ONLY a handful of tickets are left for December 2’s gig by “the Welsh Springsteen”, Martyn Joseph, at Pocklington Arts Centre.
The Welsh folk singer-songwriter, now 61, will be showcasing his 23rd studio album, 1960, a “coming of age” record with a difference, released on Pipe Records last Friday.
Last year, amid the isolation of the pandemic, Penarth-born Joseph turned 60 on July 15, a landmark birthday, a time of self-reflection, that shaped his songs of despair and sadness, gratitude and wonder, and gave the album its title.
“The road ahead is shorter than the one behind,” he ponders. “I found myself asking what I’ve made of this life – and what I might have done differently.
“The answer doesn’t matter,” he decides. “It’s about love and the quality of your days on this earth.”
What emerged is a track listing of: Born Too Late; Felt So Much; House; Down To The Well; We Are Made Of Stars; Trying To Grow; Under Every Smile; In Your Arms; Shadow Boxing; There Is A Field and the seven-minute finale This Light Is Ours.
Looking forward to hosting a gig postponed by the third Covid lockdown from its original date of January 16, but now benefiting from the timely release of 1960, Pocklington Arts Centre director Janet Farmer says: “Martyn Joseph is an incredible artist, a truly unique talent who is going to blow us away when he steps onto our stage.
“He has had such an impressive career to date and his latest album is without doubt one of his best. We’ve had it playing on repeat at the venue, so what a fantastic opportunity this will be to hear it live within the intimate setting of our auditorium.”
Tickets for Joseph’s 8pm performance cost £18 at pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk or on 01759 301547.
Did you know?
MARTYN Joseph was honoured with a Spirit of Folk Award by Folk Alliance International in Kansas, USA, in 2018 and awarded a Wales Folk Award in 2019 for Here Come The Young, the title track of his last studio album.