Span Arts is extremely excited to be bringing the globally acclaimed guitarist Martin Simpson to Narberth next Friday, February 8, to launch their 2019 Acoustic Guitar Series at Bethesda Chapel.

Martin is widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world. His solo shows are intense, eclectic, spellbinding and deeply moving.

Having been nominated an astounding musician 27 times in the last 15 years for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (more than any other performer), with nine consecutive years as nominee for Musician of The Year (which he has won twice), he is evidently a world class performer.

There is no-one who has more successfully combined the diverse elements of British, Afro-American and old-timey music than Simpson. His 15 years living in the US were well spent. In addition, his own song writing has produced some real gems, from the truck-stop epic, ‘Love Never Dies’ to the profoundly moving ‘Never Any Good’ and ‘One Day’.

His career includes collaborations on stage and recording with Richard Hawley, Richard Thompson, June Tabor, Kelly Joe Phelps, Jackson Browne, Danny Thompson, Danú, Martin Carthy, Cara Dillon, David Lindley, Roy Bailey, Martin Taylor, David Hidalgo, Steve Miller, Dick Gaughan, Dom Flemons and many more.

There is no doubt that after 45 years as a professional musician Martin is, right now, better than ever.

This performance marks the first of three guitar performances at Bethesda Chapel, with Rachel Taylor-Beales and Dylan Fowler on March 28, followed by Richard Durrant on June 6.