World class performers Collister & Fix to appear at Ropery Hall

A gig by two world class performers awaits music lovers at Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall when Christine Collister and Michael Fix perform  a fabulous journey of powerful songs taken from classical, blues, jazz, country, rock and folk with some additional original material added to the mix.

The duo’s appearance at the Maltkiln Road venue coincides with the launch of a brand new CD, North & South.

 “Be prepared to be mesmerised by the astonishing combination of their talent, experience and natural stage presence as they skilfully move through the whole gamut of human emotion,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk. “They promise to have you crying, laughing and tapping your toes in equal measure and will leave you feeling totally up-lifted and full of hope!”

 Their performances strike a wonderful balance between their unique arrangements of timeless melodies of popular tunes and their own unforgettable compositions,” she added.

 Christine and Michael’s paths first crossed in 2014, when they tutored at the Winterbreak Music Retreat in Australia.  Combining her voice with his guitar playing was a no brainer in terms of talent and temperament, and the Collister & Fix duo was born.  She draws her inspiration from the Celtic mysteries of the Isle of Man, in the middle of the Irish Sea. He has both the coast of Australia and a European heritage in his blood.

Collister & Fix’s combined talents, passion for music and overall love of life are a delight for any audience to witness.  Their performances strike a wonderful balance between their unique arrangements of timeless melodies of popular tunes andtheir own unforgettable compositions.  Well-loved repertoire from contemporaries such as Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, the Beatles and Bonny Raitt are represented alongside classic ballads of Ewan MacColl and Declan O’Rourke.

After touring Australia in 2017 and 2018, the duo made its UK debut with a series of performances in October 2017 and again in November 2018 and appear this month at Ropery Hall as part of a three week tour.

Over the years, Christine has shared the stage with Martin Simpson, Bonnie Raitt, The Bangles, Richard Thompson and Loudon Wainwright III and currently has a thriving solo career while Michael is widely acclaimed as one of the world’s finest acoustic guitarists.  He has won three Golden Guitars and numerous other awards in

Australia, and  is also an internationally recognised composer.

Collister & Fix will be playing at Ropery Hall on Friday, October 18, starting at 8pm.  Advance tickets, that can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person from The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery, or by calling 01652 660380, cost £14 with tickets on the door costing £16.

 

Latest News

VIEW ALL NEWS

Fun! with Barbara Nice

5-star award-winning entertainment from the tip-top Queen of Comedy.
In Barbra Streisand’s recent autobiography, she says:
“I haven’t had much fun in my life, to tell you the truth. And I want to have more fun.”
Join ordinary housewife extraordinaire Barbara Nice for a laugh-out-loud joyful get-together as we reconnect with what makes life worth living.
Barbara says “In these dark days, we need to find fun whenever we piggin’ can”. Expect Barbara’s unique comic insights into the current state of play on how we are all getting on.

This smashin’ show is suitable for anyone aged from fourteen to four score & ten, guaranteed to lift the spirits and put a spring in your step.
Edinburgh Festival regular and comedy circuit headliner Barbara Nice brings out the hidden joy in all of us.
Age: 14+

By Richard |

ROOM

Room – A journey into the creative mind of Virginia Woolf

Written and performed by HEATHER ALEXANDER.
Directed by DOMINIQUE GERRARD.

A woman must have money and a room of her own

Cambridge University, 1928. Virginia Woolf, the celebrated writer, is abruptly ordered off the grass and refused entry to the library. Her crime? Being a woman. Following this, Woolf interrogates the crushing injustice of women living in1920’s Britain. She slices through notions of gender disparity with an incisive mix of integrity and visceral charm as she forms her ideas about Shakespeare’s Sister, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and Aphra Behn among others.

Heather Alexander brings Virginia Woolf’s iconic text to the stage. In this witty, poignant and provocative adaptation, Alexander reminds us that the issues at the heart of A Room of One’s Own remain as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago.

Cambridge University, 1928. Virginia Woolf is abruptly ordered off the grass and refused entry to the library. Her crime? Being a woman. Following this, Woolf interrogates the crushing injustice of women living in1920’s Britain. With an incisive mix of integrity and visceral charm, Woolf forms her ideas about Shakespeare’s Sister, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and Aphra Behn among others.

A beautiful portrayal by an accomplished actor at the top of her game. ★ ★ ★ ★British Theatre Guide

Heather Alexander lit up the stage as she portrayed one of the most fearless female writers in history.’ 
★ ★ ★ ★  BROADWAY BABY

‘A room for the soul, where one can meditate, reflect on contemporary reality, be enchanted by the beauty of prosody, and let oneself go with hope, not only in the future but also in an illustrious past that still lives within us.
Alexander, is a refined, intimate, and literary pleasure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ’NORTH WEST END REVIEW

‘A vital feminist essay brought thrillingly to life.’ ★ ★ ★ ★ THE WEE REVIEW

Refreshingly unsentimental, passionate & utterly absorbing, @HAlexTheatre revels in the complexities & contradictions of Virginia Woolf. Feminism, class & artistic freedom are debated in this brilliantly detailed portrait of a formidable intellect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ FRINGE BISCUIT

This performance is part of our Members’ 241 Offer. Please ask for details.

By Richard |

Barnstormers Comedy Club – Nov 2025

Our regular comedy club returns with our Barnstormers host and three comedians from the national circuit.

By Richard |

Barnstormers Comedy Club – Oct 2025

Our regular comedy club returns with our Barnstormers host and three comedians from the national circuit.

By Richard |

Jack Rutter

Yorkshire folk singer Jack Rutter has established himself as one of the standout voices of the folk, roots and acoustic music scene in recent years. 

A hugely engaging stage presence, his soaring vocal, powerhouse guitar and bouzouki playing and masterful arrangements of traditional songs and contemporary covers have enthralled audiences from the largest festival main stages to the most intimate folk clubs. 

This year sees the release of his critically acclaimed third album This Is Something Constant, a compelling and spellbinding showcase of gripping story ballads and upbeat festival-stage firecrackers, perfectly pitched and delivered with soaring, crystal clear vocals that breathe new life into ancient tales.

‘Jack Rutter is one of the most enthralling folk singers, guitarists & musicians on the British folk scene today – with This Is Something Constant, the final release in a trilogy, he has hit the highest watermark to date.’ – Folk Radio UK

‘We come to the album on the back of a stirring solo set at Manchester Folk Festival, when Jack fired out a volley of songs that took no prisoners and demanded the attention of a late-night club crowd. The fact that he’s armed with a powerhouse of an acoustic Gibson that’s his main weapon of choice which he brandishes with glee, makes him a potent performer.’ – Louder Than War Magazine

This performance is part of our Members’ 241 Offer. Please ask for details.

By Richard |

Chantel McGregor

A female guitar prodigy, at fourteen Chantel was told by major labels that she had a “great voice, but girls don’t play guitar like that!”  Wisely ignoring the comments, she enrolled at the Leeds College of Music and became the first student in the college’s history, to achieve a 100% pass mark, with 18 distinctions.  Chantel left with a First Class Honours degree in Popular Music and a coveted prize, the college’s Musician of the Year award.

In previous years, Chantel stepped out in the pro-musician world and her stunning live performances demonstrated that she had the ability to perform rock for the new age, played by a musician born with an effortless virtuosity.  Since then, she has built a loyal and growing fan base who follow her every move.

 If you measure an artist’s prospects by the company they keep, then Chantel has been moving in the right direction. Early in her career, Chantel was invited to perform with Joe Bonamassa, on two of his UK tours. 

When Chantel released her 2011 debut album, Like No Other, one critic said, “Chantel McGregor deserves to be held up as a messiah of blues-rock and given her own mountain. She doesn’t strum or pick her guitar but almost bends and distorts it, as if she’s channelling the ghost of Hendrix through her fingers”  

By Richard |