Celtic Collectors were formed in Spring 2023 when a conversation between Mike Keyton (Mandolin) and Tony Forster (Guitar) suggested they get together to have a music session in Tony’s house. They had both played years earlier in different bands and just wanted to give their instruments an airing. Little did they know that it would lead to a formation very quickly with other parishioners of St Mary’s R.C. Church of Celtic Collectors. They played their first Concert on June 28th 2023 in the Church to raise funds for the Parish. Three years later having played many concerts for a variety of Charities and Churches they have raised nearly £30 thousand pounds.
The band offer their services free of charge and play mainly folk music with a Celtic inspiration covering Irish, Scottish and Welsh music and sometimes includes pop music from the sixties and seventies. The band varies in numbers and we are sometimes eight, nine, ten or even eleven depending on availability with core instruments of guitar, mandolin, banjo, accordion, violin, penny whistle and bodhran, also tambourines and kazoos.