It's time for young folk

"It seems the Black Swan has a knack of spotting promising newcomers," says club organiser Roland Walls. "Our previous youth nights have given exposure to Bill Jones, Emily Slade, Ola and the Witches Of Elswick, and this latest triple bill of young artists is sure to be another glimpse of the healthy face of British folk music."

Jenny McCormick was brought up in a musical family in Manchester and has been listening to folk for as long as she can remember. Since graduating from the University of York a couple of years ago, she has begun a tentative career as a folk musician and last year sang in the Swaledale Festival and at the Brampton Folk Festival in Cumbria.

"She's influenced by the likes of Kate Rusby, and she's blossoming as a singer of both traditional ballads and her own songs," says Roland.

Jim Causley, from East Devon, is studying the traditional music degree course at Newcastle University. "His forte is as a solo singer of skill and character with a rich voice and warm, relaxed stage presence," Roland says.

Pure Chance brings together a second Newcastle University student, Damien O'Kane and County Durham schoolgirl Shona Kipling, who was a finalist in the 2002 BBC Young Folk Awards. "She's a multi award-winning accordion player who began playing about seven years ago, when she was recovering from a broken arm and her GP father bought her the instrument to help with the physiotherapy," says Roland.

Damien, from Derry in Ireland, is a banjo player, guitarist and singer, and with Shona he performs traditional music from Ireland, Northumberland, Scandinavia and beyond.

Doors open at 8pm on Thursday at the Black Swan Inn, Peasholme Green, where York action poet Adrian Spendlow will be the master of ceremonies and each of the three guest acts will do two sets in the course of the evening. Admission is £5, concessions £4, on the door and all proceeds will be split evenly between the young performers.

Updated: 15:50 Thursday, February 19, 2004