PAST EVENTS
"Excellent"
"Fab! Really great!"
"Most enjoyable. Charming venue"
"Super venue, good musicianship. Great for Colwall to have quality like this. Why the late start?" [Ed. Apologies for this. We delayed the start because we were waiting for a party of five who had bought tickets online. In fact they never turned up.]
"Excellent"
"Excellent music and value"
"100% delightful - can't wait for the next one. Please keep the venue just the way it is (perfect)"
"Great evening! Great musicians! Really pleasantly surprised! [Ed: on ways to improve:] Bring your own seat cushions"
"Good fun, very well organised & great standard of performance/audience engagement"
"Excellent and varied instrumental talent from Appleby Kinsey, vocal Karen Bates"
"A fab evening's entertainment in a cosy intimate place - what's not to like? + an excellent payment method [Ed: on the web site]"
"Superb music. Fantastic music but we need a longer break, softer chairs or shorter sessions"
"Perfect, fun! Venue could do with more comfortable chairs"
[Ed: point taken about the chairs being uncomfortable for some people. Personally I find them very comfortable, but it probably depends on your shape! A solution will be sought.]
"Do not like some of Karen's lyrics"
The Artist
Karen is singer of exceptional quality and an award-winning songwriter with a huge experience performing solo, as a session musician and fronting jazz bands. Her songs have won BASCA and Music Maker awards. She is also a very fine guitarist. Karen recently moved from London into her new home in Worcester.
H Bragen: «In this clone world it isn’t cool to be natural. But anyone who can take you to several places within a few minutes has something unusual and that is what tips you on your head. Karen laughs with an audience because she connects with people easily but somehow that same laughter melds into something deeper when she sings her own songs. Listen to ‘Goodbye 31’ and ‘Speak The Truth’ and maybe you will feel it too.
I once asked an old music biz friend of mine how it had been when he saw Karen playing a tough gig in London…
"The thing was", he said , "they were just ignoring the other acts but when Karen started to sing, they shut up."»
Links:
A quartet of guitar, saxophones, flute and double bass, Appleby Kinsey continue to create a distinctive, natural acoustic sound, with rich melodies, beautiful original songs, and masterful playing.
Hannah West joined the group in January 2016 as double bass player. Hannah is a talented and versatile musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, teacher and composer.
Talitha Cole and Emma's Stone's voices combine in beautiful harmonies over lyrical, catchy, original songs in a variety of styles, from Latin jazz to folk.
Since 2010 Appleby Kinsey have been playing weddings, festivals, cruise boats, bars, restaurants and have a dedicated following in the region. They have a large repertoire of original songs in various genres ranging from cool jazz to straight pop and contemporary folk, using an appealing mixture of these styles. They have released one album, ‘Begin Again’ on CD and download, containing 14 original songs. Tracks from ‘Begin Again’ are regularly played on BBC Local Radio.
Links:
The Venue
The Ale House
The Ale House is a delightful and intimate concert venue, with warm acoustics.
Despite its name, there are no bar facilities at The Ale House and events there do not normally make alcoholic drinks available for sale. Most events, however, are bring-your-own. Wine glasses are made available.
The absence of a bar also has the highly desirable effect of ensuring the ‘pindrop’ atmosphere is maintained, with audiences intent only on the music.
In the 16th Century The Ale House was a place to serve ale to the parishioners of Colwall after church services. Nowadays, while having all modern facilities, it retains its ancient charm, with oak beams and leaded windows.
It is situated adjacent to St James the Great Church in Colwall. From the main B4218 going through the main part of Colwall, turn down Mill Lane, which is just north of the railway bridge. Go past Colwall Village Hall and the church is about half a mile further down the lane.
Park in the large car park next to the church and walk through the churchyard to the Ale House.
For reasons of safety parking is not allowed immediately adjacent to the building.
Disabled Access
The Ale House is fully equipped for wheelchair access.
There is a pull-in space by the main door at the south end of the building (shown in the picture) for drop-off.