Julian Littman

A night of eclectic, contemporary folk as multi-award winner Charlie Dore, one of the UK's most respected songwriters teams up with long-time co-pilot Julian Littman of Steeleye Span to share her latest album, Dark Matter. Charlie promises another fast moving show as the pair swap guitars, mandolin, harmonium, ukulele, piano and autoharp. Dark Matter has won two awards to date, both Album of the Year and Best Lyrics from the USA Indie Acoustic Project 2018 (the only UK album to be recognised that year) although previous UK winners have included Cara Dillon, Kate Rusby and Albert Lee. As well as introducing some new and different flavours to shine a very personal light on her mysterious subject matter, Charlie and Julian will dip into favourites from the past 6 albums and share original acoustic versions of hits Charlie has written for others, including Celine Dion, George Harrison, Sheena Easton, Paul Carrack, UB40, Jimmy Nail, Tina Turner and Status Quo. And there's always a possibility of a new angle on her own song, Pilot of the Airwaves - still a national radio favourite. Charlie and Julian have known each other since their teens where they met at drama school, and continue to work, write and perform together to this day. Charlie has lead a various and varied life having worked on the TV children series "Rainbow", has acted and appeared in the film 'The Ploughman's Lunch' and worked on series for both the BBC and ITV. She co-founded comedy-improvisation troupe, Dogs On Holiday, which hosted and performed at its own Soho venue, The Hurricane Club. ​In 1978 Chris Blackwell signed Charlie to his Island Records label, and her second album 'Listen' was recorded in the States using studio musicians at that time. Just so happened that those musicians were Toto who later went on to have a very successful career. We are rather pleased to be welcoming Charlie and Julian to the Quaker Meeting House in May, come along if you have never seen Charlie before, an outstanding musician, songwriter and performer, you are in for a treat. "A gift for melody, brave, poignant, entertaining, original" Guardian ★★★★ Dark Matteran amazingly astute, moving, intelligent and connected songwritera voice like Kate McGarrigle meets Dory Previn. Wonderful Mike Harding. ​ Beautiful, existential, metaphysical and intruigingly other. Zen folk I want to call it. Charlie Dore's 'Time Out of Mind' Ricky Ross, BBC Scotland