Welcome. This is where we curate and show off some of the many treasures and remarkable items of the Coventry and Warwickshire folk scene – past and present.
This page is our exhibition and showcase of what makes the whole CVFolk project worthwhile. It’s here to highlight the vital role played by the folk scene has played – and continues to play – in the cultural life of this city and its surroundings.
Click on each link to explore the treasure-trove. And email here if you wish to offer anything to show in our online, living museum.
Treasures on display…
A Song For Hazel: BBC TV documentary broadcast 1984 including events and personalities in the 1980s Coventry Folk Scene
Fifty Years of Folk: Article by Pete Clemons published 2013, giving an account of the local folk club circuit up that time
Welcome to Coop’z Cave. Dave Cooper‘s fascinating and ever-expanding collection of video and audio material by some of the finest performers of acoustic music, many of whom have strong Coventry connections.
Rod Felton – Coventry’s Interplanetary Folkin’ Superstar. Trev Teasdel’s comprehensive collection of histories, photographs, artwork, lyrics, recordings, and press cuttings relating to Coventry’s singer-songwriting legend Rod Felton (1942-2014). This was all brought together as a blog item which forms part of the Coventry Music Scene archive, curated by Trev under the banner of Coventry music fanzine, Hobo, which was produced in the mid-1970s.
Folks Magazine 1978-80: A repository for all ten issues of the magazine circulated in Coventry folk venues in the late 70s offering an insight into the local folk scene fifteen years after the so-called folk revival.
Lot Lorien with Jake Wilson: The superb outcome of an Anglo-Bulgarian music project, Common Ground, bringing together three well-travelled musicians who met by chance in a Leamington park
Folk Play Archive (Ron Shuttleworth Collection) Archive on everything connected with Folk Plays and Mumming. Specifically including Mummers’ plays, Pace-Egg plays, Souling Plays, Plough or Wooing plays, Derby Tup plays and Hobby horse plays and all aspects of English language Folk Drama.
Early Birmingham Folk Clubs 1950-1980: Bit outside our postcode area but many of these clubs were visited by Coventry folk fans and performed at by Coventry and Warks artists.
Early extracts (2011-13) from Trev Teasdel‘s blog: Coventry Folk Club and Acoustic Scene 1960’s to Present:
- John Shanahan (the late and outstanding guitarist and songwriter from Coventry who relocated to Berlin. Passed away in 2023)
- Gilly Darbey (Powerful Coventry-born singer who appeared solo and with Keith Donnelly as part of Waterfall, Nothing By Chance and Little Aeroplane – now living in New Zealand)
- Dave Bennett (The late and legendary fingerpick and ragtime guitarist who played a major role in Coventry’s session and club circuit. Dave passed away in 2010.)
- Mick Stuart (Superb acoustic blues guitarist and songwriter active on the Coventry folk scene in the 1970s to 90s – now believed to be living in Leicestershire)
- Andy and Jan Smith (Coventry bluegrass banjo virtuoso, Andy passed away in 2007. His sister Jan still sings and plays guitar in the popular husband-and-wife duo, Terry & Jan Wisdom)