Roy performs at venues all over the country, and his commitment to placing traditional music firmly at the heart of the contemporary sees him often working in partnership with regional and local organisations and groups, on a variety of projects from festivals, education and heritage to social care settings.

Folk & Traditional Music   Cheshire Songs   When This Old Hat Was New   Wearpurple Arts   Commissions  

Folk & Traditional Music

Roy is well known throughout the country as a fine exponent and interpreter of traditional songs and tunes. He has a wide range of songs and ballads at his fingertips and a rich repertoire of local (Cheshire) material to draw on. He has performed at venues all over the country and in the USA and had played most of the major UK Festivals including Sidmouth, Whitby, Broadstairs, Bromyard, Chippenham and Chester.

Picture of Roy with guitar by a tree
Accompanying himself on English concertina and acoustic guitar he has a wide repertoire of material drawn from an equally diverse array of sources. Traditional English songs, 19th century broadsides, Cheshire material, contemporary and self-penned pieces and a few lively dance tunes to balance the mix.

Roy has been described as having a ' strong and melodic voice' (Folk on Tap) and a ' fine voice and excellent phrasing' (The Living Tradition).

Roy also plays in partnership with Neil Brookes. Neil, another Cheshire man, is an experienced dance musician with an unashamedly English fiddle style who has amassed a huge repertoire of tunes, many from lesser-known collections from the North West. Roy's singing and concertina playing are enhanced by Neil's musicianship as he complements the songs and inspires the tunes on fiddle and octave fiddle.


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 Cheshire Songs

Picture of Cheshire Somgs book title 'Here's to Cheshire!'

An entertaining and illuminating journey through the county's traditional heritage.

Roy Clinging, accompanying himself primarily on the English concertina, introduces an evening of songs, tunes, stories and legends. Roy is a full-time singer and musician working mainly in the field of folk and traditional music who has also found time to compile 'Cheshire Folk Songs and associated traditions' a volume of 60 songs with their sources and background information and to record (with support from Cheshire County Council) 'Cheshire Born' a CD of Cheshire songs and tunes. Adopting an informal and engaging style he presents a selection of gems from the archives giving a unique and colourful insight into the past. There are tragic ballads, tales of lost loves, songs of work, local traditions, legends, uplifting choruses and humorous interludes. Roy has performed his collection of Cheshire material at venues all over the UK and in the USA and continues to spread the word of this little tapped yet vital source of wonderful material.

"Roy has created some special sets for us looking at themes such as Cheshire Legends and Folklore. His performances have caught the imagination of the audiences, not just through his excellent singing and playing but through the fascinating tales told during the shows which set the songs in context." - Tom Hughes, Education Officer, Cheshire West Museums

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Picture of Roy performing When This Old Hat Was New
'When This Old Hat Was New'

A well-observed account of some of the major aspects of 19th century life, delivered through a combination of broadside ballads, folk, popular and Music Hall songs of the time (with concertina/guitar accompaniment). Roy has drawn the music and spoken material from documentary and archive sources, and the end result is an enlightening (and entertaining!) commentary on a time of great industrial, social and political change.

 

After a series of successful performances - most notably at Chester Folk Festival - Roy and 'The Hat Show Band'  have been in to the studio to record a number of songs from the show for a CD which is due to be released in August.>


Note: This show is suitable for both small and large venues - no special facilities are required.








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Wearpurple Arts

Roy has worked alongside the Wearpurple Arts team on a variety of projects from music in social care settings to Singing For Fun workshops.

Wearpurple Arts website

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Commissions

Roy has compiled a number of special presentations for specific events including 'Off To Sea Once More' a celebration of the music of our maritime heritage (for the Chester Folk Festival) and 'A Poor Man's Heritage' about the development of the workhouse system (commissioned by The Salt Museum, Northwich, Cheshire).

A live recording of  'A Poor Man's Heritage' was made before an invited audience at the Radio Merseyside studios in October 2009 and was broadcast on BBC Radio Merseyside on Thursday 12th November at 9.00pm. A repeat broadcast is planned for later in the year. 


If you have a special event or theme you would like to commemorate in this way then please contact Roy with your ideas and he would be pleased to talk them through with you.

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