Decades of work on North Wales and North West folk scene

Ian Chesterman, known to many Leader readers for his Folklore column, passed away earlier this month, aged 76.

Originally from Chester but living in Wrexham, he was an accountant, retiring in March 2021, but wife Ann says "his first love was his music".

Ian was a huge advocate for the future of folk music, an avid supporter of up and coming musicians but it's his own words that are also set to live on.

A lasting legacy of the writer and performer's musical work is being put together to be enjoyed by those who remember him, and those yet to discover him.

Taking on the project is Brian Jones, from the Wirral, who first met Ian in a folk club in the early 1970s.

He said: "We have worked together for as long as I can remember, and I've been made custodian of Ian's music legacy.

"He's always been a really good songwriter, and when he writes a song, even a brand new one, if he sang it for an audience, they would just join in right away.

"He was just so good at his trade, he was brilliant, a great wordsmith.

"It's so important those songs live on. I'm currently working on a legacy website, cataloguing 50 plus years of live concerts and folk clubs.

"It will be Ian's songs and stories with write-ups from people who have worked with me and Ian.

"But everything to do with Ian's songs is always a labour of love.

"And during the last three years, he'd been writing backgrounds for all his songs.

"He wrote about the steelworks and mines closing down, Red Rum, war and of course a lot of Welsh subjects.

"It's all story-based, and there are love songs but most were based on facts, and incredibly easy to listen to.

"But ultimately he was a lovely friend, he was caring and thoughtful."

Did you miss? Reflecting on 50 years in folk...

Talking of Ian's passion for the future of folk, Brian said: "He used to do album reviews for Folk North West magazine.

"He would alway pick up on things that nobody else would find.

"He was definitely about where the folk scene was going and the youngsters.

"He would champion anybody coming through."

Goff Jones had a decades long friendship with Ian, and he paid tribute to the musician.

He said: "I first met Ian in the late 60s when we were both playing in different bands on the North West folk music scene.

"In those days most of us were playing covers but as time moved on Ian started to develop his talent as a songwriter and he became a prolific writer of songs which covered many different subjects (he was still writing up to his death).

"Many different performers, including professionals, have sung and recorded his songs.

"Ian and myself eventually became band mates when he joined the bands Yardarm and Offa, and he was one of the best musicians I have had the pleasure of playing with.

"Many will have met Ian at Wrexham Folk and Acoustic Club and will appreciate how good a musician, singer and songwriter he was.

"As well as being a band mate, he was one of my best and oldest friends, and he will be sadly missed."

A funeral will take place on January 28, at 2.30pm at Pentrebychan. Numbers are limited, and any donations will be in aid of Nightingale House Hospice.

• Timeline of Ian Chesterman's life in music, compiled by the musician himself...

1963 to 1970:

The Cousins (Ian & Ken Chesterman) (1962-1968).

The Cousins & Rosemary (Ian & Ken Chesterman and Rose price) (1968-1970).

Notes: First gig was November 1963. Played on BBC Radio shows, Blackpool Night, and North West Tonight and BBC Wales TV show, The Singing Barn (with The Hennessys) in 1969.

1970 to 1972:

Ian & John (Ian Chesterman & John Chester).

Notes: Residents at The Little Theatre Folk Club, Chester and The Cellar Folk Club, Chester.

It was in the early 1970's that Ian came across a certain Brian Jones from the Wirral, subsequently playing at his folk clubs at both The British Legion, Moreton and The Wayfarers Club, Moreton in the following years.

1972 to 1976:

The Wild Geese (Paddy Nagle, Sean Gilligan and Ian Chesterman).

Notes: Won the Song for Wales (Can I Gymru) in August 1972 (as Paddy, Sean & Ian) with Harri Webb's lyrics put to music by Ian.

Appeared as guests on BBC Radio Folk on Two show.

Recorded Ian's song, The Men Who make the Steel in 1973 to raise funds for Shotton Steelworks campaign against closure (and the possible loss of 6,000 jobs) with 6,000 EPs being pressed to raise funds for the campaign.

Recorded the album, Songs for Tomorrow if not Today, on Joe Stead's Sweet Folk All label in 1974, featuring 5 of Ian's songs, including the title track.

1976 to 1980:

Solo and, on occasion, as a duo with Brian Jones.

Notes: Sang own song, Over the Moors, on BBC Wales TV show featuring Max Boyce in 1976.

Played on local Radio, including Radio Deeside.

1981 to 1985:

A period away from music, in general, whilst building up a self-employed business.

Notes: Only occasional gigs, solo and in duo with Brian Jones.

1985 to 1986:

Pedigree"(John Evans, Dave Russell & Ian Chesterman).

Notes: A short-lived collaboration that came to a premature end due to health problems.

1987 to 1990:

Solo and duo with Brian Jones.

Notes: After returning from ill health Ian achieved a long-held ambition by recording a solo album of his own songs (12) called Over the Moors. His good friend, and sometimes musical partner, Brian Jones produced, engineered and played on the album that was recorded at Brian's Open House Studio in the Wirral. It was released in March 1988 and well-received by the folk press. As a result, BBC Wales took the track, Candles to Caplamps, from the album to include on their Children in Need compilation album that year.

In a short space of time Ian wrote a song for Plaid Cymru's campaign for election to the European Parliament that appeared on a compilation Welsh album called Llais Cymru and was commissioned by BBC Wales to write a song for the international Eisteddfod in Llangollen. That song, The Ladies of Llangollen, was sung by Ian in a BBC live outside broadcast from the Eisteddfod field and has been played every year since during the BBC's Eisteddfod coverage in July.

Ian was asked by the editor of the Wrexham Leader to write a folk column (Folklore) in the paper every week. This started in May 1989 and he never missed a deadline in the next 30 years plus - see below.

Ian also wrote articles and reviews in the quarterly folk magazine, Folk North West.

1990 to 2017:

Offa (Goff Jones, Ken Prydderch, Drew Hurley, John Evans, Brian Jones and Ian Chesterman in various line-ups).

Notes: After playing at Wrexham Folk Club on a regular basis during 1988 and 1989 Ian was invited to join Wrexham Folk Club resident band Offa. He accepted and, from January 1990 a 28-year long association with the band and the club started.

During this period Offa recorded the album, Offa, (1990) at Brian Jones' Open House Studio, Wirral, featuring five of Ian's songs. They also played on BBC Radio Wales.

During the short-lived Wrexham FM Community Radio station in 1995, Goff & Ian produced and presented a two-hour weekly folk programme, Folk at Eight.

In 2001 tragedy befell Offa when John Evans was diagnosed with cancer. The band recorded the Yardarm/Offa album, Once Upon a Winter's Night, a live recording at Wrexham Folk Club, The Nag's Head at Christmas that year. It remains a fitting tribute to a great singer and good friend as John, sadly, died the following year.

After a 12-month break through illness, Ian decided to leave the band in May 2017.

2017:

Solo, recording and in duo with Brian Jones.

Notes: Since leaving Offa a long-term project of recording and archiving songs was continued with Brian Jones with the odd gig played now and then. Ian's folk column, Folklore, in the Leader, a Wrexham daily paper, came to an end on January 3, 2020 after an unbroken weekly run of 30 years, seven months. However, Ian continued to write articles and reviews in the quarterly folk magazine, Folk North West.