Folk - Martyn Wyndham-Read

When asked what his favourite song was, folk singer Martyn Wyndham-Read told Viva Lewes, “Every single song I sing is my favourite song. When I first set out to sing professionally, I decided that I would only sing songs that I really liked. I would not sing a song just because I thought that it would go down well. Over the years I have accumulated a fair number of songs and each time I revisit them I have the same thrill that I experienced on hearing and singing them for the first time.“ Martyn has been performing for 35 years so he has a lot of favourite songs under his belt.

In the early 1960’s, aged 18, he left Sussex and headed for Australia with a guitar on his back. He initially worked deep in the bush at a sheep station called Emu Springs - where he fell in love with Australia and its music. He spent seven years Down Under, and in the early days he learnt ‘old songs’ from drovers, cane cutters and other bush workers and as the folk movement gathered pace he became an integral part of it. He then transferred his art back to the UK and built up a huge following. Nowadays, he goes back on a regular basis and catches up with friends old and new, picks up a few new songs and performs at many festivals. It is a great life, especially as Martyn is as passionate about his craft today as he ever was. KA