Concert: John Conolly and Rob van Sante

John Conolly, the man of “Fiddler’s Green” and his long-time stage partner Rob van Sante, will be appearing at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

John Conolly honed his songwriting craft on the docks of Grimsby, a once bustling fishing port perched at the mouth of the Humber River on the North Sea. As he watched the fishing fleet limp into oblivion with the demise of a once-thriving industry, he began to chronicle the stories of the men who worked on the boats and along the docks. Fiddlers’ Green, which was popularized in the 1960s by an Irish group calling themselves The Dubliners, has become firmly entrenched in the canon of maritime music.  These days Conolly performs his own material with warmth, good humor and lilting accompaniment on guitar and melodeon. While Conolly’s best-known songs have been performed and recorded by many famous artistes, there is always a special buzz in hearing them sung by the man who wrote them and hearing the latest ditty to fall from his pen.

Joining John on stage will be Rob van Sante, whose precise guitar work and strong vocals add a richness and depth to Conolly’s performance.
Dutch-born van Sante has been part of the British folk scene for the last 45 years, and is a noted producer, recording engineer and session musician.

We’ve heard it said about John Conolly:
“If there were ever a Campaign for Real Folk-Singers, John Conolly is the sort of act it would promote—his hand-crafted songs sit well with his easy-going charm and sense of humour, making him a firm favourite with both audiences and fellow musicians . . .”
(Bradford Topic Folk Club – established over 60 years, so they’ve seen ’em all!)