Committee

Michael Stewart

President

Michael started the Club’s initial meeting, the monthly session, with some friends in 2004 and then took on the role of President when the first committee was formed in 2005.  He has been amazed at the number and range of groups that have evolved from this simple gathering, and has enjoyed being part of the development of the Newport musical community.  Michael plays violin with the Newport Strings. He is also the Director of the Newport Folk Festival. 

Alan Davies

Vice-President

Alan joined the club in 2005. He is a choir leader, singer and guitarist. His ‘day job’ is in online communications. Alan has been the conductor of the Newport Community Choir since its formation in late 2008. He has been involved in many aspects of the club’s activities, including maintaining and operating the club’s PA system, Festival organising and co-ordinating the club’s online and print communications.

Rick Sidgwick

Secretary

Rick has been a club member from the beginning and a founding committee member – and took over the club’s secretarial reins from Alison in 2012.
He has strummed guitars, mandolins, bouzoukis and tenor banjos over the last 45 years and also flirted with harmonicas and tin whistles in a desperate attempt to amuse himself - and occasionally others!
Currently he plays with his partner Nicola in the imaginatively named duo The Ricolas – they play a mix of mainly Irish and Scottish tunes and songs.

Neil Brydges

Treasurer

Neil joined the Committee as Treasurer in 2018. After a lifetime of loving music, Neil was a late starter, and a slow learner, beginning to learn the guitar and occasionally bass six years ago. Neil is 6 of the strings of '18 Strings' - an acoustic guitar trio. When not butchering music, Neil's day job is as a tax lawyer. 

Alison Dew

Membership Secretary

Alison played tin whistle with the club’s founding group of friends way back in 2004. Alison took on the role as secretary/treasurer during the early years of the club, passing these positions on as the club grew beyond our expectations. Alison has the club to thank for discovering the ukulele and her solo voice. She now teaches several classes, workshops and one on one students the wonders of this marvellous 4 stringed instrument. Her band the Ukulele Dolls play regularly throughout Hobsons Bay and beyond.

Kerry Duke

Kerry was elected to the Committee in March 2020. Photo and details coming soon.

Greg Jenkins

Greg has been a club member since 2008. He has been a performer since primary school where he would sing unaccompanied (and uninvited) in show-and-tell. A keen songwriter, he helped to run “The Incredibly Supportive Songwriting Group”. He is currently co-host of the Club’s Open Stage nights and helps to organise the Club’s Theme Nights. While his main instrument is the guitar, he also plays a little banjo and is currently extending his harmonica and mandolin skills. He is half of the comic “ratbag blues” duo Sunny and Cloudy which performs original songs and schtick. His other “duties” for the Club have included MC-ing and venue management at festivals and maintaining the Atrocious Pun Quotient at Committee meetings.

Suzie Pearce

Suzie was co-opted on to the committee in mid-2017.Biographical details coming soon.