Following hard on the heels of the Whare Flat Folk Festival, the "Ballads to Blues ’24" concert at Hanover Hall will feature a tribute to the late Phil Garland QSM — the first entry into the ANZFA roll of honour. The event will also feature sets by top folk musicians, in town as guests at the festival.
Aotearoa NZ Folk Alliance founding member Mike Moroney is among a group of local folk musicians who have formed a group to perform songs closely associated with Garland, as a tribute to his music and career.
A trio of singers — Lindsey Shields, Bruce Cull and Martin Curtis — will be accompanied by tribute musical director John Dodd and fellow musicians Steve Hudson, Anna Bowen, Sophia Bidwell and Moroney for the performance.
Known as "the godfather of New Zealand folk music", Canterbury-born Phil Garland was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 2014, for services to folk music. Alongside a busy schedule of touring in New Zealand, Australia and the United States, he recorded 19 albums and won the New Zealand Music Awards folk album of the year three times.
The "Ballads to Blues ’24" concert will also feature performances by folk trio Fiddlesticks, Cardona-based musician Martin Curtis and folk duo Half Light.
Comprising Karen and Alistair (Jacko) Jackson and Carol Rose, Fiddlesticks present a melting pot of folk music styles and originals, led by twin fiddles.
Leading New Zealand folk singer and songwriter Martin Curtis lives in the Cardrona Valley and runs the Cardrona Folk Festival each year. He has had a long and successful career, with his 1982 debut album Gin and Raspberry recognised as the best-selling New Zealand folk album.
The Half Light duo of Bob McNeill and Rennie Pearson take a mixture of original and traditional folk tunes and songs and arrange them in new and exciting ways.
The doors at Hanover Hall will open at 7.30pm on January 3 with the concert to start at 8pm.
Moroney said the showcase would celebrate "the broad church that is New Zealand folk music" and highlight the ongoing work of the ANZ Folk Alliance.
For more information visit the folk alliance website anzfa.org.nz.
