Ray Cooper lined up to play solo at folk club

It is a rare chance for fans to catch Ray - who moved to Sweden with his family back in 2000 - perform live in the UK.

The crowd at the Banbury Cross Inn will be treated to an impressive set by the talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.

Ray started to play in bands at the age of 16 when he was living in England and experimented with the realms of rock, punk, pop and world music.

He worked as a singer, bass guitar player and cellist before finally hooking up with Oysterband in 1988 and embarked on a long exploration into his roots.

However, it was the release of Ray’s first solo album in 2010 that represented a dramatic change of course in his career.

The Tales of Love, Death and War by Hanging album has a strongly historical theme and was recorded in a small log cabin in Sweden, with Ray playing the cello, guitar, harmonium, mandolin, mandola, harmonica and kantele to accompany his songs.

His second album Palace of Tears was released in 2014 and has a distinctive Nordic flavour, with Swedish fiddles and the Finnish kantele incorporated throughout.

He will be supported on the night by Under the Wychwood, featuring musicians Mark Pidgeon, Rod Craig and Lefty Wright.

Ray Cooper will perform at the Banbury Cross Inn on Wednesday, February 10, with the music starting at 8pm.

Tickets cost £10 each (£9 concessions).

The folk club’s gig nights are very popular and often sell out so booking your place in advance is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.

To reserve tickets, call 01295 709881 and leave your message and a phone number, or get in touch with Banbury Folk Club via their Facebook page.

For more details on this event or future gigs at the club, go to www.banburyfolkclub.co.uk

Further information about Ray Cooper and his music can be found at www.raycooper.org.