trio for Paddy's Day and at the Hills Folk club.
I played a iniw mini world tour of the UK last year and came second in the Ludlow Fringe Songwriritng contest with my song Worship the Fire.
I guested as a guitar player for Celtic band AMARACH in the Perth Fringe Festival.
I am playing a solo set a fundraiser tomorrow. A nice mix of Classical(Fernando Sor) Traditional (Western Australia For Me) and my own composition about Jandamarra,(Ghost Dancer Spirit Warrior).
And will be playing as part of Plectra Classical Guitar Ensemble in a couple of weeks.
Go to my facebook site for vids https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063616775085
Phew!!!
13 April 2023.
So much for my keeping this up to date. I promise to get better!
Much has happened since Jan. The Emerald trio played a couple of fab gigs for ST Patricks Day. 6 1/2 hrs of playing. Fingers were a bit sore and no voice left but what a great craic.
Then I was invited to play mandolin,banjo and add vocals to Phil Grays solo albumn. Phil was a member of loaded dog and is a great source of trad aussie music as well as writing some lovely locally based songs. It was a pleasure to be asked to put some sounds to his songs.Albumns hould be out in May,
Finally I have been accepted on the Masters Course at the Famous Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts(WAAPA), Researching the Music of early Western Australia and planning to create a musical soundscape. I will be giving a talk at the end of this month on the first Western Australian Song and also will be presenting to the Royal Western Australian Historical Society later in the year.
Have rejoined the Perth Guitar Orchestra to keep my classical playing up to sctatch and we played a lovely concert in the Perth CBD a few weeks ago.
Wanneroo Folk club tomorrow so looking forward to playing.
Thats all for now folks.
8thJan 2023
Matildas Folk Club in Nedlands, Perth, WA.
It was great to get out and play at Matildas yesterday in their new venue which was very nice in deed. Trevor and the crew made everyone welcome. I had not sang in earnest since the beginning of December so it was great to get back to it. I starting to organise my world tour of the UK in Jun/July . Already booked for Ely and Winchester folk clubs. See my up coming gigs page for more info.
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