Welcome to the Stitherum Web site
Stitherum are Mike and Sue Dewsbury, originally from Nottingham but now proud to be Lincolnshire Yellowbellies- by absorption (mainly Batemans XXXB).
This Site
Back to Gainsborough Folk Club Website
Although regular visitors to folk clubs in the 70’s, they didn’t get around to performing in public until being persuaded to attend Gainsborough Folk Club in the early 1990s. They eventually became involved in running the Club and were instrumental in the organisation of the First Gainsborough Folk Festival in 2000
Their musical influences are wide with Mike having a deep affection for the early blues and the playing of John Hurt, Blind Boy Fuller and of course Robert Johnson.
Sue, however prefers a much more ‘melodic’ style and particularly enjoys the singing of June Tabor, Artisan, Tom Bliss and Bob Fox.
Mike and Sue are equally comfortable taking part in a singaround, a folk club floor spot or appearing as the booked artist and as such have appeared at a number of festivals including Saltburn and Southwell.
They are regularly asked to provide the support act for local performances by artists as diverse as Bert Jansch, Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, Emily Druce, Jez Lowe,Rod Clements and Bob Fox.
Stitherum’s repertoire is drawn from the full range of traditional and contemporary folk and is always collected in the ‘aural’ tradition-
we hears it- we nicks it! (only with the writers permission though!)
A typical set will include something thing silly, something sublime, something soppy and probably something slightly saucy interspersed with a fair bit of domestic harmony!
A word of warning though- it is generally thought unwise to encourage Mike to delve into his joke book- (for instance “ Did you kow that a recent survey showed that six out of seven dwarves weren’t happy…… )..... you have been warned !
“Stitherum” is actually a Lincolnshire dialect word meaning a convoluted tale or rigmarole- some would say it 'does what it says on the tin...."
When the muse is on her, Sue has ventured into song writing and was successful in reaching the final of the ‘BBC Write a Song for Lincolnshire Competition’ in 2002, 2003 & 2004.
Her song ‘Woven Threads of Linen’ (about a tablecloth?!) was the winner in 2003 and became the title track of their first CD- "Threads"
This was soon followed by oddly titled second CD: "oh look there’s an aardvark" which features this Boulton/Parton classic as one of their most requested songs
Further recordings are in the pipeline…watch this space……
You are welcome to download soundbites of these CDs from the links below or you can also see Stitherum on YouTube on the Gallery Page
Gallery
Threads
aardvark
Gig List
Megs Page
Instruments
Links
Mike Dewsbury~Woodturning