Danny Spooner (Special Event)

Up Top From Down UnderDanny Spooner is a singer of traditional and contemporary folk songs of Britain and Australia ?a cappella, or with guitar and concertina. He?s known as a shanty singer and a labor-songs singer. Danny Spooner is also a social historian; his mission is to explore the history and interfaces of British and Australian cultures, expressed through folk music.For 30 years around Australia, audiences have enjoyed his concert brackets, workshops and one-man shows, his deep multi-disciplinary understanding of social history, his personal warmth, and his immense repertoire of songs covering the full range of human emotions, endeavours and experiencesHe was born in London, England and emigrated to Australia in 1962. His biography includes time in the theatre, and a maritime past on the water, apprenticing as a Thames lighterman and working up to North Sea trawlers and South Georgia whalers.Thanks to a prodigious memory and a willingness to learn about his craft, Danny Spooner quickly developed into one of the best singers of British folksongs in Australia. Over the years he has augmented what he learned "on the job" with a vast repertoire spanning almost every part of the British tradition - as well as a respectable portion of the Australian folk heritage.Danny has performed in folk clubs all over Australia, New Zealand and in Britain on his visits home, and has appeared at every major folk festival in Australia, at which he has given a vast range of workshops on aspects of folk songs of Britain and Australia..His passion is getting people singing, and he has inspired and encouraged many in developing their singing craft. Nothing gives him more pleasure than getting a good singing session going, "That's what folksong is about". Long described as "a living national treasure", Danny Spooner can make traditional music seem new and make new songs seem old.