Folk - David Sealey

Although he was a rock musician (he fronted the band ‘The Chances Are’ in the 1960s and cut his first single at the infamous Abbey Road Studios) Dave Sealey really made his name with Cosmotheka, a duo formed in 1972 with his brother Al. Their name came from an old Victorian Music Hall in London, and they focused on the much neglected music hall traditions - comedy and traditional songs. Their act started out in folk clubs - claiming their rightful place among other traditional folk singers – and ended up with a world tour and a regular slot on Radio 2, plus numerous TV appearances on ‘The Good Old Days’, ‘The Bob Monkhouse Show’, ‘Roy Hudd’s Halls of Fame’ and ‘Chas and Dave’s Christmas Knees Up.’

Since the death of his brother in 1999, Dave has embarked on a solo career. He has kept the old time variety traditions alive and at the same time has enchanted audiences with his rich tenor voice, comedic timing and stage presence. He has also written a lot of new songs. When reviewing his show last year, Neil Dalton of the Real Music Club captured the essence of Sealey’s performance when he wrote: “The songs may all have been sung many times before - to many more people - but Dave sang them as if they had just been written, as if to an audience that was hearing them for the first time... he sang with a passion and a love for every word and phrase.” KA