Thursday 11th May 2023
Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre.
The Small Venue with the Big Reputation.
Ex Fotheringay Presents
THE SANDY DENNY PROJECT
+ Special guest support
Sally Barker
The Sandy Denny Project pay homage and cast a new shine and brilliance on the life and works of one of Britains best loved Folk Singers. Sandy Denny's remarkable writing is approached not as a tribute band, slavishly copying the records, but as a tribute in its best sense – an interpretation of Sandy's wonderful work.
Sandy Denny has solidified her place as one of the most influential and best loved English folk rock Singer-Songwriters of the last 50 years. Her best known composition "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" has been recorded by many, among them Judy Collins, Eva Cassidy, Nina Simone, 10,000 Maniacs and Cat Power. Her recorded work has been the subject of numerous reissues, along with a wealth of previously unreleased material which has appeared over the 40+ years since her death at the tender age of 31.
BBC Radio Northampton, as part of National Music Day 2017, chose ex-Fotheringay MkII members Sally Barker (The Poozies, BBCTV;The Voice and guitarist PJ Wright (TradArrr, The Dylan Project) to celebrate the award of Sandy Denny;s Blue Plaque at Byfield Village Hall, the scene of her last-ever concert in 1978.
The following year Sally and PJ constructed a dream folk-rock band (with frequent Fairport Convention guest Anna Ryder, multi-instrumentalist Marion Fleetwood, and the rhythm section of bassist Mat Davies and drummer Mark Stevens from folk-rock legends Little Johnny England) to commemorate the passing of Byfield resident Sandy for a sell-out concert at the Village Hall. Sandyfest; and;The Sandy Denny Project; were born.
After briefly working with the Strawbs, Sandy joined Fairport Convention in 1968 and formed Fotheringay in 1970. Between 1971 and 1977, she released four solo albums and duetted with Robert Plant on "The Battle of Evermore" for Led Zeppelin IV.
Melody Maker's readers twice voted Sandy the "Best British Female Singer", in 1970 and 1971, and Uncut and Mojo have called Denny Britain's finest female singer-songwriter.
With every year Sandy's reputation continues to grow in stature as a songwriter and interpreter of traditional material and the six musicians in the Sandy Denny Project, who share an impressive folk-rock pedigree, are each at the very top of their musical game.
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving I do not count the time For who knows where the time goes? Who knows where the time goes? (Sandy Denny)
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